Black Friday and carry

[Dhayes]

This. I was watching a video compilation of Black Friday (that's racist!) insanity and thinking that these people are acting like they're starving and there's only a couple boxes of Pop Tarts left inside the store, and for what? A "deal" on some worthless shit that's going to be forgotten in a landfill in a few short years...?

No thanks.

In general, I avoid shopping trips of any kind after 10/31. Not because it's unsafe, but because the "holiday season" brings out the total asshole in people, and on top of that I can't stand the music.

try these
Bob Rivers - I Am Santa Claus - YouTube

Jingle Hells Bells Bob Rivers.mp4 - YouTube

 

[jordanmills]

I couldn't help but run mental exercises on a few scenarios in my head. Unless a crowd of a few hundred people that generally behaves like preschoolers at recess magically starts working more like a gathering of civilized humans, I don't see how any situation that calls for deadly force could go well. Either you don't shoot and people get jacked or you do shoot and you get beat or trampled to death. I can carry sixty rounds with little effort and that's nowhere near enough to stop a rabid black Friday crowd. And that's not to mention that many of them would likely be confused and either pushed unwillingly into danger or action, or just be my backstop.

Conclusion: the deals aren't worth it, extra sleep is.

 

[ares338]

Most things out there to buy can be had on online Black Friday sales. Anything not online not worth it to me folks.

 

[Brains]

Wife wanted to stop by Target yesterday, and while busy it certainly wasn't a zoo. She wasn't there for the deals though, she was on the hunt for stuff to complete another one of her crafty ideas. This one was a set of 24 bags, each numbered and containing a little trinket of some sort, hanging on the stairs, so our daughter (4 y/o) can count down to Christmas day.




She commented on how the deals, weren't very good deals. She's been shopping online, and we picked up a few of the 'hot' toys for this year last week for a fair bit less than they were selling on Black Friday. In one case, for almost HALF of what it was now selling for! Daughter and I spent most of our time in the busiest section of the store (toy section), but people were very laid back. Other than the sheer number of people, and the plethora of 'lost' grandmas trying to find that one toy little Johnnie wants, it felt like a normal day.

... and of course, I carried the same as any other day.

 

[georgec]

No thanks.

In general, I avoid shopping trips of any kind after 10/31. Not because it's unsafe, but because the "holiday season" brings out the total asshole in people, and on top of that I can't stand the music.

Agreed

 

[NeckBeard]

why do these threads exist? one should be aware of their surroundings/crowds regardless of what day it is.

To me...black friday makes me think of the 3 "S"'s

Don't go to STUPID places with STUPID people and do STUPID things.

 

[stdreb27]

If you must go out, for instance I needed some .223. Hit cabelas at 9:30 pm and was walking out the door at 10.
The crowds come and go on waves.

Now this has changed some, since this Thursday evening shopping.

But when I worked retail. We had crowds till 10. Then it tapered off for lunch. We'd have a lighter afternoon rush then from dark on, it's a ghost town.

It has been my experience, that the early morning rush, would knock out the door busters. But all the Weekend long sales things are there.

I don't know of a retailer who can technically change prices at the end of their 5-10 am sales. So costs are good all day...

 

[Brains]

I don't know of a retailer who can technically change prices at the end of their 5-10 am sales. So costs are good all day...

Exactly - from a purely technical standpoint, they COULD (the computers will happily do it), but it wouldn't work well trying to handle those customers who picked it off the shelf at one price, only to be charged another at the register. That's why you'll often find the door busters suddenly going 'out of stock' at the end of the sale period, or the door busters carry a different SKU altogether. This year's Best Buy door buster TV was labelled as a Sharp, but was actually a Chinese knock-off using the Sharp name under license - and the UPC verified it (UPC prefixes are per-manufacturer). Those people looking for that "super deal" got what they paid for.

 

[Southpaw]

If you must go out, for instance I needed some .223. Hit cabelas at 9:30 pm and was walking out the door at 10.
The crowds come and go on waves.

Now this has changed some, since this Thursday evening shopping.

But when I worked retail. We had crowds till 10. Then it tapered off for lunch. We'd have a lighter afternoon rush then from dark on, it's a ghost town.

It has been my experience, that the early morning rush, would knock out the door busters. But all the Weekend long sales things are there.

I don't know of a retailer who can technically change prices at the end of their 5-10 am sales. So costs are good all day...

I work retail and believe me, our prices in the system change when it is advertised. Unless you find it signed wrong, then they will honor it for that one purchase but then the sign is corrected. With that said, our company did decide to extend their doorbuster pricing from 8pm on Thankgiving thru Saturday, even though our system changed over according to the ad.

 

[stdreb27]

I work retail and believe me, our prices in the system change when it is advertised. Unless you find it signed wrong, then they will honor it for that one purchase but then the sign is corrected. With that said, our company did decide to extend their doorbuster pricing from 8pm on Thankgiving thru Saturday, even though our system changed over according to the ad.

Cool you work for a company who's open 24 hours?

 

[Rentz]

My wife and mother love to go black friday shopping. In all the years we have been, we have yet to see anything like the show on the news. Even in some of the more "ghetto" stores we have been to people have been very well behaved. My wife and I always carry.

Where legal.

Same here, I get drug out every year for black friday and i've yet to really see anything bad or close to the news. It's usually what you would expect from a really busy Saturday plus some. The shoppers at walmart on average tend to be a little more rude and pushy but nothing major and best buy has this stuff down to a science as far as organization and control goes.

I never feel unsafe in the slightest and most stores have triple (or more) the police presence. Only issue I had this year was we had one store that had a decent line (usually the lines move quick, they may have had computer problems) and this dang kid kept slamming up into the back of me so I had to glare and the parents and position my body to where my carry wasn't pointing that direction

 

[Southpaw]

Cool you work for a company who's open 24 hours?

Yes, Thanksgiving thru Black Friday they were. Not sure what's what's cool about it though.

 

[googee]

Its for dopes, Black Friday.

 

[Jakashh]

A person that is a true master of the best defense, avoidance, doesn't participate in Black Friday shopping. It's like going to the Whataburger at 2:00am on a Friday night in the ghetto...you're just asking for trouble. It's not worth it, especially if anything actually happens, and the ensuing legal/financial trouble you will be subjected to as a result, all for what...saving a few dollars on some meaningless junk?

Around here whataburger at 2AM is where all the cops hang out. 2 to 4 squad cars at a time.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Around here whataburger at 2AM is where all the cops hang out. 2 to 4 squad cars at a time.

Oh I know. Heck, one time Alan and I hung out with and talked to a DPS officer at a Whataburger for like 2 or 3 hours. He had to do a protection gig as a former employee threatened the manager of that particular Whataburger.

 

[40Arpent]

I never feel unsafe in the slightest

Maybe it's not what you meant, but this statement implies that your guard is down, i.e., not alert and aware of your surroundings. Feeling a bit "unsafe" is a good thing.

 

[Younggun]

Maybe it's not what you meant, but this statement implies that your guard is down, i.e., not alert and aware of your surroundings. Feeling a bit "unsafe" is a good thing.

Being aware and feeling unsafe are completely different things.

 

[Shorts]

Carry on Black Friday is the same as carrying on any other day of the year.

I avoid any kind of big marketed holiday sales and blowouts because 1. I hate shopping and 2. being trapped in the third circle of hell and crowds isn't worth any kind of savings. We place a big value on our comfort and personal convenience. Not worth being miserable.

Oh and most the junk people buy on Black Friday sales go on sale for the end of the season anyway: Black Friday Doesn't Always Offer the Best Prices

 

[Younggun]

Just talked to one of my employees who went out.

He saw one guy get arrested because he was recording the crowds, or more accurately, because he was told by a cop to stop recording and refused. Hoping to learn more about this incident.

Another two guys arrested after they "stepped on" a 6 y/o girl.

He saw a couple more going out but didn't know why. Said his son has some videos on his phone that he will get later.

Said there was one injury but not sure of the details, ambulance was called.

 

[Rentz]

Maybe it's not what you meant, but this statement implies that your guard is down, i.e., not alert and aware of your surroundings. Feeling a bit "unsafe" is a good thing.

Yeah that's not what i meant really, more a general statement that everything is controlled and not the mass chaos you see of people beating each other up for a tv

I'm probably even on a higher awareness of surroundings just based on the amount of people