# Wal-Mart Greeter Killed in Black Friday Stampede **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [November 28, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811 "2008-11-28T16:39:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 11
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/201 "2008-11-29T18:23:20Z")
Missed the edit window. Wanted to add this: The cop is not in the correct position to do compressions, but perhaps he has back or hip or knee issues that preclude that. I also note that none of the rescue team seems to be helping him. They may not be giving him mouth to mouth, but they did begin bagging the victim with an ambu bag. I have no idea why there was a delay of getting the ambu on to him(I cannot tell if someone was bagging him all along–the video is too jumpy), but like all emergencies, things are chaotic and fragmented and rushed. The mouth to mouth comment came after the rescue team was bagging him and displays the commentator’s ignorance of basic rescue. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/202 "2008-11-29T18:30:04Z")
I was under the impression that emergency responders had more or less given up on rescue breathing, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Slacker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@Slacker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slacker)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/203 "2008-11-29T18:48:10Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > I think it’s the shoppers responsibility to not kill other shoppers… > > And what’s with all the people saying cops should have been at the store to crowd control? Do you have any idea how many stores have mobs outside them every BF? > > The only responsible parties here are the fucking shoppers. No one else. But who do you blame? The people in the front had to move or risk ending up like the victim. The people a few rows back in the crowd couldn’t have possible known what was happening. Wal-Mart created a dangerous situation by allowing the crowd to rush in to snatch their cheap DVD players and the not-so-unthinkable occured. If they had exercised any kind of crowd control beyond “close the doors then open the doors” this man would still be alive. And regarding the “how can the cops be everywhere at once” question, it’s simple. If you can provide adequate security for this kind of event, you have it. If you can’t, you call it off. With all of these Black Friday “blitz” events going on all over the country, this was bound to happen somewhere. Wal-Mart gets to pay the price for all retailers, and hopefully it will be significant enough to make sure this doesn’t happen again next year. I’m no lawyer, but this sounds exactly like [involuntary manslaughter](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manslaughter#Recklessness) to me: a wanton disregard for the known dangers of a particular situation. Like throwing rocks off an overpass onto cars below. I hope Wal-Mart pays, and pays big. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/204 "2008-11-29T18:50:16Z")
> [@Linty\_Fresh](#): > > After the army during a recession, I worked retail at a large shopping center to make ends meet until my wife got discharged. Stacked up against the measley paycheck, it was easily the dirtiest, hardest, most thankless job I have ever performed, and that includes the military, washing dishes, and working on a dairy farm as a kid. For minimum wage, we got pushed, screamed at, cursed out, and once, literally, spit on by customers whom we were only trying to help while looking to get out of yet another exhausting day. And in case you were wondering, no, the store owners and supervisors didn’t give a shit. The supers had it every bit as bad as we did. > > And yes, I worked Black Friday, and it was a scary experience. I once had to step into a crowd to rescue a female coworker who was literally having the life squeezed out of her by a bunch of abusive neanderthals who had shoved their way into the store at 5:00 AM, because our functionally retarded supervisors couldn’t be bothered to institute any sort of decent crowd control. There were fistfights and arrests in the store that day, and while I wasn’t caught up in them, my friends and coworkers were. > > All this for minimum wage. So they could get their kids decent food and shoes, and I could buy my new wife something decent for Christmas. > > You know, kind of like the temp who got killed was probably trying to do. **I** know all that. The poor fellow did not deserve such a pointless fate, may the grief and troubles of his loved ones be small. But, **it doesn’t matter.** Look, it’s this simple: Fatal terrorist attack: Not funny. Fatal rock-concert stampede: Almost funny. Fatal discount-store stampede: _Ipso facto_ funny. Just because it’s so **absurd.** ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/205 "2008-11-29T18:59:45Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > **I** know all that. The poor fellow did not deserve such a pointless fate, may the grief and troubles of his loved ones be small. But, **it doesn’t matter.** Look, it’s this simple: > > Fatal terrorist attack: Not funny. > > Fatal rock-concert stampede: Almost funny. > > Fatal discount-store stampede: _Ipso facto_ funny. Just because it’s so **absurd.** No. ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/206 "2008-11-29T19:14:10Z")
> [@Slacker](#): > > But who do you blame? The people in the front had to move or risk ending up like the victim. The people a few rows back in the crowd couldn’t have possible known what was happening. Wal-Mart created a dangerous situation by allowing the crowd to rush in to snatch their cheap DVD players and the not-so-unthinkable occured. If they had exercised any kind of crowd control beyond “close the doors then open the doors” this man would still be alive. This is a tragedy. But “don’t bum rush the locked doors” should be all the crowd control that’s needed. Someone should have been outside handing out tickets to the linegoers, but breaking down the door could not have been expected by anybody. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/207 "2008-11-29T19:20:59Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This is a tragedy. But “don’t bum rush the locked doors” should be all the crowd control that’s needed. Someone should have been outside handing out tickets to the linegoers, but breaking down the door could not have been expected by anybody. I saw a report that there were 2,000 people in this crowd. Is it known that the crowd broke down the doors because they were in a mad rush for DVD players, or was it at least partially because they wanted to relieve the pressure of 2,000 people squashing in behind them? Very large crowds like that can be dangerous precisely because the people at the back don’t realize what’s going on at the front, and people at the front or the middle lose the ability to move around or get out of the crush. That’s why, if you expect to have thousands of people forming a crowd outside your doors, you need to implement effective crowd control. ---
**Author:** ![kidchameleon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/898d66/32.png) [@kidchameleon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kidchameleon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/208 "2008-11-29T19:38:08Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, my God, that’s just [snerk] . . that’s horrible, that’s really [choke:o] awful, it’s tragic, it’s, it’s HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW- **HAW!!!** :p:p:p > > That was your reaction too. Admit it. Now I get why most of your posts are just quotes. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/209 "2008-11-29T21:43:01Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > This is a tragedy. But “don’t bum rush the locked doors” should be all the crowd control that’s needed. Someone should have been outside handing out tickets to the linegoers, but breaking down the door could not have been expected by anybody. Indeed. Instead of discouraging bum rushing, they’re all but encouraging it by calling their fucking queue a “blitz line”. I mean, are they trying to get everyone in the mindset of an offensive linesman looking to get 6 yards for the first down? What the fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Cubsfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Cubsfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cubsfan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/210 "2008-11-29T21:48:20Z")
> [@Windwalker](#): > > Indeed. Instead of discouraging bum rushing, they’re all but encouraging it by calling their fucking queue a “blitz line”. I mean, are they trying to get everyone in the mindset of an offensive linesman looking to get 6 yards for the first down? What the fuck. I guess they figured that people would be able to use their brains and interpret blitz line to mean “line of people that are all heading to same item in store”. We should try to find as many ways as possible to blame this on WalMart. “What the fuck were they THINKING when they used RED to write the word BLITZ?!?! Don’t they know that RED means ATTACKKILLDEATHTRAMPLE!!??!?” “What the FUCK were they THINKING telling people exactly what was on sale on BF? Don’t they know people will get in line in the middle of the night and ATTACKKILLDEATHTRAMPLE any motherfucker who get’s in between them and their $5 South Pole sweatshirts??!?” ---
**Author:** ![Jolly\_Roger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/91b2a8/32.png) [@Jolly\_Roger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jolly_Roger)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/211 "2008-11-29T21:56:44Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Oh, my God, that’s just [snerk] . . that’s horrible, that’s really [choke:o] awful, it’s tragic, it’s, it’s HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW-HAW- **HAW!!!** :p:p:p > > That was your reaction too. Admit it. Not mine. I was appalled. This wouldn’t be funny even if the man was not hurt at all. That people will act like complete idiots to save a little bit of cash on crap tat they most likely don’t need is disgusting. Especially since as I said before this shit will be on sale next week and the week afer and on til Xmas. Then it’ll be on sale uo through January in the “Its all gotta Go! Clearance Mega Sale!”. I seriously don’t understand how you can find this man’s death humorous. He was killed by a bunch of brain dead shopping zombies at a fucking Wal-Mart. Just before Christmas. I doubt his family will have a good time this holiday season. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/212 "2008-11-29T21:57:38Z")
Are you even reading the same posts we are, **Cubsfan**? The ones from the various Wal_Mart employees, or family of Wal_Mart employees? Where they say that the way that these items are dealt with is that it’s first come, first served, and anyone at the merchandise can take as much as they want. If you believe this to be inaccurate, fine - give us some counter-examples. Until that time, however, it sure sounds like a pretty Darwinian weeding process - encouraging aggression, ruthlessness, and determination above all other concerns. In this case, Wal_Mart’s employee has reaped the whirlwind that they sowed. It’s a multi-year process, but by refusing to take pro-active action in crowd control, or even to encourage some decorum amongst their customers, I do believe that Wal_Mart has fostered an environment where this sort of event was inevitable. ---
**Author:** ![clayton\_e](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c57346/32.png) [@clayton\_e](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clayton_e)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/213 "2008-11-29T22:18:34Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > There’s a minor error in the 12th picture caption: Number 11 too. Jeez… Who’s writing for that paper? ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/214 "2008-11-29T22:21:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Fucking savages literally broke the door down: > > The people to blame are the penny-grubbing animals who murdered the guy. That’s a no-brainer. I don’t understand why there aren’t any criminal charges being pursued against these scum. > > This kind of thing represents both everything that’s wrong with Christmas and everything that’s wrong with Americans. Fucking greedy, brainless fat-asses literally killing people to get a few bucks off a nerf ball for their worthless fucking kids. Mindless, bestial consumerism, oblivious, sociopathic self-absorbtion, absolute lack of accountability. All for a few piddling, trivial discounts on CD players and cookware. It doesn’t sound like any of these people gave the slightest shit that they’d just killed somebody. > > If something like this happens, they should immediately lock everybody in, call the cops and load every last one of these swine onto paddy wagons. They can then review the security cameras and pinpoint exactly who did what. > > I don’t understand how people can literally run over – actually, physically step on – another human being on the floor, and not give it a second thought, even when they see EMT’s loading the dead body onto a stretcher. Who ARE these people? > > The irony of the fact that they’re allegedly doing this in the name of celebrating “Peace on earth, good will towards man” is so stark it burns the skin. Please explain the relationship between christmas and this. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Linty\_Fresh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Linty\_Fresh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Linty_Fresh)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/215 "2008-11-29T22:30:04Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > **I** know all that. The poor fellow did not deserve such a pointless fate, may the grief and troubles of his loved ones be small. But, **it doesn’t matter.** Look, it’s this simple: > > Fatal terrorist attack: Not funny. > > Fatal rock-concert stampede: Almost funny. > > Fatal discount-store stampede: _Ipso facto_ funny. Just because it’s so **absurd.** Where are you getting this? Enjoy the holiday cheer and go fuck yourself. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/216 "2008-11-29T22:49:31Z")
I don’t go shopping on Black Friday. This year I had to work (new job, no time off yet), but I don’t go shopping except for groceries, even when I do have the day off work. In fact, at this time of year, I follow the Steelers schedule closely. I’m not a football fan, but there are fewer crowds at Target and Costco when the Steelers are playing. So I like the Steelers. > [@cosmosdan](#): > > I’d like to see some retailer come up with a less stress holiday shopping promotion. We’ll have more good deals spread out over more days and we won’t be open 5AM because we want our employees to spend more time with there families. Cue the employee to hug the exec. They’d probably create an advertising buzz that would make them very memorable. I’d certainly make a point of doing more of my shopping at a store that did that. ---
**Author:** ![Hogwash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e57/32.png) [@Hogwash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hogwash)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/217 "2008-11-29T23:17:59Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Please explain the relationship between christmas and this. > Thanks. Black Friday is traditionally seen as the start of the Christmas shopping season. Now, do you want me to tell you where babies come from? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/218 "2008-11-29T23:21:31Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Please explain the relationship between christmas and this. > Thanks. You don’t understand what Christmas retail sales events have to do with Christmas? ---
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/219 "2008-11-29T23:28:58Z")
C’mon, guys. **Estilicon** is from Argentina. Not every U.S. custom has managed to blanket the world and permeate every other society out there. ---
**Author:** ![torie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@torie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/torie)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/220 "2008-11-29T23:36:57Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > C’mon, guys. **Estilicon** is from Argentina. Not every U.S. custom has managed to blanket the world and permeate every other society out there. But…but…we are the center of the world! Even with being American and understanding the rush, I still don’t think you can really connect people being assholes with Christmas. Again, people are always assholes, Christmas just gives them more motivators. I don’t like consumerism and commercialism either, which is why Leo gets no toys from us this year, but why is this stampede any more despicable then, say, the stadium disaster at Brussles? Because people were rushing to buy stuff and that’s what we are really mad at this week? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=10) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=12)