# 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:** 13
**Author:** ![Carol\_Stream](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c2a13f/32.png) [@Carol\_Stream](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carol_Stream)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/241 "2008-11-30T02:15:15Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > You DO realize that this kind of thing has happened [throughout history](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stampede#List_of_human_stampedes)? That’s some “cite” you have there. Oooh a wiki, and a pretty poor one, at that. “Throughout history” only comprises 1872-present? Umm, OK. Then there’s the BIG RED ! “The inclusion or exclusion of items from this list, or length of this list is disputed.” Maybe you should stick to your “Me too” posts; they’re quicker to skip over. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/242 "2008-11-30T02:21:55Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > Fatal discount-store stampede: _Ipso facto_ funny. Just because it’s so **absurd.** Hell, why do you think it’s absurd? You’ve never worked retail, have you? ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/243 "2008-11-30T02:24:42Z")
> [@mks57](#): > > I found a great one. > > [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E1D8173EE033A25756C2A9629C946897D6CF](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E1D8173EE033A25756C2A9629C946897D6CF) > > Note the date, April 25, 1909. Good job. Nothing ever changes. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/244 "2008-11-30T02:37:37Z")
My first Christmas wish this year: May no one in this thread die such a pointless death. I’d expand it to “no one in the world” but I know that’s a lost cause. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/245 "2008-11-30T02:40:13Z")
> [@brazil84](#): > > It’s a shame because it really wouldn’t have cost that much money for Walmart to have hired a few off duty police officers for the “high risk” stores. > > I wonder if part of the problem is that individual executives and managers are reluctant to spell out what exactly the criteria are for determining whether a store is (relatively) “high risk.” Why would they be reluctant, though? It seems to me that it would be simple to determine high crime areas may need more security. Just on any given day, really. As for stampedes, I don’t know if they could have predicted where that would have most likely taken place, due to the fact that stampedes don’t really tend to follow any pattern as far as where it is more likely to happen. Or do they? Anyways, regarding BrainGlutton’s comment, I don’t really find this situation funny, because it just didn’t have the elements to tickle my funny bone. But I do not bar any topic at all from laughter. I may internalize that laughter in certain circumstances, but I find it weird that folks would judge others for finding humor in tragic situations. It reminds me of how David Letterman got all mad at Howard Stern for cracking 9-11 jokes on the late show soon after the buildings came down in NY. Then, maybe some months later, I noticed that later Dave himself was cracking jokes! Is he alone the captain of when enough time has passed to make jokes about a tragedy? ---
**Author:** ![xcheopis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bc8723/32.png) [@xcheopis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xcheopis)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/246 "2008-11-30T02:40:46Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Cite? 🙂 Had I a working scanner I could link you to a Buster Brown comic from ~1904 of just such a thing but, alas, I do not. ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/247 "2008-11-30T02:54:17Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Why would they be reluctant, though? It seems to me that it would be simple to determine high crime areas may need more security. Just on any given day, really. > > As for stampedes, I don’t know if they could have predicted where that would have most likely taken place, due to the fact that stampedes don’t really tend to follow any pattern as far as where it is more likely to happen. Or do they? > > Anyways, regarding BrainGlutton’s comment, I don’t really find this situation funny, because it just didn’t have the elements to tickle my funny bone. But I do not bar any topic at all from laughter. I may internalize that laughter in certain circumstances, but I find it weird that folks would judge others for finding humor in tragic situations. > > It reminds me of how David Letterman got all mad at Howard Stern for cracking 9-11 jokes on the late show soon after the buildings came down in NY. Then, maybe some months later, I noticed that later Dave himself was cracking jokes! Is he alone the captain of when enough time has passed to make jokes about a tragedy? Interesting take. I suppose there is no direct arbiter of “how long is long enough to make fun of people dying in a tragedy”, but for me, generally speaking, there’s at least a day or two of “if you can’t say something nice” before you resort to that. But whatever. I find black humor quite funny too, but in this particular instance, against the background of where my country of America is at this point in time…I found it far more disturbing and relevant than funny. But that’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Tammi\_Terrell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Tammi\_Terrell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tammi_Terrell)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/248 "2008-11-30T02:58:12Z")
> [@tomndebb](#): > > That day became a really big shopping day throughout the country and has come to be known as Black Friday because so many merchants operate at a loss (in the red) throughout much of the year while the sales on that day are enough to make many of them profitable (in the black) just on that day’s business. Just a minor quibble with an otherwise helpful and interesting post, but I think it’s more accurate to say that the day after Thanksgiving has come to be known as “Black Friday” _because retailers would have us believe that it was coined for the reason you mentioned_. There’s no doubt that the “black ink” explanation is the most commonly understood by U.S. consumers familiar with the term, but the likely (and more logical) origin of the expression (used with reference to that Friday after Thanksgiving) in fact lies [elsewhere](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)). – Tammi Terrell ---
**Author:** ![bassoonatic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@bassoonatic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bassoonatic)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/249 "2008-11-30T02:59:55Z")
This is the reason I try to avoid shopping at all after Thanksgiving- crazy mobs, traffic, and stupid greedy people. What I don’t understand is that this year, there was nothing ‘new’ out like Wii or PS3, **and** everything you could buy in the store on black Friday was available online (most with free delivery or in-store pickup) **on Thanksgiving Day for the same price!** ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/250 "2008-11-30T03:01:57Z")
> [@Tammi\_Terrell](#): > > There’s no doubt that the “black ink” explanation is the most commonly understood by U.S. consumers familiar with the term, but the likely (and more logical) origin of the expression (used with reference to that Friday after Thanksgiving) in fact lies [elsewhere](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)). I’ve always assumed that the name was an ironic take on Black Tuesday/Monday/Thursday–a day of dread and fear. ---
**Author:** ![Tuckerfan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/eada6e/32.png) [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/251 "2008-11-30T03:13:25Z")
Isn’t there an episode of _I Love Lucy_ which has her battling over something like gloves during the Christmas shopping season? (I _know_ I’ve seen that in a B&W movie/TV show from that era.) ---
**Author:** ![eleanorigby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee7513/32.png) [@eleanorigby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eleanorigby)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/252 "2008-11-30T03:28:19Z")
> [@wring](#): > > I dunno, does “save money, live better, don’t push” really work? Another commercial for them says, “we’re opening more aisles to make your shopping better or easier” or some such. (these are the 30 second bits online before episodes of House). I can’t help but find them loaded at present. ---
**Author:** ![Tammi\_Terrell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7ba0ec/32.png) [@Tammi\_Terrell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tammi_Terrell)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/253 "2008-11-30T03:29:00Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > I’ve always assumed that the name was an ironic take on Black Tuesday/Monday/Thursday–a day of dread and fear. Which makes me realize that it would’ve been more accurate of me to indicate instead that the “black ink” explanation has been the most commonly offered (e.g., by business writers, industry analysts, and retail representatives) whenever discussions of the origin of the term crop up in the popular press. (I’d like to think that more of us appreciate the “ironic take” of the moniker, but I do suspect that many U.S. consumers who’ve heard the phrase have probably already bought into the “back in the black” explanation.) – Tammi Terrell ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/254 "2008-11-30T03:48:14Z")
> [@ivylass](#): > > Sorry, I can’t get to Bentonville, Arkansas right this second. > > IOW, you’re being an ass and you know it. Give him a break. After all, he is a **Cubs Fan** , and they are not very bright to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 3:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/255 "2008-11-30T03:57:10Z")
> [@Tammi\_Terrell](#): > > Which makes me realize that it would’ve been more accurate of me to indicate instead that the “black ink” explanation has been the most commonly offered (e.g., by business writers, industry analysts, and retail representatives) whenever discussions of the origin of the term crop up in the popular press. (I’d like to think that more of us appreciate the “ironic take” of the moniker, but I do suspect that many U.S. consumers who’ve heard the phrase have probably already bought into the “back in the black” explanation.) > > – Tammi Terrell I will say that “Black Friday” is always jarring to me because I associate such phrasing with “Black Tuesday” referring to the stock market crash in 1929. But then I’m old enough to have seen _I Love Lucy_ on its original run. ---
**Author:** ![Windwalker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/5e9695/32.png) [@Windwalker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Windwalker)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/256 "2008-11-30T05:16:17Z")
> [@Cubsfan](#): > > 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??!?” I think I harped on the wording too much when what I wanted to emphasize was Walmart’s overall attitude to these types of promotions. They seem to want to incite this frenzy of shopping by the way they promote it and by not taking any measures to control it. They could have handed out tickets for the front page items so that getting in first would not help you at all with those items. They could keep the store open all night and still have the advertised 5 AM sale; at the very least, there wouldn’t be the entrance stampede. They could have hired uniformed police officers to be on hand at the high-risk branches, which is something many nightclubs have been doing for as long as I can remember. I’m not really saying Walmart should be held liable for this man’s death, but that they have failed in their responsibility to some degree. Yes, handing out tickets will mean that fewer people stick around for hours for the opening, which means fewer impulse buys and less profits, but it’s what a responsible company should do, especially when you know that a couple thousand people will be massing at your doors; that’s just common sense. Blame the fuckers who trampled the man to death, but also blame Walmart (albeit, quite a bit less) for being too cheap or foolish to implement better precautionary measures. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/257 "2008-11-30T08:28:55Z")
About the “blitz” thing-- Up until this year, and for at least 15 years back, all merchandise meant for sale on the day after Thanksgiving was marked “BLITZ” on it’s shipping label. This was done so it could be easily sorted from other freight that might come in on the same trailer, stuff that should be on the salesfloor right away. Oddly, there are a lot of American Football terms used in the retail world with different meanings than the game. “Full zone defense” refers to picking shit up and putting it back where it goes on the shelf, for instance… This year at Wal\*Mart, blitz merchandise was actually shipped with a code phrase instead. Any package that came in with “HAPPYFEET08” or “PENGUINS” was meant for the Friday sale. Yeah, we know. Whoever the bozo who posted that sign was, they screwed up. “The line for our advertised sale items begins here.” is clearly what was meant. I don’t think the crowd was really into reading signs when it went all went kerfuck, though. ---
**Author:** ![brazil84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8491ac/32.png) [@brazil84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brazil84)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 8:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/258 "2008-11-30T08:47:14Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Why would they be reluctant, though? Because nobody likes to be accused of racism. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 10:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/259 "2008-11-30T10:00:29Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > You DO realize that this kind of thing has happened [throughout history](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stampede#List_of_human_stampedes)? It’s a damned wonder that only one man was killed, and one woman was hospitalized. Many times, it’s because of inadequate security, or what have you. Was that article just written for this news? Way to skip the actual topic of stampedes to rush into human stampedes. Here is the entry for elephants from the same author: > [@](#): > > The Elephant: An elephant is big grey animal with a long trunk that looks like a snake. A snake is an elongate reptile of the suborder Serpentes. Like all reptiles, snakes are ectothermic and covered in scales. All snakes are carnivorous and can be distinguished from legless lizards by their lack of eyelids, hind limbs, external ears, and the presence of only vestigial forelimbs. The 2,700+ species of snakes spread across every continent except Antarctica ranging in size from the tiny, 10 cm long thread snake to pythons and anacondas at 9 m (30 ft) long. In order to accommodate snakes’ narrow bodies, paired organs (such as kidneys) appear one in front of the other instead of side by side. > [@](#): > > **BrainGlutton** , it’s a rare day when someone here can sink lower than **Carol Stream**. Congratulations, you fucking tool. Nice potshot at Carol. Well played. You might still get your ass handed to you in a paper bag, but nice. > [@mks57](#): > > I found a great one. > > [http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E1D8173EE033A25756C2A9629C946897D6CF](http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9F02E1D8173EE033A25756C2A9629C946897D6CF) > > Note the date, April 25, 1909. not only note the date but the opening “The bargain-counter rush has \*\*long \*\*been the subject of comedy” > [@Tammi\_Terrell](#): > > … There’s no doubt that the “black ink” explanation is the most commonly understood by U.S. consumers familiar with the term, but the likely (and more logical) origin of the expression (used with reference to that Friday after Thanksgiving) in fact lies [elsewhere](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)). I am not sure I am getting the reference in that article. They say it is because of the increased traffic, but why “black” Friday? Traffic left more smoke and soot, then? Black snow? Most customers were black in early 20C Philadelphia? Or just a general reference to the headache inducing rush? ETA: And on the BrainGlutton humor thing. You may have found it funny, but you should have also read the general mood of the responders so far and known it wasn’t going to stick. Had it been an ugly flower-hat-wearing old lady that umbrellaed her way to the front of the line and then got trampled, I would have found it hilarious. An employee (a temp!), not funny at all. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Nader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Darth\_Nader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Nader)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2008, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/260 "2008-11-30T10:49:22Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > **I** Fatal discount-store stampede: _Ipso facto_ funny. Just because it’s so **absurd.** Yeah, like if you were killed while hundreds of people stood around doing nothing. In your case, that might be funny. Stupid fucking dickhead asshole slapnut waste of skin that you seem to be… It’s amazing that **Carol Stream** and I could agree on anything. That’s how awful you are, **BG** [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=14)