# 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:** 17
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 8:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/321 "2008-12-02T08:08:10Z")
> [@lobotomyboy63](#): > > I didn’t read every post in here…apologies if I missed it, but did this remind anybody else of this? > > _On December 3, 1979, the Riverfront Coliseum in Cincinnati, Ohio, was the site of one of the worst rock concert tragedies in United States history. Eleven fans were killed and several dozen others injured in the rush for seating at the opening of a sold-out concert by The Who. The concert was using festival seating. When the crowds waiting outside heard the band performing a soundcheck, they thought the concert was beginning and tried to rush into the still-closed doors, trampling those at the front of the crowd._ > > [Seating assignment - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festival_seating) That’s not quite accurate. The eleven victims were already dead by the time the soundcheck started. They were crushed into asphyxiation because the crowd was wedged into a triangular area. And the stampede had more to do with people wanting to get out of the brutal cold than with a mad rush for the best seats. I think people tend to conflate that incident with the [Disco Sucks riot](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disco_Sucks) in Chicago earlier that year. That was a deliberate clusterfuck, but I never saw any malice in the Riverfront Coliseum incident. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/322 "2008-12-02T09:45:10Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > Ace of Third Base! Hah! ---
**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:** [December 2, 2008, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/323 "2008-12-02T13:06:37Z")
I wonder how often things like this happen around Christmas. Maybe not ending woth someone being trampled to death, but shoppers going for deals going mad and stampeding a store. My thought is that it happens more often than we hear about. They had the story on CNN last night. The fact that people were still shopping and claiming that they had been waiting for five or so hours is mind boggling to me. The lack of concern for this poor man’s life is sickening. The poor guy was a temp, probably working there just so he could afford to spend some money on his family for the holidays. ---
**Author:** ![VarlosZ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@VarlosZ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VarlosZ)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/324 "2008-12-02T13:47:30Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > After viewing these pictures, does anyone want to put a racial spin on this? I’ll cop to it: after hearing about this, my first thought was: “I bet this wasn’t a crowd of white shoppers.” I have no data to back it up, of course, but in my experience middle-class whites excel at queuing up and moving in \*relatively \*good order when in throng formation. Whenever I’m in a disorganized throng populated mostly by blacks and hispanics which is moving towards a bottleneck, the ethos seems to be “the harder you push, the faster we’ll all get out of here.” With mobs of white folks, not so much. I suspect it’s more cultural than economic. The usual disclaimers apply: just my subjective impression, could be be colored by biases, my experience might be representative, etc. Does this make me a queue-bigot? Maybe. I don’t have any other “white people are good at X” theories, so I think I can live with this one. ---
**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:** [December 2, 2008, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/325 "2008-12-02T15:21:11Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > I’ll cop to it: after hearing about this, my first thought was: “I bet this wasn’t a crowd of white shoppers.” > > I have no data to back it up, of course, but in my experience middle-class whites excel at queuing up and moving in \*relatively \*good order when in throng formation. Whenever I’m in a disorganized throng populated mostly by blacks and hispanics which is moving towards a bottleneck, the ethos seems to be “the harder you push, the faster we’ll all get out of here.” With mobs of white folks, not so much. I suspect it’s more cultural than economic. > > The usual disclaimers apply: just my subjective impression, could be be colored by biases, my experience might be representative, etc. Does this make me a queue-bigot? Maybe. I don’t have any other “white people are good at X” theories, so I think I can live with this one. It’s funny…when I first heard of it, I assumed it was a mob of redneck trailer trash types (I used to live in a trailer park, and for the most part, many of the residents fit the stereotype to a “T”). Since I live kinda out in the boonies, I often encounter these kinds of people at our local WalMart. When I saw the pictures, I was like “huh”. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/326 "2008-12-02T19:49:52Z")
I know the mall, so I didn’t need to leap to conclusions absent pictures. That said, I think the behavior is more socio-economic rather than race related. I hope that the relatives can not only sue WalMart, but every retailer which promotes such feeding frenzy behaviour, especially by offering deeply discounted limited quantities for short periods coupled with mass advertising promoting them. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/327 "2008-12-02T21:12:50Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > It’s funny…when I first heard of it, I assumed it was a mob of redneck trailer trash types (I used to live in a trailer park, and for the most part, many of the residents fit the stereotype to a “T”). Since I live kinda out in the boonies, I often encounter these kinds of people at our local WalMart. > > When I saw the pictures, I was like “huh”. 'zak same experience here. -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 2, 2008, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/328 "2008-12-02T22:56:29Z")
I assumed it would be your redneck trailer trash if only because every time I walk into a Wal-Mart, I feel like I just walked into the middle of Larry the Cable Guy’s family reunion. At this point though, what does it matter? (However, if anyone gives a shit, the victim was also black. So it seems it’s just the area) ---
**Author:** ![Kevbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e47774/32.png) [@Kevbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kevbo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/329 "2008-12-03T05:43:56Z")
> [@Dangerosa](#): > > You can’t blame customers for trying to maximize their dollar - few of us can really afford the life we want, and if we can save $30 here and there we can get closer. Until more people wake up to the notion that the solution isn’t to change what we can afford, and instead change what we want, you are correct. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/330 "2008-12-03T14:38:49Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > At this point though, what does it matter? (However, if anyone gives a shit, the victim was also black. So it seems it’s just the area) Technically, he’s Haitian. Many self-identify, regardless of skin color, more with Hispanic than black. Others self-identify with neither. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2008, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/331 "2008-12-03T15:25:53Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > Technically, he’s Haitian. Many self-identify, regardless of skin color, more with Hispanic than black. Others self-identify with neither. Not to contradict you; but just to add my own experience. I don’t know a single Hatian that doesn’t self-identify black. And I know a _lot_ of Haitians. So, I’ll give Guin a pass on just assuming he is black. ---
**Author:** ![Cartooniverse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cartooniverse/32/3084_2.png) [@Cartooniverse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cartooniverse)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/332 "2008-12-03T15:52:03Z")
Victim’s family [will sue.](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460924,00.html). Article says he died protecting the pregnant woman with his body. Assuming this is accurate, it moves him from temp employee victim well into the range of decent human being struggling to protect a pregnant woman from being injured badly. Doesn’t make his life worth any more or less but if he did really try to shield her, more power to him. What a shabby commentary on consumerism. Cartooniverse ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/333 "2008-12-03T16:17:13Z")
Has the pregnant lady in question come forward to say that yes, he was defending her? That makes him not just an innocent victim but a hero. Also, I notice that this guy was 6’5" and 270lbs. Not a small guy that you just walk over without noticing. And if he was bundled with a pregnant lady, you gotta be a real mofo to just bump and run. Now, how can you protect someone and die crushed without the person you are protecting not being also crushed? ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/334 "2008-12-03T16:25:29Z")
> [@Sapo](#): > > Has the pregnant lady in question come forward to say that yes, he was defending her? I hate to be a cynical bastard, but so far, in all the reports on the incident, the only one that portrays him as heroically trying to save a pregnant woman has been in the statement from the plaintiff’s lawyer. Other reports just say he was trampled and other people were injured, including a pregnant woman. > [@Sapo](#): > > Now, how can you protect someone and die crushed without the person you are protecting not being also crushed? He wasn’t necessariy crushed. While protecting someone you could have received a fatal blow to the head or had part of your sternum smashed. He wasn’t necessarily smothered, it would have been more like being kicked to death. If he was shielding the pregnant woman, he would have been kicked, but not her. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/335 "2008-12-03T16:25:41Z")
I know I’m probably late to the party but **Brain Glutton,** kindly shut your festering word hole. Not a damn thing funny about this and you’re a vacant, empty asshole for suggesting so. I still don’t necessarily hold the store responsible, but somebody’s gonna pay for this deal, may as well be the ones with the biggest pockets. ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/336 "2008-12-03T17:25:29Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Not to contradict you; but just to add my own experience. I don’t know a single Hatian that doesn’t self-identify black. And I know a _lot_ of Haitians. So, I’ll give Guin a pass on just assuming he is black. I don’t know many, but of the ones I do, most don’t want the “baggage” (not my term) of being black. ETA: Not contradicting you; more just noting you have a greater sample pool. In addition, mine is further limited by dealing mostly with people in the financial services industry in middle and upper-middle class categories. ---
**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:** [December 3, 2008, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/337 "2008-12-03T18:16:19Z")
> [@D\_Odds](#): > > I don’t know many, but of the ones I do, most don’t want the “baggage” (not my term) of being black. > > ETA: Not contradicting you; more just noting you have a greater sample pool. In addition, mine is further limited by dealing mostly with people in the financial services industry in middle and upper-middle class categories. Ah! Ok. The Haitians I know are certainly not upper class or anything like that. They are in the ghetto and very much ingrossed in black American culture. And they have good music and great food! ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/338 "2008-12-03T20:51:40Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > I think there was a NY Time article that stated the employees tried to create a “human chain” to help control the crowd coming into the store. :smack: > > That’s kind of like asking everyone to line up nicely for the firing squad. Lucky more employees didn’t get seriously hurt. A game of “Red Rover” gone amok and lethal, is how I see it. Wal-Mart bears a goodly chunk of responsibility for this, they (the corporates) knew they were whipping up a frenzied crowd, they should have seen to it that there was proper crowd control. :smack: Not left employees who have no clue to try to depend on individuals to be decent when dealing with a rabid mob, fully in the throes of “buy now now NOW!” madness. ☹ :mad:☹ ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/339 "2008-12-03T21:09:03Z")
> [@VarlosZ](#): > > I’ll cop to it: after hearing about this, my first thought was: “I bet this wasn’t a crowd of white shoppers.” Yeah, like that hip hop band _The Who_. Their fans are just a buch of people with low riding bell bottoms and tie-dyed do-rags. ---
**Author:** ![Billdo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/billdo/32/315_2.png) [@Billdo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Billdo)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2008, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811/340 "2008-12-03T22:19:32Z")
> [@Cartooniverse](#): > > Victim’s family [will sue.](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,460924,00.html). In a perverse way it is much better for his family that he was working as a temp. Were he directly employed by Wal-Mart, he would be prevented from suing the company because of workers compensation. On the other hand, because he was employed by a temp company, his family should be able to sue Wal-Mart directly, and likely obtain a substantial settlement. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=16) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wal-mart-greeter-killed-in-black-friday-stampede/474811.md?page=18)