They should have had a better plan, for sure. But I blame the idiots who are so eager to save 20% on plastic Christmas Treez that they 1. wake up in the middle of the night 2. join a huge crowd 3. push hard enough to break a glass door and 4. trample a man to death.
I don’t think the store shouldn’t catch any heat for this, even though they will. As much as I don’t “like” WM, all they did was offer “things” for “sale” why should THEY have to corral the throngs of miserable, savage gutter scum, er, customers that ended up trampling this poor fellow to death?
Fuck each and every one of the syphillitic shitholes that was in that line and especially those who had the unmitigated gall to KEEP SHOPPING after this man was trampled.
Find those people, isolate them and remove them from society. They have no place with the rest of us.
Re: Possibility of criminal charges:
I bet that Kathleen Rice (Nassau County D.A.) is mulling over charges currently. From what I’ve seen of her since her election, if thinks there’s a snowball’s chance of putting together a winning case, she’ll pursue it. I hope so, anyway - it’s just… I know people keep using the word “sickening” to describe this incident, but it truly is the perfect word to describe what I’m feeling. I’m sickened, literally.
No mention on the WalMart site. No mention on the Green Acre Mall site. Just a minimum wage stock clerk. Go about your festivities.
Oh, and do not go to the New York Daily News slide show of the mob. It will raise your blood pressure.
Whoops, I meant “I don’t think the store **should **catch any heat for this” missed edits
Not to excuse such horrible behavior, but I have to wonder whether, after the front line passed over the worker down on the floor, subsequent waves of stampeding shoppers might not have even known he was there, or seen him till they were practically on top of him? And then been unable to avoid him because they were hemmed in and swept forward by the crazed crowd all around them?
When one is jampacked in the center of a moving mob, one doesn’t have much if any freedom to change course.
Why one would be in that position, of course, is one’s own responsibility.
To my mind, an out of control stampede isn’t necessarily the fault of those caught up in it - they may have no choice as you say. That’s an issue for crowd dynamics, and this sort of stampede can happen in many settings where you have large numbers of people in a confined area - the Mecca pilgrimage, soccer games, etc.
OTOH, deciding to continue shopping for that must-have bargain after such an event …
What criminal charges could be filed against the tramplers? Even if security cameras were able to positively identify those who stepped on the man who died, can they even be held accountable? I would think their defense would be that they were being pushed so it isn’t their fault.
This reminds me of the WHO concert in Cincinnati in the 1980s where IMS 8 people were trampled to death.
There’s a minor error in the 12th picture caption:
It wasn’t “workers” but “shoppers” who took the doors off, but workers sounds plausible enough to be confusing.
This is one of the most disgusting and, to me, inexplicable American traditions. Now that the poor man is dead, I hope this gets so much press that this stupid frenzy gets discontinued.
I am relieved that at least the immediate reaction of the store staff was to kick everyone out and close the door. I mean, police would have done it anyways, but I am glad no sales were made to the hungry mob of mofo’s that think killing someone is acceptable collateral damage when buying shit they probably shouldn’t be buying anyways.
If the press by the crowd was that bad, it really is possible they had nowhere to go but on top of him, or die with him.
+1
Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t we have this kind of story every year? Some poor bastard getting trampled, assaulted, shot, etc. over really stupid crap related to some cunt who just has to be the first through the door, get the first PS X, Wii, what have you? When the fuck will we get a clue and start acting like rational creatures?
People who actually believe that Christmas in America has anything to do with goodwill to all men and peace on earth are just like people who believe Division 1 college football players are “student-athletes”.
True, but the people 15 rows back probably didn’t know the severity of the developing situation until it was too late (as you had started to point out, to be fair).
Meh. It’s not like your decision to stop shopping would have brought the guy back to life.
I couldn’t have said it better, Dio. While getting a few things we needed after our move back to the US at the local Wal-Mart, Target and the PX the greeters offered us the flyers on their big bang black friday sales. I told my wife that there was no way in hell we were going near any of those stores on Black Friday. It’ll be a madhouse, and really, its not like they aren’t going to have other “can’t miss this one” sales all up until Xmas, and then the obligatory “mega post Xmas sale”.
This imbeciles that trampled that guy…what the hell were they thinking? What could possibly be on sale in Wal-Mart that would make people act this way?
That day will be the end of the Straight Dope, you realize.
It’s all about the crowd control. Those pics from long island make it clear things had gone kerfuck a few hours ago.
What bugs me is I was near to just a few assholes tonight–being what they are, while over in India everything went REALLY bad, and I don’t know how to feel about it. A world-changing event, and I’m posting about just one dead guy.
I wish perspective and wisdom were as cheap as low-grade vodka and ginger ale.
This is disgusting and really bothering me today. That poor man–so young (not that we should trample our elderly to death).
What the fuck is wrong with people? Does it mean that much to you to get jeans for $10 or a flat screen TV for less? I like a bargain, but this is horrid. I am glad they closed the store and I HOPE Walmart doesn’t offer rain checks. Have the people in the crowd no shame? Ok, so maybe the ones in back didn’t know. But they had to know the doors were broken down by the front part of the crowd. Wasn’t that enough? They must know now that a person died*. How could you stand in line at the checkout, wanting to buy that digital camera, knowing that this “festive tradition” has killed someone?
It’s appalling.
*and a 28 year old pregnant woman was hurt as well. WTF is she doing there? What an idiot.
I’m glad you wrote this. If you had added something about fucking Holiday sports fandom crossing the line into open groveling worship, I’d elect you my next Representative. Not Senator, because 6 years is a long time.
Just out of curiosity, Dio, what are your kids getting for Christmas? 