Centurion

Issue date: 12/8/09 Section: Op/Ed

Black Friday is easily the craziest
and most stressful shopping
day of the year. But yet millions
of people still make it a priority to
wake up at 3 a.m. and go out
knowing what they're in for.
According to wisegeek.com, the
word "black" in Black Friday
refers to the term "in the black,"
meaning making a profit. Today,
Black Friday is not a crucial
source of profit to retailers, but is
important in driving traffic into
stores.Many retailers mail special
Black Friday circulars to consumers,
announcing deeply discounted
items in the hopes that
consumers will visit their store on
Black Friday.
Going out on Black Friday is a
very weird tradition. The day after
Thanksgiving everyone gets up
early and goes shopping at 4 a.m.
when the stores open to get great
deals on things like tickle me
Elmo or a number of other obscure
gifts that can't wait until the
next day while trampling hundreds
of people in the process.
I usually only go once every
two or three years. But this year, I
went like the millions of others
and ended up getting great deals
on a few electronics I needed like
a digital camera and a new blueray
player.And I got more than 60
percent off.
However, Black Friday is more
than great deals on presents; it's
watching other people fight over
the same gift. It's seeing them run
for position in line. The funniest
of all is watching them run up and
down the aisles trying to swerve
in between everyone else knocking
things over as they run to
where they think the gift they
want will be.
Lots of people do this every
year to get the great deal. Or
they're trying to get their shopping
done in one shot. When it
comes down to it is it really worth
it? Is that $100 you save on that
DVD player really worth waking
up that early (probably nursing a
hangover from Thanksgiving)? I
don't see it, and I don't think I
ever will.
I know I sound like a hypocrite
because I've mentioned how I
went out this year and a few years
ago. But I think a good night's
sleep would have been a bigger
prize.
I believe there are a lot of people
out there who love Black Friday
and who look forward to it all
year long. I know many of those
people. I'm not knocking it for
everyone. If you like waking up
that early and beating people
away with a stick as you sift
through a crowd of people, then
that's great more power to you. .
Word to the wise, if you've
never been out on Black Friday,
but you plan to be in the future, do
your best to avoid the crazy mom
who's ready and willing to knock
you out for the last digital camera
her son wants so badly. Oh yes,
it's that fun.

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