Wal-Mart worker dies in rush; 2 killed at toy stor

[Jaga]

It is not crazy what haste and greed leads to?

edition.cnn.com/2008/US/11/28/black.friday.violence/

Three violent deaths in two stores marred the opening of the Christmas shopping season Friday

In the first, a temporary Wal-Mart employee was trampled to death in a rush of thousands of early morning shoppers as he and other employees attempted to unlock the doors of a Long Island, New York, store at 5 a.m., police said.

In the second, unrelated incident, two men were shot dead in a Toys "R" Us in Palm Desert, California, after they argued in the store, police said.

The toy company and authorities said the California shootings had nothing to do with shopping on Black Friday, which is historically one of the year's busiest shopping days.

The Wal-Mart worker, whom authorities did not identify, was 34 and lived in Queens, said Nassau County police Detective Lt. Michael Fleming.

"This was utter chaos as these men tried to open the door this morning," Fleming said

[freetobe]

Jaga,
The trampling death of the Walmart employee at the Valley Stream, L.I. store is currently under investigation. The incident was likely mob related behavior, similar to mob behavior at sports or entertainment events. This is not an excuse for crowds out of control. It is meant only as means to understand the mentality of crowds of people with pent up energy waiting hours for an opportunity
to buy something that retail marketers present as a bargain. The loss of the employees life is a true tragedy and for what? SAD,SAD.

[Jaga]

Have you ever been in the situation when the crowd of people seem unbearable? I was 2/3 times - once during the pope's mass in Czestochova in early 80-es. I could see the crowd trying to get through the "barrier" created by young scouts.
Another time was when a crowd of angry sport fans was going back after the game in a train, and the third time it was in New Orleans during the Mardi Gras in 1994.

[freetobe]

Jaga,
Yes, I know what you mean. I was caught up in an unhappy mob of sports fans, once in New york and once again in London. Very scary on both occasions. I never go to any event, sale or whatever, where you line up and it's a free for all to get in. Sheer madness.

[joyce]

Just think, the frenzy is going to get worse as the closer we get to Christmas.
And then there are the after Christmas sales people go nuts for.
Both husbadn and I try to stay away from Walmart on Fridays and Saturdays-which are
the worst days to go there.

Usually early Sunday morning we traverse Walmart. He pushes the cart while I walk on my walker with my prosthesis.