Black Friday Madness

Today was the infamous Black Friday, and I was scheduled to work from 5am to 2pm. I knew, with it being Walmart, that is was going to be packed with people, but I had no idea the insanity that awaited me when I arrived at work at 4:45am.

First off, the parking lot was full, there wasn't a parking spot available unless you parked way over by the Staples and Petco, and even that was filling up quick. Sheriff SUV's were parked outside, patrolling the area inside and out, and people will just filing in. The first thing I noticed is that all the carts were gone and the poor cart pushers were out there running around trying to bring in whatever carts they could find around the parking lot. When I got into the store, however, is when the real madness began.

Around the store areas were roped off and there was displays all around that were covered in plastic. The sale started at 5am and people were just piled around these displays and roped off areas, just waiting. Trying to get to the back of the store to the time clock was almost impossible and seeing as where we clock in at is right by Electronics, where they were selling 32" flat screen TV's for $388, it was like a zoo! I finally got clocked in and headed out to check it and see which door I was needed at and I had just passed Electronics when someone yelled "ITS 5!". Suddenly people were screaming at the top of their lungs and ripping off plastic around the displays and throwing things in the air...like literally, I couldn't see the TV's on the wall in Electronics because there was just stuff flying around in the air as people sorted through what they wanted and filled their carts. It was insanity!! I've never seen anything like it!

They ended up putting me in the Garden Center to watch the door and check all receipts that came through. The line was backed up through the garden center and out into the store, and inside the lines were backed up from the registers to the back of the store. I had to check every receipt, highlight the large items they bought, and initial it. The bad thing was that it was freezing cold, and being garden center, it is open air. I was shivering all morning.

It finally started to slow down around 8am, but there always a steady stream of people. Three guys were arrested for fighting over one of those video game chairs, and one lady smacked another lady in the face over trying to get to sale items early. And one manager was even accosted by a customer. It is amazing what people will do for a stupid toy or TV. Nothing is that important to me that I would fight someone over it, or cause such a pandemonium over it.

So the holiday season is finally here, and seeing that I am working tomorrow, I am sure it is going to be busy from now on like today until the holidays are over. I am just glad I survived that whole mess and made it home in one piece.