Remembering a Particularly Black Friday
Do you remember Jdimytai Damour? Likely not, but it would be worthwhile to remember his name the next time you walk through the front entrance of a Wal Mart because Jdimytai Damour, a 34 year old employee died there–trampled to death on November 28th 2008 by shoppers eager to grab Black Friday deals.
Outside the store in Valley Stream, NY a crowd began amassing at 9:00 pm the previous night. The police were called at 3:30 am to deal with the large and unruly crowd. At 4:55 am the crowd of 2000 shoppers pushed the doors off their hinges and flooded into the store. At 6:03 am, at the nearby Franklin Hospital, Jdimytai Damour was pronounced dead: a result of the injuries he received when he fell under the feet of the shoppers pushing their way into the store.
A quote from the New York Times describes the frenzied shoppers who continued to move determinedly into the store, even as the police tried to resuscitate Mr. Damour:
People did not stop to help the employee as he lay on the ground, and they pushed against other Wal-Mart workers who were trying to aid Mr. Damour. The crowd kept running into the store even after the police arrived, jostling and pushing officers who were trying to perform CPR, the police said.
“They were like a stampede,” said Nassau Det. Lt. Michael Fleming. “Hundreds of people walked past him, over him or around him.”
The case for limiting our human interactions grows stronger and stronger with each and every act like this. We all want to save money in these difficult financial times, but how far are we really willing to go?
If you plan on going out to the mortar and brick shopping malls this Black Friday, here are some tips to keep you safe. Above all, this Black Friday try to remember that we’re all in this together: the reason why 2000 people gathered outside a Wal Mart wasn’t to trample someone to death, but to save a little money on something they normally wouldn’t be able to afford. Is that wrong?
Should there be more regulations surrounding Black Friday shopping? Should there be a governing body that limits the retailers, and holds them responsible for their customers’ safety?
It seems senseless to show up in person when you can find good deals from reputable dealers online easily, like the more than 800 who offer eBillme at their checkout. In many cases you will save more online than in-store due to the ease with which you can find online coupon codes.
One thing is for certain: no one gets trampled when they shop online.
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