My first Black Friday

By Gloria Austin  
Staff Writer
    It was the night before Black Friday and all through the morning hours, customers were waiting with care, anticipating 5 a.m. when the ticket items would finally be theirs …   
    After being stuffed to the gills with turkey and all the fixin’s, a discussion of shopping on Black Friday came up just before dessert. Scanning through flyers, a family member wanted to make sure she was in on the savings for a computer.
    Well, I sat back and thought … Black Friday… right? Well, she asked if anyone wanted to go with her. Hmmm … why not. It was something I had never gotten in on before, so let’s give it a try. After talking about long lines and how people hurried and even trampled others to get the deal. Wow. How could I miss seeing that? Count me in I piped up. So the two of us decided my sister could also go since her husband was at hunting camp. What else did she have to do? Sleep? She agreed a bit reluctantly.
    So, what time should we go? It was decided 10 p.m. or so. Right on time, my ride arrived. But before heading off to the wonderful department store, I needed to stop and get a cup of java for two purposes: One, to help me stay awake and secondly, to keep me warm since Thanksgiving night was a bit brisk and foggy.
    Well, I was anticipating a big line. We arrive. Okay. Maybe eight people gathered at the doors. Hmmm …. What am I doing? Well, if I’m going to knock this off my bucket list, might as well get out and experience the full gamut. So, we joined the line.
    Now my nosiness takes over. What’s everyone waiting for? Basically, electronics. How long have you been standing here? Since 5:30 or 6 p.m. What? Really? As time passed, more and more people started gathering before the doors opened at midnight.
    A manager comes out to go over some ground rules. People, no running, pushing or shoving. Okay. We are all adults. Shouldn’t common sense prevail? I guess not on Black Friday shopping. Okay. Let’s behave.
    Next, where are the “ticket” items located? Well, follow the lettered balloons to the line needed and pick up a ticket. You have to be in line at 5 a.m. when the sale starts, but bathroom passes were allowed to give those waiting a break from just sitting or standing in one area through the early morning hours.
    The doors open promptly at midnight and the group proceeds in an orderly fashion.
    The manger had also discussed the fact that sale items were draped in black wrap throughout the store.  They weren’t to be opened until the sale officially started at 5 a.m. Shoppers had to locate where their item was in the store and stake it out. For example, Hewlett Packard printers were located on the corner of the women’s department. Ticket items were not in their usual places either, as laptops and desktop computers were placed in sporting goods.
    So, now it was hurry up and wait. What to do in the store until 5 a.m.? But, I felt like a mouse in a maze, as aisles were roped off so I ended up backtracking a lot through aisles to find my way to another. But, I understood it was to keep order.
    It seemed like I had checked out everything when I asked my sister what time it was … mistake …  it was only midnight. Five more hours of what? Again, I walked around the store talking to employees and other shoppers. What time is it now? About a half hour later than I had asked before.
    Well, my feet are burning and my legs are cramping from walking on the concrete floors. So, finding a bench, I plunked down and shut my eyes for a few moments.
    With my second wind, my sister and I stretch a bit and get going again. While one family member waits in line for a computer, she also needed printers. So, my sister and I go to the printer area and await the 5 a.m. hour.
    The line of traffic in the store was constant and by 4:30 or 5 a.m., a steady stream of people arrive hoping to get in on a deal. Some were a bit miffed they didn’t know the store was open at midnight, while others didn’t understand the limited quantity of goods.
    But, when the clock struck 5 a.m., the tape on the black wrap was undone — sounding like fire crackers going off all over the store — and people started scurrying. After getting our gifts, we proceeded to the checkout lines. Now, there was a line. The longest I had been in all night.
    So, what did I learn from my Black Friday shopping experience? One, know what you want to get before you get to the store. Secondly, have a plan of attack. If items are spread out, chances are you aren’t going to get something you want if you are stuck in another line, so bring some recruits to help. Thirdly, tempers do flare. Fourthly, people do stake out items and hold claim to them.
    But, the best part of Black Friday shopping for me: I went for the experience and didn’t want to buy any item. I went with no expectations and discovered several bargains.