Black Friday brawls break out at two Wal-Mart stores
There are good deals to be had, but there's also a downside to Black Friday, given the lines and the search for parking spaces as well as the short tempers and sharp elbows that don't quite live up to the usual holiday spirit.
The L.A. Times Money & Company blog details two incidents today at Wal-Mart stores.
In Upland, store management called police at 2:44 a.m., asking for assistance in dealing with customers who were “fighting inside.”
The store had remained open all night as a security precaution after a Wal-Mart worker on Long Island, N.Y., was trampled to death last year on Black Friday when a surging, impatient crowd rushed the doors after the store opened.
A little over an hour later, authorities were called to a Wal-Mart in Rancho Cucamonga when a fight broke out in the electronics section.
--Andrew Blankstein
EDITOR'S PICKS:
That's precisely why I don't do ANY shopping on Black Friday. No deal is good enough to put up with the whole circus.
Posted by: Dirk | November 27, 2009 at 02:26 PM
"Save your money, learn to fight better at Wal-Mart"
Posted by: Slugger | November 27, 2009 at 02:39 PM
Only in the I.E.
Posted by: Cindy from Santa Cruz | November 27, 2009 at 02:55 PM
wow people fighting over walmart electronics
Posted by: Nathan | November 27, 2009 at 03:45 PM
Animals..
Posted by: GHETTO | November 27, 2009 at 04:05 PM
probably low class people, since it be near etiwanda.
Posted by: blank man | November 27, 2009 at 04:23 PM
I shop therefore I am...Fighting at Wal-Mart no less...Way lame.... Ok, if you have to resort to fighting at Wal-Mart on Black Friday then things must be bad...Clearly folks still love buying things they obviously can't afford...
The publicity of this year's sales smacked of a cattle call....It's like a bunch of marketers rang a bell and the crowds came a coming....
My feeling is if i have to go through the trouble of dealing with crowds, lines, elbowing, and sales staff too numb by the whole thing to make a difference, I probably can't afford it--on sale or not.
Posted by: Mostly Informed | November 27, 2009 at 04:30 PM
Wasn't last years shoot out in a Riverside KayBee Toy Store...let's hear it for the I.E. Yee Haw.
Posted by: Arjay | November 27, 2009 at 04:53 PM
Fistfights over Christmas shopping. What happened to "Sleep in heavenly peace"?
Posted by: Baffled Observer | November 27, 2009 at 04:55 PM
Ha. Of course this happened in the 909. Twice.
Posted by: BettyDraper | November 27, 2009 at 04:56 PM
Great. Now we are up to two fights in the 909. What can I say? lol
Posted by: Joe Jericho | November 27, 2009 at 05:04 PM
Yeee Haw Floyd! I gotsa go to WAAL Mart!!
Posted by: Markus | November 27, 2009 at 05:29 PM
Ah, to the victor remains the spoils! Walmart should sell tickets to these fights, another revenue source. As to the public at large: how many black eyes and bloody noses is that on-sale TV or crock pot worth?
Posted by: schmendric | November 27, 2009 at 06:12 PM
Such tacky people.
Posted by: lee mary | November 27, 2009 at 06:32 PM
All that in the name of the birth of the baby Lord Jesus! I love christians!
Posted by: hf2hvit | November 27, 2009 at 06:35 PM
In the wake of the trampling death last year at a Wal-Mart on Long Island, NPR correspondant Andre Codrescu (sp.?) wrote a piece about the incident. In the piece, Codrescu described shopping as a religion in this country; a religion which demands blood sacrifices. How apropos in light of today's brawling in Upland and Rancho.
Posted by: Res Ipsa Loquitur | November 27, 2009 at 06:53 PM
thank you for the giftcard!
Posted by: BETTY FOUST | November 27, 2009 at 06:56 PM
This is just so pathetic. I guarantee these people did not vote for Ron Paul.
Posted by: Ben | November 27, 2009 at 07:01 PM
Ireally think that Black Friday should be sold online only to avoid the mess that goes on in these location, before more people get hurt or killed over something that priceless than a life.
Lrh
Posted by: L.H | November 27, 2009 at 07:07 PM
The way Walmart handled Black Friday was dumb. There were more people in the stores prior to their 5am Black Friday sale. Even though things were wrapped in shrink wrap people began ripping it and box of bikes were falling everywhere. They were better off giving tickets to purchasing electronics and big items like last year. I hope THEY NEVER DO THIS OPEN 24 HOURS SALE AGAIN. Worst Idea of the Entire YEAR!!!
Posted by: Vanessa | November 27, 2009 at 07:27 PM
Somebody always has to spoil the fun and start acting stupid, fighting in the store nice way to act in front of the kids and i am willing to bet there were plenty watching this. Good way for adults to act like a pack of wild dogs ..........not.
Posted by: royalfuzziness | November 27, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Wal-Mart was very crazy this morning. I had never experienced shopping on Black Friday so my husband & I decided to go and let me tell you after what I experienced I will never do it again. People were shoving, pushing people out of the way, it was crazy. At one point some lady rammed and pushed me like I was in the NFL and I literally went flying to one side. Women are very serious about bargain shopping I have learned. The whole experience as I look back is very funny.
Posted by: CC | November 27, 2009 at 07:44 PM
Black Friday + Black People = Trouble
Posted by: Phillip McKann | November 27, 2009 at 07:52 PM
Inland Empire has issues.
Posted by: sophie | November 27, 2009 at 07:56 PM
Upland and Rancho Cucamonga, who would have thought that such classy places there would be fights in a Wal-Mart.
Is this even news? I would expect there to be more fights in such lousy areas.
Posted by: donut | November 27, 2009 at 08:45 PM