What moron feels that they absolutely MUST go out shopping on Black Friday? WHY voluntarily put yourself through that? Everyone knows the crowds are going to be nothing short of retarded. BUY ALL OF YOUR SHIT IN OCTOBER AND EARLY NOVEMBER YOU STUPID ASSHOLES
Oh, I do it every single year. It's not really about X-mas, though. I put off buying a bunch of stuff every year. If it still seems important when Black Friday rolls around, well, then, maybe it's not a stupid impulsive purchase, and the odds are good that it's 50%-70% off. *shrugs*
The key to Black Friday is understanding the crowds. The media only shows you the shocking or amazing lines. For example, if you want a loss-leader at Best Buy, well, good for you. But you'd have to be a moron to expect that you can have it without skipping Thanksgiving and spending a couple days pretending to be homeless prior to the sale. Now, if you want cheap pillow forms, you're in. The crowd at JoAnne's is polite and helpful, as mobs of old ladies go. Last year Dave dropped me off at the door and went to park. He called me when he got in the store to find out where I was. I told him and he said "Pillow forms? Where's that?" The lady next to him grabbed his shoulders, spun him around, pointed over his shoulder at the correct department, and said "Over there!" Merry X-mas. Similarly, the sock sale at Freddies is very good and perfectly benign.
If you're not trying to buy something you can't afford and don't really need, actually, Black Friday isn't bad. I get my face care stuff, socks, sewing supplies, calendars, etc. every year without incident.
That said, I really don't understand camping out at Best Buy Wednesday and Thursday just so you can be in line first come Friday morning. I don't understand mobs of people beating each other down to get into a Wal-Mart. Really, it's the frenzy I don't get. It's all just stuff. I guess whoever dies with the most wins?