Last year on Black Friday, I walked into Wah-mar (that's the way our friend pronounces it) about 4 a.m. to stand in line for a laptop. When it hit five, the line started moving. The lady in front of me bought the last laptop, so I was left with nothing. This year I vowed to get there earlier, so I did.
After scanning the sales on Thursday, I decided to head for Toys R...for the midnight opening. When I entered the parking lot, I saw a line, albeit a small line, but a line for R.C. Wiley (who does that?). I thought to myself, "well, that's a good sign, there musn't be many for the toy store". As I rounded the corner, there it was........the first sign of what my Black Friday would be...a big long, around the corner of four buildings, line. The line was rather wide too, kind of a strange sight, but a good looking one.
It dawned on me, that I should not wait in this line, but go to another store. It was about 11:45, so I decided to stay across the street and watch the crowd go in. As I stood by a lone tree across the way, I noticed quite a flock of people were doing the same. We were all just waiting there to watch the line move....some people even commented that they'd stay here until the end of the line appears. As we waited, a lady started yelling at us from the main line. She literally said, "You guys have to go to the back of the line. We all know who we are and we won't let you cut. I've been here since 7 o'clock and I want my stuff! I want my stuff! I'll call the police and you'll get arrested!" Then quite a few other main liners started yelling at us, too. They were threatening to get us arrested, and calling us cheaters. Ok, I don't know about you, but my first thought was, "Oh my gosh, do people like this really exist? I'm here just to watch the action!"
Ok, so I stood my ground, because I knew my presence was making others nervous and aggitated. I just couldn't resist being a part of this. People on my side were chuckling to themselves, because we were all doing the same thing.
Just then, a cop car drove by slowly and the main liners started shouting and clapping for him! So, what did we do? The same thing. A mom next to me brought her girls specifically to watch this scene. "It's their first time", she said. Her daughters were so entertained and bewildered. On the other side, behind me, I heard some portuguese spoken by some young girls. They were talking on their cell and saying, "this is just what it was like in California, the people are yelling at us!" I decided to cross over on the sidewalk in front of the entrance. Blue carts barricaded the entrance and most of the first block. I just stood there alongside the carts to watch the main liners.
There was this little Toy worker who was shouting out to the people across the street, too. He made it clear that we would not be allowed in until we get to the back of the line. He also assured us that he knew who we were and that the police would intervene if there was any cutting in line. Funny little man, we heard him once and then his voice sort of drowned in the wind.
At midnight, the little Toy man opened the doors and counted to 50. He stopped the line for a minute and then began counting again. A couple people tried to charge the line, but law enforcement was in place. A little girl in white found her way up the line. One of the loyal main liners shouted that she was not a true main liner, so the little man did his job. He told her should could not come in. She started arguing with him, mean people were still going in. It was then that her boy friend snuck his way through. She instantly stopped arguing and walked away with a sly grin on her face. "Do people like this really exist?"
So after that little trick, I decided to stay just a little longer. It was then that the crowd started pushing. The little Toy man got scared and ran inside and closed the door. He was shouting that he would not open the doors until people stopped pushing. With all my attention at the doors, I did not realize that a crowd of people had pushed past the barricade and were now becoming a main liner. Of course, this infuriated people. The ladies next to me saw the opening and went for it. They got in. The little Toy man had opened the doors and just stopped counting and let everyone in. The cops stood there, they couldn't really do anything. No one was hurt (except for their feelings). I decided I had enough of reality and drove to Wah-mar.
I got there at 12:30 a.m., surveyed the crowd and decided to stay in line for a Wii. Doors opened at 5:00 a.m. When I finally walked out of the doors at 5:30 a.m., I wondered to myself, "do people really stay in line for 5+ hours to buy a game console, tv, computer, etc.?" Well, I just did.
So the question is, "Do I really exist?"
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