Should Black Friday be banned?

[powerboy]

I do not think that they should ban Black Friday. But they should ban them from opening earlier, than they usually do. And like what was said earlier, have it applied to every shopper.

[Flyndaran]

I do not think that they should ban Black Friday. But they should ban them from opening earlier, than they usually do. And like what was said earlier, have it applied to every shopper.

So they open early for an entire week before the sale, but don't do anything else differently.. would that be ok?

[Evandril]

There were two reports of deaths this year regarding Black Friday. One at a ToysRUs where two customers got into a fight and one was shot. The other was the Wal-Mart one. The government already tells businesses what to do for people's "safety", why not this?

Even giving Black Friday credit for both deaths...that's *TWO* deaths out of *HOW* many sales/rushes/ect?

Admittedly, walmart's policy to get every person possible into their stores to chase after some fleeting deals (VERY limited quantities of underpriced items) should be dealt with in some fashion...but a nationwide rule would be bad, IMO.

[ArenaBoy]

Agreed with Boozy. Police presence is a big help. The fact that Wal-Mart let this happen was shocking.

The other alternative is (For me anyway) to just stay home in and sleep in. That and shop online.

[daleduke17]

This is no different than laws banning "Happy Hour" in bars. If it is good for public safety not to allow bars to have happy hour, then it should be ok for public safety not to have this version of Black Friday sales.

Either that, or allow happy hour again.

[Evandril]

Again...*HOW* many people have been hurt by 'Happy Hours' compared to Black Fridays? If you concider the amount of people involved in both, it would make this similar to the government getting involved in all of the darwin awards, as well. On that same day, how many *OTHER* people died for various reasons?

[Flyndaran]

Again...*HOW* many people have been hurt by 'Happy Hours' compared to Black Fridays? If you concider the amount of people involved in both, it would make this similar to the government getting involved in all of the darwin awards, as well. On that same day, how many *OTHER* people died for various reasons?

If we make anything that harms people illegal, it should be tobacco. Anything else is a lesser danger.

[Boozy]

I don't have a problem with laws protecting innocent non-smoking bystanders from the harms of tobacco smoke. But the government doesn't need to pass a law protecting an individual from themselves.

Happy hours and Black Friday (arguably) cause harm to others, so the law could possibly get involved there. Otherwise the government can mind it's own business.

[daleduke17]

I don't have a problem with laws protecting innocent non-smoking bystanders from the harms of tobacco smoke. But the government doesn't need to pass a law protecting an individual from themselves.

That is exactly what the tobacco laws are. Protecting people from themselves.

[the_std]

That is exactly what the tobacco laws are. Protecting people from themselves.

Uhm, no. The smoking restrictions in public places are to protect people from other people. Someone out to dinner has no choice over whether the person three tables away lights up or not.

[Flyndaran]

Uhm, no. The smoking restrictions in public places are to protect people from other people. Someone out to dinner has no choice over whether the person three tables away lights up or not.

No one should have the right to spit carcinogens into our communal airspace. I like breathing air without particulates, as a general rule.

The fact that it is a completely without merit habit makes it somewhat unique among legal bad habits.

It's worse than marijuana, ecstasy, and a few other illegal drugs.

[daleduke17]

No one should have the right to spit carcinogens into our communal airspace. I like breathing air without particulates, as a general rule.

The fact that it is a completely without merit habit makes it somewhat unique among legal bad habits.

It's worse than marijuana, ecstasy, and a few other illegal drugs.

Make sure you never drive, be near vehicles that are running, or any factories then.

Uhm, no. The smoking restrictions in public places are to protect people from other people. Someone out to dinner has no choice over whether the person three tables away lights up or not.

Yes they do. The choice is to either deal with it, or go somewhere else. There ARE choices.

[the_std]

This isn't a thread about the anti-smoking laws. Maybe you should go argue that over in the right thread.

The point being made here is that banning Black Friday sales might help protect people from other people and their actions that bring needless harm onto other people.

[AFPheonix]

Although if stores ensured that they had proper precautions in place, there would be no need to think about banning Black Friday. There are many stores across the country that do ticket systems, have adequate security and crowd control, and enough staffing to prevent disasters from happening. The Wal-mart in question did not, and I hope someone gets in some deep shit for it.

[Boozy]

The ticket system makes so much sense, I can't believe that every store doesn't do it.

Perhaps this Wal-mart actually wanted the out-of-control crowd scene. Video footage of people calmly filing into a department store with tickets does not make the evening news. Hordes of sale-crazed customers pushing each other out of the way does.