Black Friday: Let the stampede begin!

Have you ever been Black Friday shopping?

I have. I did it twice. I'll never do it again. 

The last time I went was about six years ago. There was a $200 computer at Best Buy. Some of you are already wincing. Yeah. You feel me.

First off, I was a total "Black Friday Noob." I had no idea. I showed up at Best Buy all by myself (strike one), at about 11:00 p.m. (strike two) and brought absolutely nothing with me.

There are websites solely devoted to how to handle and to prepare for Black Friday. I had visited none of these.

By the time I got there, the line was wrapped around the building. I stupidly got in line anyway, in the vain hope that "maybe these people were all here for something else and they don't know about the computer."

Yeah right.

Are you kidding me? These people were sharks. Veterans of the game. They came in groups; ready to take shifts. They had chairs and blankets. Snacks and music.

Me? I had my cellphone that didn't even have a full battery charge. That's right. I'm awesome.

Cut to the chase: I didn't get the computer. I froze my butt off outside a Best Buy for four hours and came away with zilch.

Then and there, I made a pact with myself that it would be the last of any such occasion for me. It's just nuts. You see reports of people being trampled by mobs of overzealous shoppers.

For what? A $20 digital camera? A $15 tennis bracelet?

But who am I to judge? If that's your thing, rock on. I just don't have it in me.

So how many of you will be gracing the sidewalk of your favorite department stores tomorrow evening? Have you ever done anything crazy to get a cheap big ticket item? 


Discuss.