Mind your Black Friday manners
There are a lot of reasons people complain about the post-Thanksgiving kick-off to the holiday shopping season dubbed Black Friday. There are the long lines, crowded stores and the 4:30 a.m. wake-up call to make sure you don’t get stuck buying everyone on your list Chia Pets…again. (It’s even harder to wake up when you O.D. on tryptophan, that little chemical in turkey that makes you drowsier than watching “Christmas with the Kranks.”)
If you think it’s rough shopping at a mega-retailer on the day after Thanksgiving, well just imagine working there. In the spirit of the holidays, we wanted to offer up America’s early bird shoppers (Awful pun intended…) a few tips and bits ‘o advice for a successful (and well mannered) black Friday shopping adventure:
• Be nice: Yes, you! We know you’re tired and cranky and you’re not happy that your laundry room has been taken over by crazy Aunt Mildred’s cats and their three-story litter box. But before you honk at that mini-van only doing 10 mph over the speed limit or roll your eyes at the sales clerk moving a little too slow for you, take a breath and smile.
• Eat something. Pack a turkey sandwich for the road or be sure to stop for lunch. Nothing makes you grumpier than waiting in line on an empty stomach.
• Wear something comfy. Maybe not a bathrobe or the “I’m with stupid” T-shirt, but nothing with tails, either.
• Remember: It’s just stuff. Seriously. You don’t need to have a foot race down a Wal-Mart aisle against a couple of soccer moms to grab that last discounted laptop. Although if you’re going to, you better make sure you win.
Holiday shopping fun fact: By the way, the Saturday before Christmas is actually the busiest shopping day of the year. So if you sleep in until noon and throw down a hot turkey sandwich or two while avoiding the relatives in the basement all day, you’ll still have your chance for big sales and public embarrassment.
Good luck!
