WHEN KEEPING IT REAL GOES WRONG

Ambulance Takes Away Woman Hurt In Shopping Stampede
GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan, NBC10.com
At least one person was hurt when shoppers stampeded into a store in the Grand Rapids area Friday morning. When the doors opened, people rushed into a Wal-Mart and literally fell over each other trying to get inside. Some were able to get up and get out of the way, but at least one woman remained on the floor until she could put her wig back on (above on the right). During that time, a person stood behind her trying to protect her, but more people fell. Emergency workers came to the aid of the woman who lost her wig.

...I have no words...Wait, yes I do...

When you are in a stampede, keep it moving, Yo! You can replace your wig. You can't replace your leg or your skull. There was another sister (above) who fell, rolled over to an empty spot on the floor, got up, and kept it moving, like the lady in the Macy's commercial. (She must have been visiting from the Bronx.) Black Friday is no time to be cute. You gotta wear sneakers or timbs, comfortable bend-over pants, take your earrings off and tie your hair up in a scarf. Take a stretch beforehand while you're on line outside the store. Bring a couple of your larger friends with you to stand on line at multiple registers...or to help out in case of a fist fight at the electronics counter. This is not a game! This is Black Friday! You in Wal-Mart too? You know how they do (see story below) But folk like the sister in the top picture above was willing to risk her life to put her wig back on...on second thought, I have no words....

Shopper Fights With Security Guards At Orlando Wal-Mart
November 25, 2005 ORLANDO, Florida, Associated Press with WFTV-TV Orlando

Security guards wrestled a man to the ground and handcuffed him, this morning at an Orlando Wal-Mart. Eyewitnesses told Channel Nine (WFTV-TV) that the man cut in line to get laptop computers that were on sale.
The man started arguing with people inside the store, and then scuffled with plain-clothed security guards.
One man told reporters that the laptops were being thrown into the air and people rushed toward them, collapsing on each other. Another man described the scene as crazy.
"It was absolutely pandemonium in there. They were throwing laptops twenty feet in the air, and people were collapsing on each other to grab them. It was ridiculous," said shopper Brian Horwitz. "A guy came on top of me and hit my head," said Wal-Mart shopper, Jennifer Harris. "When he did it bounced against the other two people. I got hit on both of my ears."
Some people weren't fazed in the least. Many customers simply carted their stuff out of the store and passed right by the man in handcuffs, without any reaction.
When a Sheriff's deputy arrived, he gave the man a trespassing warning and let him go. It turns out, in the confusion, he fought off the plain-clothes security guards, when they grabbed him, because he thought they were other customers (?!?!!).

See, this is why we aint free...