Among our country's holidays, perhaps none is truly more American than Black Friday. After a day of food, football, and listening to an uncle say "that Ted Cruz makes some good points about the Gold Standard," we are given the option to unleash our pent-up patriot by camping in the tit-freezing cold so we can eventually trample other poor saps trying to get their hands on discounted electronics. As we're overtaken by the frothy Pentecostal spirit of consumerism, trusty $9-an-hour retail shepherds stand by with latex gloves, ready to clean up the blood and plastic and point the weary, rabid masses to the tubs of Monster Energy Drink.
yep I work in a hospital, will be working Christmas day this year, saving lives maybe. Working holidays is what you sign up for in my line of work, and we get paid for it. Definitely not the same as selling stuff you could just as easily sell tomorrow.
Being also an old, and A English, I remember when pubs weren't open all day and were forced to shut between 3pm and 7pm. It was hell.
Then the rules changed, *apart from Sunday*. If you forgot it was Sunday and went to the boozer at 4pm you were a very sad panda indeed.
The breakout store in the UK busting the "don't open on Sunday" rule was B&Q, a kinda home depot malarkey. They kept getting fined, but it was worth it for them because people were SO FUCKING BORED when the pubs shut at 3pm that even looking at vinyl doors, some wood or poxy lawnmowers was more interesting that watching the shit on the four channels of TV.
"A 6 p.m. opening time was “a sweet spot” that allowed shoppers to take part in the Thanksgiving tradition and also shop."
Um, I don't know about everyone else, but my family normally has Thanksgiving dinner at around 7 PM, so there would be no time to take part in dinner and shop, or go to work at Target - also it normally involves lots of alcohol, plus it's fucking Thanksgiving, going shopping on the day is just idiotic, and forcing low-wage retail clerks to work then is unconscionable.
Especially when the REAL savings are after Christmas when they're trying to get rid of unsold stock.
Oh yes...the cleanup.
I have.
Well I was working retail when one hit.
The best place to work on Black Friday? The Supermarket.
Yes. Grazing the post Christmas sales can be very rewarding.
yep I work in a hospital, will be working Christmas day this year, saving lives maybe. Working holidays is what you sign up for in my line of work, and we get paid for it. Definitely not the same as selling stuff you could just as easily sell tomorrow.
You make that sound as though it is somehow wrong.
..and you don't have to bury them after.
I lived in a small town in Iowa where nothing but the churches was open on Sunday, or after 9pm. Once I got over the shock of it, I rather liked it.
Fyi, the ceo makes 1,056 times what the avg. employee makes. A two week vacation would equal ~25 years' pay.
actually weed butter could turn it into a green Friday - less profits, but way nicer
Y'know, if sex workers were able to unionize, they wouldn't have to spend the holidays working.
Being also an old, and A English, I remember when pubs weren't open all day and were forced to shut between 3pm and 7pm. It was hell.
Then the rules changed, *apart from Sunday*. If you forgot it was Sunday and went to the boozer at 4pm you were a very sad panda indeed.
The breakout store in the UK busting the "don't open on Sunday" rule was B&Q, a kinda home depot malarkey. They kept getting fined, but it was worth it for them because people were SO FUCKING BORED when the pubs shut at 3pm that even looking at vinyl doors, some wood or poxy lawnmowers was more interesting that watching the shit on the four channels of TV.
Okay, from now on that's what I'm calling it.
"Clubbing? Oh, I can't do it tonight. I'm washing the giftwrap."
"A 6 p.m. opening time was “a sweet spot” that allowed shoppers to take part in the Thanksgiving tradition and also shop."
Um, I don't know about everyone else, but my family normally has Thanksgiving dinner at around 7 PM, so there would be no time to take part in dinner and shop, or go to work at Target - also it normally involves lots of alcohol, plus it's fucking Thanksgiving, going shopping on the day is just idiotic, and forcing low-wage retail clerks to work then is unconscionable.
They are unionized in some countries. http://www.iusw.org/
"A 6 p.m. opening time was 'a sweet spot'”
I'm in a food coma by then. Even if I wasn't, I wouldn't be *shopping*. /FFS