Walmart Black Friday Stampede Video From Last Year. Walmart KNEW Sale Stampedes Are Dangerous

[KittyWampus]

but did nothing to ensure crowd or employee safety.

I don't care if the worker who died was temporary or hired by an agency.

Walmart created unsafe conditions intentionally. Aren't there laws about crowd safety?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X3eUiMHtPgQ&feature=related

[Crunchy Frog]

1. Would have costed a corporation money.

And that makes baby Jesus cry.

[Dis Pater]

2. How many stores had sales like this today?

most people don't do this

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I don't understand your point

WalMart is responsible for the safety of its employees. It's a copout to blame the shoppers.

[madinmaryland]

12. But why the fuck are the sheeple plowing into the store mindlessly?

:shrug:

For the latest mindless gadget, that we at DU rail against????

[proud2BlibKansan]

43. Because the economy sucks

Times are hard and they get pleasure from shopping.

[JeanGrey]

22. He means every store does early bird specials. This

could have happened in any store and there is no way to prevent it unless you stop doing it.

And that won't happen.

[Bluebear]

8. Most people don't "do" what?

[Dis Pater]

9. stampede

[KittyWampus]

10. responsible businesses don't INTENTIONALLY set up unsafe conditions for crowds

[DoctorMyEyes]

16. Exactly!

Walmart does this shit every year and they do it on purpose. Every retailer big enough to have a loss prevention department knows how to conduct safe fucking crowd control. Walmart incites and encourages these "riots" in order to get on the news and get free advertising. To create "hype".

They are totally responsible for their shitty crowd control and for this mans death. It makes me sick!

[Dis Pater]

20. They set up riots and death for the hype?

how many people get fired up to visit a walmart with that imagery?

[DoctorMyEyes]

25. I don't think they actually desire death by trampling

but they do desire the free advertising they get every year when the news covers the pushing and shoving going on at Walmart. Yes, they definitely do allow it to happen deliberately and it gives the impression that they have deals so good that people fight to get them.

You may not watch that coverage and think "Boy, I'd sure like to get in there and throw some elbows". But you'd be surprised how many people consciously or sub-consciously think "They must have something really worthwhile in there." And it perpetuates the myth that Walmart has the BESTEST prices EVAH!

[JDPriestly]

41. The LA Superior Courts do an excellent job of crowd control.

Especially in criminal courts. Everybody is required to line up, and only so many people are allowed to go in to the elevators at any one time. This is a no-brainer.

[Bluebear]

11. Pffff of course they do, when stores advertise loss leaders of which they probably have 2 in-store

with no rainchecks.

[madinmaryland]

13. And what is so fucking important that people have to stampede fucking store??

Sheesh.

[ColbertWatcher]

18. Why does a corporation with billions of $ in profit every year not paying for adequate security n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

30. You should stop making excuses for Wal-Mart.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4553618&mesg_id=4553926

[ColbertWatcher]

17. Doesn't matter. Wal-Mart knew from PAST EXPERIENCE something like this would happen. n/t

[Ms. Toad]

37. Virtually every big name retail store

had similar sales. Open early (4:00 AM - 6:00 AM), limited quantities (fewer than 10) of certain loss leader items. Flip through the ads in Thursday's paper.

[eShirl]

42. most stores would practice better security/crowd control.

[aquart]

4. Black FRIDAY.

[KittyWampus]

5. thanks. this story has haunted me all day.

[daleo]

6. They like stampedes

It is good advertising for the store, and for the capitalist system in general. It makes it look like people are desperate for their little trinkets. Sadly, some people are.

[BrklynLiberal]

7. Insanity...total insanity. It makes me think of a TV show that used to be on...

The contestants had a set amount of time to run around a store and pack as much as they could into a cart or a bag or something. It was also insanity.

[L.A.dweller]

33. Like that Married With Children episode

where Al and Peggy are competing together to get the most food items in the supermarket and Al decks the pretty boy over a grocery item. LOL

[Cleita]

14. Yes, but I don't believe there are that many laws any more. There

has been so much deregulation that most of the laws to protect people either have been removed or are blatantly disregarded by large stores like Wal-Mart. I hope the new Congress investigates black Friday and comes up with some tough legislation about increased security on days like this or make them not have the sales at all.

[Dis Pater]

21. I knew it, I was waiting

People would be calling to outlaw sales!

[Cleita]

27. Your post doesn't even make sense.

Come back when you are sober and can put a coherent thought together.

[Dis Pater]

29. I knew someone would call for outlawing sales, deep discounting is dangerous!

[Cleita]

31. No one is calling for that. We are calling for improved security if they have

sales so people can shop safely. If they can't do that then they shouldn't be allowed to have sales unless they can meet some safety regulations. It's like the health department making sure your food is safe to eat in restaurants. It shouldn't be that hard to understand.

[ColbertWatcher]

26. I think Wal-Mart needs to be thoroughly investigated for their labor practices. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

15. Kick, sorry I can only give one rec. n/t

[Mind_your_head]

19. Yep, today is not the first time this has happened at his vendor.

Sick, desparate organization Wal-mart is.....marketplace for the 'down-trodden', Walmart is! And walmart has created the perfect marketplace for itself!

Because Walmart buys practically NOTHING manufactured in the United States, walmart has 'trodden' this country and it's entrepreaneurs.....along with people who have bought the patents of great US inventors' inventions and then put them on the 'shelf' to DIE!

more than :mad:

[ColbertWatcher]

23. Looks like it may be Wal-Mart's policy for one black guy to open the door on Black Friday.

Video from Elk City, OK http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jw18_16AGv4

[ColbertWatcher]

24. A little historical perspective, via YouTube: 25th Anniversary of Cabbage Patch mania.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajlTIMBbdTg

[hendo]

28. intentionally?

knew stampedes were dangerous? Are you serious? everyone knows stampedes are dangerous. So they intentionally created unsafe conditions by doing something that every other retail megastore does on black friday?

WTF, thier prices werent even good this year.

[Mind_your_head]

34. Right. Their prices/"specials" weren't even that good.....

....and even if their prices/"specials" WERE that 'good', is that worth the price of a life? - Someone's Life?

[hendo]

46. Was it worth someone's life?

No. Apparently some idiots at the Wal-mart thought it was though.

[ColbertWatcher]

35. Wal-Mart's negligence created the "perfect storm."

1. they knew from past experience that Black Fridays are a day when people plan to shop

2. they knew from past experience how best to market their sale for optimum turnout

3. they knew from past experience Black Fridays are dangerous

4. they should have known from past experience that more security on Black Fridays would be needed

5. the only thing they did differently was change their store hours

6. they did not provide trained security personnel

The Valley Stream store where the temporary cashier worked reopened at 1 p.m..

Three shoppers were also injured at this store.

[hendo]

45. They knew that..

people liked to blow money on worthless cr*p.

They are a business that needed to make money in a harsh economy.

They took advantage of people's willingness to do anything for a half price TV.

Should they have provided security personel? Should they have doors that could have been remotely opened? Perhaps.

However, they aren't the problem here. The problem is the American Consumer. When a cheap tv or dvd becomes more important than personal safety, or the safety of others, something is wrong.

People are downright nasty at sales, scratch that, people are downright nasty in general. Honestly I surprised that more people aren't trampled whenever there is a sale anywhere.

It would be nice to think that somehow all of the news this year will somehow change all of that and people will reflect upon the fact that someone died due to human greed, but next year it will happen all over again. I can practically guarantee that someone will die on black friday next year, and if no one dies there will be at least a few people hospitalized because of the greed of others. Heck last year I saw someone get punched for picking up the last $1 dvd at a Circuit City, funny thing was, the person who punched them didn't even want the movie in question, they thought it was something else.

[ColbertWatcher]

48. Something is wrong. Wal-Mart has not been held responsible for their poor employee policies.

They knew that..

people liked to blow money on worthless cr*p.

They are a business that needed to make money in a harsh economy.

They took advantage of people's willingness to do anything for a half price TV.

Should they have provided security personel? Should they have doors that could have been remotely opened? Perhaps.

However, they aren't the problem here. The problem is the American Consumer. When a cheap tv or dvd becomes more important than personal safety, or the safety of others, something is wrong.

Sorry, but the American consumer is not responsible for Jdimytai Damour's death; Wal-Mart is. You said it yourself:

When a cheap tv or dvd becomes more important than personal safety, or the safety of others, something is wrong.

Take a look at the pictures at this DU link (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4554275&mesg_id=4554814).

Something is wrong. When sales numbers and free publicity is more important than people's safety something is very, very wrong.

Who created this situation? Who encouraged it? Who did not provide adequate and long-standing crowd control procedures? Who was too cheap to pay for the safety of their employees and customers?

Who incited this riot?

Check out this other DU link (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4554564&mesg_id=4554763) for more stuff I dug up on Wal-Mart's culpability.

[hendo]

50. Walmart

did not force these people to over-value a cheap tv. They did not set the price of a dvd player at the life of another human being. The consumers in the line did that.

Anyone should know that pushing groups forward is dangerous, if they havent figured that out yet, something is wrong with them. And yes, I know that no one in a mob takes the time to think about what they are doing, but that does not make it right. have you seen pictures of what that mob did to the doors? They practically tore them off the hinges. How on eart was Wal-mart supposed to predict that?

They pushed through the frickin door. It wasn't even fully open yet.
http://gizmodo.com/5099819/walmart-worker-trampled-to-death-by-deal+crazed-black-friday-shoppers
http://www.wndu.com/blogs/blogs/35252099.html


And don't you dare tell me that you think Toys R'Us was responsible for the shooting in one of its stores: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5itrXiJhy45E6cKvE1ymdkBQsGB5gD94O96EO0

[ColbertWatcher]

51. "They pushed through the frickin door."

Maybe if you read a little bit about crowd control.

Here are some links:

1. the first one is from a security company that specializes in crowd control (http://www.crowddynamics.com/Main/Crowddisasters.html). Pay special attention to the section called "Stampedes."

2. this next one is a memorial site for people who died in Hillsborough stadium in 1989 (http://www.contrast.org/hillsborough/history/buildup1.shtm)

3. this final link is a DU link to some pictures of the Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream before and after Damour's death. (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=4554275&mesg_id=4554814)

[hendo]

58. they broke it off its hinges, not to mention shattering glass

around the store.

[DoctorMyEyes]

44. It's what they don't do

The problem comes from them deliberately NOT doing what every other major retailer does for sales events that draw large pre-opening crowds. Provide adequate crowd control.

It's that simple and they don't do it because for years they've reveled in the free publicity from the melees they instigate.

[ColbertWatcher]

47. Exactly. They get free publicity and they save a few pennies by not hiring security. n/t

[winston61]

56. You're right, there is probably some sick

bastard in Arkansas thinking that this is publicity you can't buy. If the Fed don't give a shit about murdering thousands of GIs in Iraq, you think Walmart gives a fuck about some bottom level employee getting trampled to death? Just the cost of doing business, pay off the family and business as usual. All the city officials across this country who have given tax rebates to walmart should be tied down and forced to watch the tape of that poor bastard getting trampled. Fuck walmart.

[ColbertWatcher]

57. I'm just relaying what others have said and ...

... which I suspect may be true (Wal-Mart getting free publicity from the Black Friday crowds).

In fact, there was a link in DU's video forum (http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=385&topic_id=245807&mesg_id=245807) that shows a night-time shot of the store from a helicopter.

I doubt that was from a police helicopter.

[silverojo]

32. Look at YouTube--it's not just Wal-Mart

Circuit City, Target, the stampedes happen everywhere.

Black Friday sales have to stop! :cry:

[ColbertWatcher]

36. That doesn't excuse Wal-Mart's negligence.

According to the New York Times,

The throng of Wal-Mart shoppers had been building all night, filling sidewalks and stretching across a vast parking lot at the Green Acres Mall in Valley Stream, N.Y. At 3:30 a.m., the Nassau County police had to be called in for crowd control, and an officer with a bullhorn pleaded for order.

Tension grew as the 5 a.m. opening neared. Someone taped up a crude poster: “Blitz Line Starts Here.”

By 4:55, with no police officers in sight, the crowd of more than 2,000 had become a rabble, and could be held back no longer. Fists banged and shoulders pressed on the sliding-glass double doors, which bowed in with the weight of the assault. Six to 10 workers inside tried to push back, but it was hopeless.

Suddenly, witnesses and the police said, the doors shattered, and the shrieking mob surged through in a blind rush for holiday bargains. One worker, Jdimytai Damour, 34, was thrown back onto the black linoleum tiles and trampled in the stampede that streamed over and around him. Others who had stood alongside Mr. Damour trying to hold the doors were also hurled back and run over, witnesses said.

[madrchsod]

38. they knew "black friday" was dangerous since they started the promotion

maybe this time the family will hold out for a settlement that will wake up the boys in arkansas.

[ColbertWatcher]

39. Everyone who was at that store at that time should sue.

Including the employees.

Fuck Wal-Mart.

[JDPriestly]

40. Oh boy, the lawsuit that is going to come from that.

Walmart knew this sort of thing could happen. Crowd control is easy. In a situation like that. You make people line up, and you only let so many in at a time. That is just ridiculous.

[mrreowwr_kittty]

49. They didn't care. Profits uber alles. nt

[ColbertWatcher]

52. "Profits uber alles." Always. n/t

[Obamanaut]

53. Every Friday after T'giving there are multitudes of sales early in

the morning. Every Friday evening after the T'giving sales there are snippets on the teevee news shows that there were unruly crowds. It happens every year. It should be no surprise to anyone who goes. An easy way to avoid the 'danger' is to stay away from the stores early in the morning the day after Thanksgiving. Otherwise "You buys your ticket, you takes your ride" or "bad luck gotcha."

It's not that hard. "Walmart KNEW Sale Stampedes Are Dangerous" As did we all.

[Liberal_in_LA]

54. dang! No one stops to help the people who fall down.

[winston61]

55. Walmart is a disease that kills all around it and spreads itself-

Look at the part of town Wallie World is in. On the west side of my town as soon as the big box was opened the blight grew around it. Fast food, movie rental stores, dollar stores all spring up like mushrooms growing on a poisoned host. Local businesses are gone, the central part of town is now just the courthouse and lawyers offices. A drive through the west part of town is just the same here as in hundreds of little town where walmart has spread its poison. They all look the same, McDonaldville and Wallie World Town. Low prices may be the beginning, but the end is loss of identity, less choice in the market, cheap crap goods not worth the money. Low paying, no benefit, dead end jobs. Fill up the land fill with shit you buy from wal mart. Give your kids diabetes from the shit fast food. We let these cocksuckers steal our birthright so we can pay $40.00 for a fucking worthless chinese microwave.