Amazing WalMart Shoppers....

[dumboiu]

Woman Knocked Unconscious While Shopping

ORANGE CITY, Fla. (Nov. 29) - A mob of shoppers rushing for a sale on DVD players trampled the first woman in line and knocked her unconscious as they scrambled for the shelves at a Wal-Mart Supercenter.

Patricia VanLester had her eye on a $29 DVD player, but when the siren blared at 6 a.m. Friday announcing the start to the post-Thanksgiving sale, the 41-year-old was knocked to the ground by the frenzy of shoppers behind her.

''She got pushed down, and they walked over her like a herd of elephants,'' said VanLester's sister, Linda Ellzey. ''I told them, 'Stop stepping on my sister! She's on the ground!'''

Ellzey said some shoppers tried to help VanLester, and one employee helped Ellzey reach her sister, but most people just continued their rush for deals.

''All they cared about was a stupid DVD player,'' she said Saturday.

Paramedics called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player, surrounded by shoppers seemingly oblivious to her, said Mark O'Keefe, a spokesman for EVAC Ambulance.

She was flown to Halifax Medical Center in Daytona Beach, where doctors told the family VanLester had a seizure after she was knocked down and would likely remain hospitalized through the weekend, Ellzey said. Hospital officials said Saturday they did not have any information on her condition.

''She's all black and blue,'' Ellzey said. ''Patty doesn't remember anything. She still can't believe it all happened.

''Ellzey said Wal-Mart officials called later Friday to ask about her sister, and the store apologized and offered to put a DVD player on hold for her.

Wal-Mart Stores spokeswoman Karen Burk said she had never heard of a such a melee during a sale.''We are very disappointed this happened,'' Burk said.

''We want her to come back as a shopper.''

11/29/03 10:26 EST

 

[TigerBear]

Very, very sad. They will put it on hold for her?? Unbelieveable.

 

[MosMom]

I read this to my husband and we both couldn't believe that people would actually WALK OVER someone knocked down on the ground. What is wrong with people?

 

[RitaZ.]

Very sad... All over a lousy $30 dvd player! I just don't get it...

 

[Pin Wizard]

I never cared for that store as it was...always a mess! Now I will NEVER set foot in one of them again.

 

[C.Ann]

I haven't gone out shopping on Black Friday in many years now due to the "mob" mentality - and the shady store policies that have only 5 of any given sale item JUST to get you into the store.

If you're patient, the sales repeat themselves prior to Christmas anyhow and you don't have to risk getting trampled to death to buy that "must have" item..

Or better yet - shop on-line.. Take your pick: major stores; web stores; eBay.. It's all right there at your fingertips and you can shop any time of the day or night!

I've been shopping on-line for several days now and even with S&H, I'm waaaay ahead of any of the sales I've seen advertsied!

 

[shep]

The Wal-mart store DW went to gives you maps of where everything is located prior to the store opening....
For some reason this story doesn't surprise me...People are insane at these sales...

 

[Disneyland_emily]

As a Walmart Associate who has witnesses the people who shop at 6am I believe it totally. I heard of the horror that happened with the carebears yesterday at my store... and the 2 ladies that started a brawl over the barbie bikes....

gotta love christmas


-em

 

[minniecarousel]

Our local news showed footage of a Bossier City LA (we're in Northern Calif!) store where shoppers were pushing a woman who tried to get to the head of the line. She kept trying to walk in the door ahead of a HUGE line of waiting people! Incredible!!

 

[KathyFP]

After watching how people acted last year, I did not shop on Black Friday - no sale is worth the hassle of rude people.

 

[disneychrista]

There is NOTHING that could get me to Walmart at 6am again. I went this year just "because" and it was NUTS!! litterally could not get through the isle.

This line in the article caught my eye

''We are very disappointed this happened,'' Burk said.

''We want her to come back as a shopper.''

Not we are sorry this happened, we are taking steps to insure it doesn't happen again. Just we hope she comes back and spends money in our store.

 

[Samandmom]

That is so very sad. On the news last night they showed a local walmart with people pushing, shoving and swearing to get in the store. I am SO glad I did not go as planned. DH went to Best Buy so he was going to take our DS with him, so I could go to Walmart. But when we woke up my DS at 5:30 in the morning he got up walked into the kitchen and said I wanna go back to sleep. So I told DH to go. I would stay home. Mind you if I did go I would of been with our DD who is 10 months old.

 

[one_cat]

This seriously shows the mentality of WalMart as a company - not much different from the mentality of the 6:00 shoppers at their store. If I was the manager at that store nobody would have been buying 29.00 dvd players until the paramedics had left. But then I suppose it's more important that everyone come back as shoppers than that they all survive.

 

[mickeysaver]

I heard about this much earlier today when I was reading through the Daytona Beach newspaper online. I was floored at the attitude that Walmart took about the incident. Why didn't the manager just take the high road and give the woman the DVD player. I seriously doubt that others would be flocking to be injured in a store such that they had to be airlifted just to get free stuff in the future for God's sake. The woman was a previous employee of the company even! The best the store would offer to do was to hold one or let her put it on layaway.....for a freakin' $30 DVD player. Man, if I was the manager of the store, the first thing that would have happened after some major butt smooching of the lady's sister, who was there with her shopping, would have been to hand over a free DVD player on the house, even if I personally had to pay for it. They could mark the player off as shrink, if they wanted to be nice, but that's not what those money hungry weasels want. I hate Walmart. Sam Walton must be spinning in his grave. Maggie

 

[smilingmouse]

That poor woman.....Sending lots of PD her way....

SmilingMouse

 

[moinab]

At the risk of being flamed, am I the only one who finds this funny? Of course, I don't think it's funny that someone got hurt, and she could have been killed, but when I read that

Paramedics called to the store found VanLester unconscious on top of a DVD player

I laughed out loud at the irony of it. And then, of course, that Wal-Mart was offering to put a DVD player on hold for her. Wow. That's big of them. I can hear the personal injury attorneys swarming.

I worked for K-B Toys back in 1984, during the Cabbage Patch insanity. Nothing like a little materialistic lust to whip people into a frenzy.

 

[Mamu]

I think we live in a SICK world where material things have become more important then the health and well being of fellow shoppers.

Glad I give gift certificates.

 

[Pig Pen]

Moinab - I read the article out loud to DH and we were both cracking up. I feel back for the woman, but the descriptions were so serious they were funny.

This is exactly why I volunteered to run the office on Black Friday this year! I went to WalMart today instead...and it was practically empty (bought a 20 inch flat screen TV for $99).

 

[moinab]

Thanks PigPen! I'm so glad I'm not the only one. I read it out loud to my DH, too!

 

[Kteacher]

I went shopping today too. there were still lots of good deals and freebies, no lines, sales associates weren't harried, and i didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn!