Wyoming Area Board Member Thomas Dies

Ambulance Fees  To Be Paid In '06

Wednesday, November 23, 2005 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 11A 





TUESDAY MORNING, "The Today Show" showed footage of calm and happy people
lined up outside stores in some faraway place waiting for the Xbox 360 to be
available at midnight. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Some people had pitched tents - a man inside stuck his head out from behind
a flap and smiled at the camera as he waited for Microsoft's new video game
console. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Lots of people had been outside for hours and hours in the cold, but all
seemed well with the world - until you opened the Times Leader. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 On page 8A, a story said that shoppers who lined up outside the Wal-Mart
Supercenter in Wilkes-Barre Township on Monday apparently hadn't been smiley
or friendly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 According to the story, police had to disband about 350 unruly shoppers who
began pushing and shoving. They had lined up at 4 p.m. and by 11 p.m., it
started getting ugly. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 We did a quick Internet search to see if other places experienced Xbox
unrest and didn't find a single hit. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 So what's wrong with us? Why can't we be civil? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 This isn't a new phenomenon - remember the Cabbage Patch Riot of '83?
Nearly 1,000 people flooded the Zayre's store in search of the dolls. A
manager ended up fending off people with a baseball bat while dolls were
thrown into the crowd. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 One poor woman snagged a doll but the doll was ripped out of her arms after
she was pushed to the floor. The woman ended up with a broken leg and four
others were treated for injuries. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 No, the scene at Wal-Mart didn't get that ugly. But it might've if police
hadn't sent the crowd home after handing out tickets so some could come back
at midnight to buy Xboxes. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Shoppers, we ask you to be on your best behavior on Black Friday and
beyond. Back in 1983, footage of our bat-wielding manager made national news.
If we work together, perhaps we can avoid this. These tips we dug up on the
Web may help: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Don't look in other people's carts. Some consider that invasive. And by
all means, don't say anything about what's inside another person's cart. An
innocuous comment such as, "Looks like somebody's shopping for the grandkids"
could lead to a black eye around here. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Watch what you're doing with that cart. Whack somebody in the heels and
you're asking for it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Don't leave your cart in the middle of an aisle while you're browsing.
Someone with a short fuse who's forced to say "excuse me" for the 15th time
that day might lose his cool with you. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Use a basket if you're only planning to buy a few items, instead of
clogging up the aisles with another cart. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Don't let your kid push your cart. Black Friday shopping is serious
business - this is no time for an inexperienced cart-pusher to be getting in
the way. In fact, it's probably best to leave kids at home. Could you live
with yourself if a full-fledged shopping melee broke out and they were caught
in the middle? &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Be nice to the clerks. Whatever you're complaining about probably isn't
their fault. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Keep your trap closed. Loudly opining about how hot it is or how long
you've been waiting in line isn't going to help. You're just asking for a
broken leg. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 * Put your cart back when you're done with it. It's tough to find parking
during the holidays. Inevitably, you'll finally find a spot but won't be able
to use it because some jerk has left a cart in the middle of it. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Maybe, just maybe, if we follow these tips, we can get through the holidays
without the police being called again. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Besides, isn't this the Valley with a Heart? We don't want to be renamed
the Valley of Angry. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Xbox Incident Reminds Us Of Shopping's Ugly Side