Black Friday 2011 Shoppers Share Their Experiences [SLIDESHOW]

With deals on everything from big screen televisions to scarves, Black Friday offers the opportunity for shoppers to splurge on discounted items.

Got something to say about your Black Friday? Tweet at us using the hash tag #MyBlackFriday.

But first, consumers have to face the crowds. Shoppers started lining up days in advance for midnight openings -- some even cooking turkeys in the parking lot. In some cases, things only got crazier once inside the stores. At a Walmart in Porter Ranch, California one customer allegedly pepper-sprayed a fellow shopper. And inside the Herald Square Macy's in New York City, shoppers crammed to get on the escalator.

Even in a down economy, shoppers answered stores' call, showing up for the earlier openings. Businessweek had already reported that this Black Friday sales will be similar to last year's record numbers.

Did you face the crowds to get your hands on a heavily-discounted video game or pair of sneakers? How did you fare? We want to know. Tweet at us using #MyBlackFriday.

Below are some of the responses so far:

Comments

[john temple]

12:38 PM on 11/28/2011

BLACK FRIDAY....THE DAY THE 99% SHOWED THE WORLD THAT THEY ARE JUST AS GREEDY AS THE 1%....!!!!

[twoto2]

10:36 AM on 11/28/2011

Wow, I haven't seen a cattle round up in a lone time!

[BoycottFox2]

10:47 PM on 11/26/2011

I didn't want the free gift of germs, cold an flu...and who knows what else...Yuk...

[cdecisneros]

09:15 PM on 11/26/2011

If you went shopping and you spent money you did not save anything. You spent. Get it.

[3dtrix]

12:49 PM on 11/26/2011

Consumerism is a dead end for the planet, the nation, and the soul of the individual...

[jcko]

06:00 PM on 11/26/2011

But, but, but...it's the American way.

[Aikaterina]

10:28 AM on 11/26/2011

So many folks either did not have dinner with their families, or left early to get in lines for Black Friday, negating the purpose of the Thanksgiving holiday. It also desecrates the purpose of Christmas (which has evolved into "giftma$"), celebrating the Nativity of Christ and God's love for us (sending His Son for our salvation).

We've got masses of people, who stayed up all night, fighting over items in aisles & parking spaces in malls, enduring traffic congestion, long lines, rude-obnoxious people, all thinking they're saving a few $$$.

In reality, most of the store ads featuring big blow-out deals have but a few items (as little as 5) for the first ones in line, and other similar items are at regular prices.

My personal solution to the ills of Black Friday is to STAY HOME and:
1. Do all my shopping before Veteran's Day (so I don't have to deal with crowds, traffic, etc.)
2. I buy gifts only for immediate family members (my mother, children & grandchildren), limiting to 1 item per person. (OK, I cheat & buy the grandkids 2 each).
3. I only shop at locally-owned (small) shops, avoiding chain retailers and malls (the money stays in my community, rather than going into a CEO's pocket).
4. I only buy American-made items. I'm tired of cheap, defective (often dangerous) imports made on the backs of child, prison or sweat-shop labor.

[Abdullahiedward]

05:07 PM on 11/26/2011

This is so beautiful a comment I don't know what to add to it really! The first half is an expose on what's wrong with America and the second half is a cure. Unfortunately neither lesson will be learned - until it's too late I'm afraid.

[jcko]

06:03 PM on 11/26/2011

America & most of the Christian world negated the meaning of Christmas, why should Thanksgiving be different. Look at Holloween now! Easter sales will be big soon.

[JDPineCoffin]

09:45 AM on 11/26/2011

As I watched the endless stream of footage covering the Black Friday mayhem I was compelled to ask myself one questions: How would I feel if I saw one of my loved ones degrading him or herself for the sake of some Christmas present for me?... http://jdpinecoffin.blogspot.com/2011/11/dear-granny-keep-your-stinking-waffle.html

[hman570]

08:16 AM on 11/26/2011

People get like wild animals when it comes to Black Friday. This is what is wrong with America today we the people have turned into the very people we hate. Greed is a nasty thing and we Americans have a lot of greed, weather it be the politicians, the super rich or the Companies that are bleeding us dry. If people would act like people perhaps there would be no Black Fridays.

[kidsgardener]

08:01 AM on 11/26/2011

Avoid the crowds and get your loved ones the TickleMe Plant Greenhouse. TickleMe Plants are the only plants that will close their leaves and lower their branches when tickled. My students love them too as I send each student home with thier own Pet TickleMe Plant. Just search TickleMe Plant to see a the plant that moves like an animal and to order your own A great way to get somone excited about nature and gardening

[sheila5127]

07:51 AM on 11/26/2011

So lets see we buy $200 sneakers,flat screen tv,dvds,xbox,and games,but did we take a moment in our Indiana Jones and the crusade to shop,to realize that we have lost all moral values and those things that our parents taught us ,respect ,selfless giving of ourselves,and manners,or is it just plain who cares anymore.The society of today is based upon needful things to make our lives happy and to make it easier and we take it all the time .The concept of Christmas is not what you can get or give ,it is a moment that we should be thankful that we are alive and celebrate a birth of a child who gave his life so that others would live.The world is too out of control and the technology is far ahead and we cannot live without it in our lives.The people that commit these crimes on black friday are like you and me ,but for some unexplained reason ,act like they were let out of cages on to the world.The movie the seventh sign ask one thing would you give of yourself so that all mankind would live or would you let the hall of souls be empty, think about it one month out of the year we act like drug induced morons out for that prize catch.I think that we better get right and fast and start to be grateful what we have and what we got.

[knute9]

07:51 AM on 11/26/2011

1 Timothy 6:10 "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

[Portann]

09:34 PM on 11/27/2011

The root of all evil is not money, it is fear.

[signgrrl]

11:43 AM on 11/28/2011

not hate ? if it's not going to be money, that is . . .

[ninjacb]

07:18 AM on 11/26/2011

funny. the celebration for Christ's birthday is such an appalling and blatant display of consumerism imaginable. let heaven and nature sing.

[nbj5215]

06:19 AM on 11/26/2011

Some people enjoy the crowds, not me I stayed home.

[BoycottFox2]

10:51 PM on 11/26/2011

Some people enjoy just sharing, colds, flu and what ever dirty germs..Yuk...I stayed home also...

[lefcreat]

03:49 AM on 11/26/2011

the best buys are a week before christmas black friday is a joke

[stevhelc]

07:41 AM on 11/26/2011

or better yet right after the New Year comes in.

[Marie Jackie]

03:44 AM on 11/26/2011

I went shopping for my grandson's birthday present at Brandon Mall in Tampa, yesterday. It's a very popular mall so I was expecting it to be busy. There were police on hand to direct the traffic into the parking lot and valet parking for those who didn’t want to waste time looking for a parking space. On the way out to the main street, drivers were very polite in allowing cars to cut into the line to leave the mall. It was a very pleasant experience.