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Is it just me...

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Re: Is it just me...

  • I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.
    Those are essential time-and-a-half wages to a lot of retail workers though. Lots of people volunteer because they need the money, but you want to sit there and say boycott til the stores all close? Add to that the hypocrisy of wanting stores open later, later, later, 24 hours, how dare you close on Sundays? Open more registers, I don't want to wait! Ship everything faster, and for free! The rest of the year (general) you want convenience at any cost, but suddenly on Thanksgiving, family time is sacred? "This one day is the most super important, stop being materialistic for 24 hours, you heathens! Lives will be ruined if we don't have family time on THIS ONE DAY SPECIFICALLY!" Super, those people who chose those careers in essential services are thrilled to hear that.
    This. As someone who has worked retail, I would much rather work Thanksgiving or Black Friday than be open until midnight every Friday and Saturday between Halloween and New Year's. 

    I will say that I am so happy that I never had to work closing shift on Black Friday. That would be awful. 
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  • I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.
    There are plenty of people that work that isn't a necessity. Like people above said: you don't have to watch TV, go to the movies, get gas, fly on a plane either, but people want to be able to do these things.

    My husband works for CBS, and yes he works every Thanksgiving because he works on Thursdays. That football game you want to watch means many many people have to work (commentators, football players, stadium workers, the people at the TV station, on and on).

     
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  • I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.
    Those are essential time-and-a-half wages to a lot of retail workers though. Lots of people volunteer because they need the money, but you want to sit there and say boycott til the stores all close? Add to that the hypocrisy of wanting stores open later, later, later, 24 hours, how dare you close on Sundays? Open more registers, I don't want to wait! Ship everything faster, and for free! The rest of the year (general) you want convenience at any cost, but suddenly on Thanksgiving, family time is sacred? "This one day is the most super important, stop being materialistic for 24 hours, you heathens! Lives will be ruined if we don't have family time on THIS ONE DAY SPECIFICALLY!" Super, those people who chose those careers in essential services are thrilled to hear that.

    Somehow I'd never thought before RIGHT NOW about why we have Thanksgiving on the day we do. The third Thursday? Why? 

    Apparently the day we celebrate Thanksgiving was specified by law specifically to extend the holiday shopping season: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/11/21/165655925/how-did-thanksgiving-end-up-on-thursday

    So, essentially, opening stores on Thanksgiving is actually in the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday anyway. 

    But also, nobody needs to go Christmas shopping on Thanksgiving, sure. Or on Black Friday. But, then, nobody needs to go Christmas shopping at all. 

    (I've been drinking wine and I'm getting philosophical; I'm sorry. Googling holiday traditions is way more fun than determining which dishes I'm not going to need for the next two weeks and packing them.)
  • I think Black Friday is so dumb and the deals aren't even that good. Mass hysteria for nothing.

    I read an editorial the other day talking about how movie theatre workers and convenience store workers (there were a few other examples) also have to work on Thanksgiving/Christmas but they go more unnoticed.

    Thought it was interesting because it's true- it's not just retail workers but plenty of other consumer industries are affected. What's the right answer, to shut everything down those days? I don't know the answer myself but it was food for thought.

    Unfortunately it seems it's becoming financially impossible for businesses to not be open on Black Friday.

    ETA: forgot to address the point of your post, lol! I agree I hate self-righteous people on social media. Like, good for you for sticking it to the man?

    They just about started to do Black Friday here in the UK and people were in an uproar after the media released videos and photos of customers pushing and shoving each other for TVs and other things. Never seen before, they were like savages. Hungry coyotes fighting for the last piece of leg. It's quite embarrassing really. 

    Because of that, they might try to tone down the whole Black Friday here and maybe encourage the online sales instead.
    Wedding Countdown Ticker
  • I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.


    I had to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas when I worked for a movie theater. We were as unessential as you can get, but no one ever protested on my behalf about working holidays.

    I did a little Black Friday shopping. Old Navy had a 50% store wide sale, so I picked up some sweaters for winter.

  • I work in a hotel and you can be damn sure no one was boycotting Disney being closed. 

    Christmas is the busiest day (or second after NYE) of the year for Magic Kingdom. Over 120,000 people will be in that park at one time. I don't understand how that could be thought of as "quality family time", but I can tell you no one cares about Billy selling the Mickey Mouse balloons or Sally checking the restraints of Space Mountain and whether they get to see their families.


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  • jdluvr06 said:
    I would just like to add that even though I think it is silly for retail stores to be open on Thanksgiving (do you really need to buy a new scarf or a tv that day?) I don't hate on them for being open and employees having to work normal retail hours.  I do think being open all night long is a bit much though.  Really it is the whole we are open for 48 hours straight that I just don't get, not the whole employees having to work that day thing.

    I guess to me it comes down to what is and is not a necessity on holidays.  Nurses and doctors are a necessity.  Gas station attendants are a necessity because people travelling to multiple houses may need to get gas.  Flight attendants and pilots are a necessity because people are travelling on holidays.  But the movie theater?  Retail stores?  Not a necessity.  No one needs to see a movie or buy a new sweater.
    But you don't have to travel on a holiday. It's a choice. 

    The same way you don't NEED a scarf on Thanksgiving. You don't NEED to fly to see your family. You want too. And that want means other people have to work. 

    My mom and I see a movie on Thanksgiving (and Christmas). We don't NEED to. We want to. Same way you (general you) want to fly from New York to California to see your Aunt Ida.

    Taking that a step further you don't need to fill up your gas tank on a holiday. You can use some forethought and fill up the day before.
    It is called emergencies.  What if a family member in California had a serious medical injury and they may or may not live and you want to get out there ASAP but you are in NY?  Well you would need to fly.  And during the holidays some people actually don't choose to travel on Thanksgiving but with flight delays or cancellations due to weather that sometimes happens.

    As for the gas situation.  Again, what if you had an emergency you weren't expected?  You have a quarter tank in your car but you need to drive an hour or more, my guess is you need some gas.

    Buying a sweater or a tv is not an emergency or a necessity.  Period.

    I mean if everything should be open regardless if it is a holiday then schools should be in session as well.  If having non-essential retail stores open on Thanksgiving is fine then kids should be in school that day and teachers should have to work.

  • @dolewhipper your siggy gif just made my week!

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  • lolo883 and i love yours! Can't go a Christmas season without watching Christmas Vacation at least 3 times. "Merry Christmas, shitter was full"


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  • I mostly have an issue with the people who say "Well nurses, cops, and doctors can't always take Thanksgiving off, why are we freaking out about people working at stores." Because shopping is not completely essential to the survival of a society if the stores close down for one day! That's why! Nurses, cops, doctors and other professions can't take the holiday off because their positions are very open. Getting sick, crime, and all that fun stuff doesn't stop for a holiday. Sorry, I don't mean to belittle those who work at stores, not my intention at all. I just wish people would make the proper connection.
    Those are essential time-and-a-half wages to a lot of retail workers though. Lots of people volunteer because they need the money, but you want to sit there and say boycott til the stores all close? Add to that the hypocrisy of wanting stores open later, later, later, 24 hours, how dare you close on Sundays? Open more registers, I don't want to wait! Ship everything faster, and for free! The rest of the year (general) you want convenience at any cost, but suddenly on Thanksgiving, family time is sacred? "This one day is the most super important, stop being materialistic for 24 hours, you heathens! Lives will be ruined if we don't have family time on THIS ONE DAY SPECIFICALLY!" Super, those people who chose those careers in essential services are thrilled to hear that.
    **SIB**
    I didn't say boycott anywhere in my post. I just don't agree with the comparison. That's the only annoying thing for me. I know that tons of restaurants stay open (for many reasons) and I know that there it is a tradition for people to go to the movies on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I'm fine with that, to each their own, not my place to judge. I guess the only think I judge is just those little memes and gifs that say (at least I've only seen it this year), "Well nurses, cops, and doctors don't take the time off, what's the difference with retailers not taking that time off." I don't see it as much of a connection - I don't know if I'm explaining myself well enough and I apologize for that. 
    If someone wants to work on the holidays good for them. I'm not against that. I personally will stay home on Thanksgiving, obviously I have the opportunity to do so. I just think the above claim is a bit ridiculous and that is the only thing I find annoying about Black Friday creeping into Thanksgiving. Or maybe I'm just crazy.
    Also I understand why a lot of people shop on Black Friday and Grey (?) Thursday. Obviously everyone doesn't have the same pay rate, if you can take advantage of the deals and get what you, SO, or children, or family member want for Christmas, it makes sense to shop on those days. Then there are those who need the extra pay, if I was in their shoes I'd probably step up and work those days as well.
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  • @ChemFanatic25 I meant general "you" for all of that, not you specifically. :) A lot of people are crying for boycotts until everyone is closed and I think that's pretty a misguided and misplaced reaction. Some people need the deals, some people need the wages, some people use shopping/dining out/watching movies/etc as their family time and needn't be judged for it. 

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  • .
    I mean if everything should be open regardless if it is a holiday then schools should be in session as well.  If having non-essential retail stores open on Thanksgiving is fine then kids should be in school that day and teachers should have to work.
    I'm not saying everywhere should be open. I'm saying if say Target wants to be open on Thanksgiving, I don't see the issue. They're open lots of other federal holidays. 

    My FB feed has been flooded with "Boycott the XYZ store cause they'll be open on Thanksgiving". Well so is the hotel down the road. Boycott them too? How about the bar? The casino? Why is the arbitrary line drawn at retail workers? 

    If a store wants to be closed on Thanksgiving, I also do not give a shit. The grocery store closest to me closed at 3pm on Thanksgiving day. At 8pm I drove over there because I wanted coffee ice cream. Pulled in the parking lot, remembered they were closed, turned around and went home. I wasn't upset, I got coffee ice cream the next day. 
  • @ChemFanatic25 I meant general "you" for all of that, not you specifically. :) A lot of people are crying for boycotts until everyone is closed and I think that's pretty a misguided and misplaced reaction. Some people need the deals, some people need the wages, some people use shopping/dining out/watching movies/etc as their family time and needn't be judged for it. 
    Oh! Okay, I was bit confused, thanks for pointing that out. Yeah, no, I'm boycotting on Thanksgiving, well I didn't. I just don't like crowds or people (because I'm anti social and a meh person :-P ) so I wouldn't personally be going out on those days. Too crazy for me too handle. But yeah, I don't judge really any of it, with the exception of the people who go crazy about purchasing things (please don't mace me because you want the ipad for little Johnny - that's not fun.) BUT besides that, no judging. I completely understand. 
    Daisypath Anniversary tickers
  • We also have to keep in mind that America is a melting pot. My Jewish SIL works pretty much every holiday or has to take time off. My old coworker who was Jehovah's Witness would take her sons away on Christmas every year to an indoor water park as they didn't have a need to have Christmas off. I get not wanting people to have to work on holiday's - but the reality is there are way more people than just retail workers and way more days than just Thanksgiving that people are doing their job on a day that isn't convenient to them.
  • edited December 2014
    I'm going to take a wild guess (disclaimer- never worked retail) that the outrage is twofold: 1) disgust at rampant consumerism and bastardization of a religious holiday, and 2) of everyone that works on Thanksgiving I assume retail workers are the lowest paid, and in common media the worst treated.  Making retail workers work on a holiday is just further perceived mistreatment. David versus Goliath.

    Edit to clarify-- bastardization of Christmas, not Thanksgiving. It's all about shopping for Christmas before we can even get done with Thanksgiving itself. 
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  • UGH. The sanctimonious posts about this are so fucking annoying. Take for example, what SIL posted:

    "anyone who knows me knows that this post was going to happen at sometime this week...... to those of you who are going to take advantage of black friday deals that start at 6pm, 5pm, 10am... on THANKSGIVING DAY: you make be absolutely sick. the poor employees of these greedy stores have to involuntarily miss a day with their family or can't enjoy it because of work, and it's all because of YOU PEOPLE who CHOOSE to miss out on family time just to save a buck. you're all morons and even if a few of you may be people that i'm usually particularly fond of, i will completely lose my respect for you for the next 48 hours. the only reason stores can get away with pulling these ridiculously unnecessary hours off is because of all of the fools that will show up to them. it completely disgusts me. okay, that is all!!  those of you who aren't part of these pathetic companies, enjoy your thanksgiving, and cherish the time with loved ones!!"
  • UGH. The sanctimonious posts about this are so fucking annoying. Take for example, what SIL posted:

    "anyone who knows me knows that this post was going to happen at sometime this week...... to those of you who are going to take advantage of black friday deals that start at 6pm, 5pm, 10am... on THANKSGIVING DAY: you make be absolutely sick. the poor employees of these greedy stores have to involuntarily miss a day with their family or can't enjoy it because of work, and it's all because of YOU PEOPLE who CHOOSE to miss out on family time just to save a buck. you're all morons and even if a few of you may be people that i'm usually particularly fond of, i will completely lose my respect for you for the next 48 hours. the only reason stores can get away with pulling these ridiculously unnecessary hours off is because of all of the fools that will show up to them. it completely disgusts me. okay, that is all!!  those of you who aren't part of these pathetic companies, enjoy your thanksgiving, and cherish the time with loved ones!!"
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  • edited June 2015
  • UGH. The sanctimonious posts about this are so fucking annoying. Take for example, what SIL posted:

    "anyone who knows me knows that this post was going to happen at sometime this week...... to those of you who are going to take advantage of black friday deals that start at 6pm, 5pm, 10am... on THANKSGIVING DAY: you make be absolutely sick. the poor employees of these greedy stores have to involuntarily miss a day with their family or can't enjoy it because of work, and it's all because of YOU PEOPLE who CHOOSE to miss out on family time just to save a buck. you're all morons and even if a few of you may be people that i'm usually particularly fond of, i will completely lose my respect for you for the next 48 hours. the only reason stores can get away with pulling these ridiculously unnecessary hours off is because of all of the fools that will show up to them. it completely disgusts me. okay, that is all!!  those of you who aren't part of these pathetic companies, enjoy your thanksgiving, and cherish the time with loved ones!!"

    Holy crapsicles! I hadn't even seen anything nearly that bad. There was an article last year, I wish I could find it again, about the other perspective on Black Friday and how not everyone who shops that weekend is a greedy SOB who would sell her soul for a toaster. For many people, Thanksgiving just reminds them of hardships they're facing with loved ones and they'd rather go out and shop and take their mind off things. And for tons of other reasons!
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