Thousands of people converge on malls and shopping centers every year the day after Thanksgiving for an American tradition known as Black Friday. For some, it is just as cherished of a holiday tradition as any other, but others won’t venture outside on the day.

Commuting woes

Alex Meyer, sophomore in chemical engineering, once spent two hours in traffic just trying to get one mile.

“I live near the Chicago Premium Outlet Mall and it gets really insane on Black Friday. My dad and I sat in traffic for two hours just trying to drive one mile,” Meyer said. “We couldn’t have turned around even if we would have wanted to because to get off the exits within that one-mile stretch would have taken another hour.”

She said she prepared for the drive by packing lots of food.

“It’s like going on a crazy camping trip,” Meyer said.

However, her experience didn’t discourage her — Meyer said she would definitely do it again this year. 

Sing-a-long nightmare

Jordan Hansen, freshman in biology, went on a road trip to the Omaha and Council Bluffs metropolitan area for Black Friday one year and said she will never do it again.

“It was a two-hour drive packed in the van with eight of my siblings singing Christmas music the whole time. I hate Christmas music,” Hanson said. “I thought I was going to go insane. Never again will I go to Black Friday.”

Retail headache 

Tom Moore, sophomore in engineering from the Cedar Rapids area, worked at Target during a Black Friday as a cart attendant.

“People started waiting in line as soon at the store closed … When I got there at 3:30 in the morning, the line already wrapped clear around the building and by 5 when the doors opened, the line wrapped into the parking lot,” he said.

When asked if anything crazy happened, Moore replied, “Nothing horrific, but it took 10 minutes for the line to get into the building, and I have never seen my managers move as fast as they do when they unlock the doors. Its insane the amount of people who show up. We even have to preload the shopping carts with TVs before the stores open since that is the main thing people are coming for.”

Luckily Moore didn’t see anything tragic happen, but Abby Abrams, freshman in business from Iowa City, didn’t have such a great time.

“My grandma was at Menards and she made it to the front of the line, but as she was going in, she was trampled. She broke her leg and both of her arms,” Abrams said. “She’s fine now though.”

However, Abrams said this doesn’t stop her from enjoying the sales on Black Friday — she still goes any year she can.

Every man for himself — including you, Grandma

Another elderly woman wasn’t so lucky when Austen Vincent, sophomore in fashion design at Northern Iowa, had to put her in her place when she tried taking a CD out of his hands.

“I punched her in the face. No one was taking that CD from me,” Vincent said.

However, for some the savings are worth the possible risks.

“Just think of all the hundreds of dollars you’ll save. It will only cost you a few hours of driving time and possibly a couple of bruises,” Meyer said.