My part time (best called occasional) job has a rule that all staff must work on Boxing Day, so for the past ten December 26s, I have worked. I usually ask for a short shift or a late shift so that I can get in some shopping before I have to work, and this year I got the sweetest shift ever: 4:30 – 7:30pm.

Boxing Day is to Canadians what Black Friday is to Americans: a huge shopping day where you’re supposed to get amazing deals the likes of which you won’t see again…until the next Boxing Day. Just like in the USA, the sales at the electronics stores seem to draw the largest crowds, primarily because they tend to open at the crack of dawn and thus have crazy people lining up at three o’clock in the morning to be the first to score some gadget.

This year, my siblings and I decided to join the madness. Future Shop was our chosen destination: I wanted a laptop and my brothers wanted an LCD television. The plan was to leave home around three o’clock in the morning and wait in line for three hours in the freezing cold until the store opened at six. However, as we waited, we started to get more excited, and pushed our departure time forward. Around one o’clock in the morning I went outside to check the state of the car, which was covered in ice that would need to be cleared before we could drive off. While outside, I saw the garage door of a neighbour open and their car leave and that revved me into panic mode, thinking that they were going to get our deals. I rushed back in and told the siblings to start getting ready; that we were leaving in 15 minutes!

It was so bloody cold that morning, and I knew we’d be waiting in sub-zero weather so I wore two pairs of socks and two pairs of pants and boots and wrapped myself up warmly. I told the siblings to do the same.

After a hilarious moment (the driver’s door would not open because it was frozen over, and I was too large to get into the seat by going through the passenger’s side, which led to my brother insisting that he would drive despite the fact that he does not have a license), and an attempt to get some warm drinks (the coffee shop wasn’t open), we arrived at the store around two in the morning and there was already a lineup! There were only 15 of the laptop I was after, so I counted carefully and it seemed like I’d probably get one even if all the people in front of me went for one, and the boys were guaranteed their television. I was pleased.

The wait was long. I had said that after one hour of waiting I’d go get everyone coffees, and after two hours we’d take turns warming up in the car. In the meantime though we had our mp3 players so we listened to music and chatted with other crazy people. We had only found one folding chair, so the siblings took turns sharing it. After the coffees, my brothers realized that their footwear (sneakers! only one pair of socks!) was not appropriate for the weather and started to complain that their feet were frozen. Then the brother who wears contact lenses started to complain that his contacts were bothering him and he had left his glasses at home. Even more vocal than they were was my sister, who insisted she needed to go home to put on more layers. So off the two of us went, and while at home we stocked up on better footwear for the boys and more blankets and sleeping bags. The moment we returned the boys went into the car and huddled under blankets. Then my sister, whose bladder is the bane of her existence needed to be driven to the gas station before she embarrassed herself so off we went again.

Some of the people waiting had creative ideas to keep warm: the group ahead of us had a portable heater, while this one group that came in a truck started a barbecue in the bed of their truck! Apparently the heat being given off was great. What was also great (smelling) was the barbecued chicken and sausages they started cooking!

By five o’clock in the morning, the parking lot was full and the lineup had wrapped around the store. By 5:45am, a phenomenon that I later found out was common had begun to happen. Latecomers started to arrive and they queued outside the door, not in line but just off to the side. People who jump lines or appear like they may jump lines make me anxious, so I went to ask them what they were doing and if they were in line (it was confusing because some employees had been doing the same thing). They insisted they weren’t in line but they weren’t employees so I just fretted and imagined all sorts of awful things I’d do to them if they got one of the things I wanted. The crowd at the front started to try and intimidate them to get them to go to the end of the line but they were belligerent back and wouldn’t budge. They said they’d wait for the line to go in before they’d venture in, but that they’d wait by the door instead of going to the end of the line. My brother was ready to beat them up and it was a thrill holding him back.

Another guy showed up and joined his friend in the line and again, we had to talk my brother out of starting a fight with him. We did tell him that it’s not fair that he just showed up at the last minute but again he said he was just talking to his friend and had no intention of going in. Finally there was another guy who stood with the first two people but didn’t say a word. When the crowd started getting fractious, he just pretended he had no idea was going on. I was really upset to later see him waiting beside me for a laptop and I tapped him on the shoulder and told him that I know he doesn’t care but I think it’s really unfair that he showed up at the last minute and has now cheated someone who had been legitimately waiting for four or five hours out of a laptop. Of course he didn’t care and told me that his friend had been waiting in line for him. That was a lie.

But of course the instant the door opened, all thoughts of preventing the CHEATERS left everyone’s mind and it was truly every woman and man for themselves. It was crazy! I didn’t have to worry about being trampled but it was a zoo! People were literally running everywhere. Staff members would come up to you and offer to help, but when I asked where I could find the laptops, they wouldn’t take you to the location…they’d just point and leave it up to you. I ran around for a bit before finding where I was supposed to go. By the time I found someone to yell my order to, I found out that she was operating the cash register, not taking orders. Luckily my brother was a step ahead of me and had managed to secure one for me.

Within an hour we had exited the store. People were still waiting to get in, and there was a “bouncer” letting in about 25 people at a time.

Everyone in my family got what they wanted (and more!) and I am now the proud owner of a laptop! I have one small gripe about it though — the enter key’s position is just far enough away from my pinkie finger that I end up adding a backslash to everything I type — so I may have to exchange it for another model. Even if I do, I’ll still bask in the glow of being one of only 15 visitors to the store that morning who got one.

Filed under: Adventure, Family by jummy