A biz reporter's view of Black Friday

Thomas Doyle, a business reporter at the Victoria Advocate in Texas, took an unusual approach to his Black Friday shopping coverage: He gave his perspective.

Doyle wrote, “Every year, in every town there stands a lonely figure in the midst of the chaos observing and recording the entire event. He is the business reporter, the information wage slave who drags his body out of a turkey-induced coma to speak with those souls who shun the warmth of their beds in favor of shopping.

“For the last seven or so years I have been that lonely soul taken away from my dreams to cover the chaos. I can’t tell for certain exactly how many times I’ve gone out there, as the memories seem to blur together over time like the dreams I’m not having.

“Even though the hour Black Friday starts keeps getting earlier (this year it’s 5 a.m. at most retailers), most years the story seldom changes. So this year I decided to tell the tale of Black Friday based on years of viewing it firsthand.

“Despite what non-participants might think, I’ve only encountered a few people I actually consider crazy.

“Some shoppers brave the early morning cold because they can’t pass up a good deal. The early morning hours are just another price that has to be paid to stretch that Christmas dollar a little bit further. For a few it’s the only way they can afford things, like a new computer for a child in school.

“For others it’s a grand adventure, a chance to go out and have a wild experience with close friends and family, and then regale one another with war stories over coffee and breakfast at a restaurant afterward.”

Read more here. I’m looking for odd and unusual Black Friday coverage, so if you see great stories, send them my way.