On Your Mark...

My husband and I went to Best Buy on Saturday to see if they had some software we needed. Imagine our surprise when we pulled into the parking lot and saw tents already set up at the door in anticipation of Black Friday. “They must be giving away something special this year,” I thought. Why else would anyone want to spend a week in a tent in front of a busy store? I’d spend a week in a tent in the woods, but tent camping in the concrete jungle? Definitely not for me!

Every year the line in front of Best Buy starts earlier and earlier. But we were there a week before Black Friday. I might be persuaded if there was free money involved. Gobs and gobs of money. Or maybe a year’s worth of housecleaning. But not much else could tempt me to pitch a tent on the sidewalk while shoppers wandered past, straining their necks to gawk at my campsite all the while taking notes in order to accurately blog my craziness to the world. Oh, wait, that was me. Never mind.

Anyway, a very nice sales person, Richard, asked if he could help us. So, in my usually shy, reserved way I asked him why people were already parked outside the door. He chuckled and in a very respectful manner, mirrored my husband’s and my thoughts that these people were odd indeed. In fact, he informed us that the campers had actually been set up since Wednesday! They were the first Best Buy Black Friday shoppers in the nation!

So, what is a nine-day camping trip to your local Best Buy parking lot worth? Apparently, it’s worth 2 FREE IPads! Usually, each Best Buy store awards the first people in line a gift card. However, because the early bird gets the worm, these folks received Free IPads. And, according to our wonderfully chatty salesperson, free food from nearby restaurants. Now, I’m not sure who’s crazier: the campers or the stores?!

You can read more at Tampa Bay Online about the two couples who are living at Best Buy until Black Friday. By the way, they don’t even know what they’re going to buy on Friday!