Or how I survived the 6AM Crush at Walmart
I had planned to score a new TV, once I got back to PR. I figured “Black Friday” would be the best time to do it. I got to the Walmart near Coamo, right at 6AM. I’ve been to this particular Walmart about a half a dozen times and I have NEVER seen it as packed as it was on Friday morning.
Parking was just short of impossible and they have your typical oversize Walmart parking lot (with lots of security running around). I did miss the 2AM to 6AM feeding frenzy, but the aftermath was still present… they were just starting to tear down the ‘crowd staging area’ for those folks waiting in line since before 2AM.
I tried to get into the electronics department, but the line snaked in and around and completely back out of the department. Fortunately, the plasma TV I was after, was in a display out on the floor. Even with sales tax, I got a good price. I was not the only one carting off a big screen TV. These things were flying out the door.
With all the traffic in and around Walmart, you would not know Puerto Rico’s economy had been hammered hard over the last 2 years or that it had double digit unemployment.
DishNetwork seems pretty popular too!
I had planned to stop by RadioShack on the way back into Coamo, but the line was still out the front door, at 7AM. I did make it back around 11AM since I had to buy an HDMI cable, which cost WAY TO MUCH. RadioShack makes a killing on “parts and pieces”.
I would be remiss, if I did not mention how friendly and helpful the staff were at both stores, even with the “shopping crush”.
Was this “Black Friday” repeated all over the island? I don’t know, but suspect it was. I never made it to Sears…
The point I’m trying to make is that Puerto Rico is not that much different from the rest of the US. Sure, they mostly speak Spanish. But they buy iPods, Xboxes, Wii’s, fancy wheels for their cars, and lots and lots of furniture, just like the rest of the US.
Boricua’s are very fashion conscious, with their own sense of style.
Travel Update: I made the flight into San Juan without much hassle. I turned over the Isuzu parts I bought in Anchorage, to the mechanic here in Coamo and they had me back on the road the next day. Labor was fair and the service was good. Now I have a working speedometer. DOH! That just leaves a very slight radiator leak to fix… no biggie.
My next Post will be PR travel related, now that I’m settled in.
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