Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts IV

[71jason]

I think I would take complaints about Thanksgiving shopping a lot more seriously if I saw a single complaint about the far larger number of stores that remain open on Fourth of July. To me, that's the bigger holiday.

Of if all the sympathies expressed for retail workers "forced" to work that day also mentioned the tens of thousands of Cast Members who work Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, NYE ... or should WDW go dark on the holidays as well?

If you have a big extended family nearby, then enjoy your Thanksgiving--don't go shopping. But those of us from small families and/or who live nowhere near our hometown, it's just not that big a deal. If I had a job where I could work and make double-time that day, I'd jump at the chance to make money for Christmas.

 

[fbb]

If I had a job where I could work and make double-time that day, I'd jump at the chance to make money for Christmas.

Yep, the sign-up sheets for double-time Thanksgiving shifts are full. Many of the workers would love to work a double-time Christmas shift as well.

 

[Goofyernmost]

Working Thanksgiving in Retail...OMG! What do they think they are Transportation workers, Power company workers, Police Departments, Fire Departments, Water and Sewer Workers, Cab Drivers, Food Service Workers, Air Traffic Controllers, Airport personnel (Pilots, baggage handlers, support crews), snow removal crews, Hospital and EMS workers, Gas Station/convenience store workers, the Military? Nobody has to work on Thanksgiving. How will they get to watch Football or the Parades?

Seriously, If that is how they earn their living then they may be called upon to work. It isn't the stores that drive that situation it is the greed of people looking for a bargain. Yes, the retail stores started it, but they have a very small window during the year to make or break it. That time of year is from November to the 25th of December. Save the righteous indignation for something worthwhile. Many of those workers, if the place were closed, would be losing a days pay on top of that. Not everyone gets paid holidays, especially one as useless as Thanksgiving day. All anyone does is eat and burp a lot on Turkey day...almost no one is overly thankful, just overly full.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think I would take complaints about Thanksgiving shopping a lot more seriously if I saw a single complaint about the far larger number of stores that remain open on Fourth of July. To me, that's the bigger holiday.

Of if all the sympathies expressed for retail workers "forced" to work that day also mentioned the tens of thousands of Cast Members who work Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, NYE ... or should WDW go dark on the holidays as well?

If you have a big extended family nearby, then enjoy your Thanksgiving--don't go shopping. But those of us from small families and/or who live nowhere near our hometown, it's just not that big a deal. If I had a job where I could work and make double-time that day, I'd jump at the chance to make money for Christmas.

I believe I mentioned 'Holiday's' plural and it really bothers me that stores are open on the 4'th, Just try to go buy something on Bastille Day in France or Great October Revolution Day in Russia.

 

[ford91exploder]

Working Thanksgiving in Retail...OMG! What do they think they are Transportation workers, Power company workers, Police Departments, Fire Departments, Water and Sewer Workers, Cab Drivers, Food Service Workers, Air Traffic Controllers, Airport personnel (Pilots, baggage handlers, support crews), snow removal crews, Hospital and EMS workers, Gas Station/convenience store workers, the Military? Nobody has to work on Thanksgiving. How will they get to watch Football or the Parades?

Seriously, If that is how they earn their living then they may be called upon to work. It isn't the stores that drive that situation it is the greed of people looking for a bargain. Yes, the retail stores started it, but they have a very small window during the year to make or break it. That time of year is from November to the 25th of December. Save the righteous indignation for something worthwhile. Many of those workers, if the place were closed, would be losing a days pay on top of that. Not everyone gets paid holidays, especially one as useless as Thanksgiving day. All anyone does is eat and burp a lot on Turkey day...almost no one is overly thankful, just overly full.

Having Been in Mission Critical IT all my life in private industry and government, I have worked ALL holidays and being team leader most places volunteered to do holidays so guys with young children were not in or on-call on Christmas, Easter and Thanksgiving. Doing the nasty jobs is part of being a leader.

That being said the purpose of public holidays is to give EVERYONE in the workaday sector NOT involved in transportation or safety of life and property a BREAK not just create another shopping day,

Really miss the old 'blue laws' which forbade business on sundays and public holidays because those days were then reserved for friends and family exclusively.

 

[RivieraJenn]

Working Thanksgiving in Retail...OMG! What do they think they are Transportation workers, Power company workers, Police Departments, Fire Departments, Water and Sewer Workers, Cab Drivers, Food Service Workers, Air Traffic Controllers, Airport personnel (Pilots, baggage handlers, support crews), snow removal crews, Hospital and EMS workers, Gas Station/convenience store workers, the Military?

While I dislike the general trend of stores opening on Thanksgiving, as the wife of a paramedic who will be working on Thanksgiving and has worked many Christmases, I thank you for remembering those who have no choice but to work on holidays.

We also have to remember that retail is a two-way street--if everyone would stay home on Thanksgiving, the stores wouldn't open. "We" (in a very general sense) are to blame.

 

[ford91exploder]

Yep, the sign-up sheets for double-time Thanksgiving shifts are full. Many of the workers would love to work a double-time Christmas shift as well.

I'm assuming sarcasm here???.

 

[EPCOTCenterLover]

Watching the Jingle Cruise video- promising idea, minimal overlay, unfunny jokes, could just be the skipper.

 

[ford91exploder]

While I dislike the general trend of stores opening on Thanksgiving, as the wife of a paramedic who will be working on Thanksgiving and has worked many Christmases, I thank you for remembering those who have no choice but to work on holidays.

We also have to remember that retail is a two-way street--if everyone would stay home on Thanksgiving, the stores wouldn't open. "We" (in a very general sense) are to blame.

Thanks for your service to people, Yes we are to blame but by not rising to the bait we can stop this.

 

[ford91exploder]

I think I would take complaints about Thanksgiving shopping a lot more seriously if I saw a single complaint about the far larger number of stores that remain open on Fourth of July. To me, that's the bigger holiday.

Of if all the sympathies expressed for retail workers "forced" to work that day also mentioned the tens of thousands of Cast Members who work Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, NYE ... or should WDW go dark on the holidays as well?

If you have a big extended family nearby, then enjoy your Thanksgiving--don't go shopping. But those of us from small families and/or who live nowhere near our hometown, it's just not that big a deal. If I had a job where I could work and make double-time that day, I'd jump at the chance to make money for Christmas.

It would be a GOOD THING if the parks went dark on Thanksgiving and Christmas.

 

[fbb]

I'm assuming sarcasm here???.

No, not at all. A good number of people have no problem working holidays. Where that lies on the cause and effect spectrum of the commercialization of holidays, I don't know.

 

[ford91exploder]

No, not at all. A good number of people have no problem working holidays. Where that lies on the cause and effect spectrum of the commercialization of holidays, I don't know.

Having volunteered to work a disproportionate number of holidays myself so others would not have to and being exempt I did not get a single dime or compensatory time off, I can see that.

We have the issue of coercion here and since the store is OPEN it's not officially a holiday anymore and the workers get straight time for missing time with friends and family. And companies wonder why unions form...

 

[englanddg]

And even though there have been black Friday deaths, they still stoke the flames.

Pro tip - the best deals are usually online before Black Friday, anyone who actually leaves the house that day is a sucker.

Or after Christmas...when you can hunt for overstock sales and discounted return items.

I do all my shopping for gifts after Christmas and then put them in the closet. Things don't change that quickly...

 

[RivieraJenn]

Thanks for your service to people, Yes we are to blame but by not rising to the bait we can stop this.

It's my husband who deserves the thanks, of course. But thank you!

 

[Funmeister]

It isn't the stores that drive that situation it is the greed of people looking for a bargain. Yes, the retail stores started it, but they have a very small window during the year to make or break it.

You do realize you contradicted yourself right? I've never ever ever seen any news report in the history of me being on this planet showing rioting people in mall parking lots on Thanksgiving because the stores were not open. You yourself support my view that greedy people did not start this and this falls solely on corporations when you explained their "small window" to "make or break it."

 

[tribbleorlfl]

I think I would take complaints about Thanksgiving shopping a lot more seriously if I saw a single complaint about the far larger number of stores that remain open on Fourth of July. To me, that's the bigger holiday.

Of if all the sympathies expressed for retail workers "forced" to work that day also mentioned the tens of thousands of Cast Members who work Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, NYE ... or should WDW go dark on the holidays as well?

If you have a big extended family nearby, then enjoy your Thanksgiving--don't go shopping. But those of us from small families and/or who live nowhere near our hometown, it's just not that big a deal. If I had a job where I could work and make double-time that day, I'd jump at the chance to make money for Christmas.

I was about to say much of what you said in this post. This being a ADW/theme park board, I'm curious how many of those lamenting the increased commercialization of holidays and retail workers' hours at these times have themselves gone to the parks or a movie on those holidays?

My first job as a high schooler was a projectionist at a movie theater, and for nearly 7 years, was a cook at Universal. That meant for nearly a decade, I was away from my family on EVERY holiday (including the first Christmas after my wife and I were married) while other families celebrated in my establishments. I can't say I enjoyed that, but I can't say I didn't know the score either. That's one of the reasons I continued on in school after I completed my culinary degree: to get a professional job where I'd never work a holiday again.

I suspect most retail workers are in the same boat, especially those hired seasonally for holiday shopping. Besides, it's hard to feel sympathy when you realize: a) they're earning income as opposed to the alternative, and b) are probably getting a discount on merchandise they'd likely be purchasing anyways.

 

[Disneyhead'71]

I will be working at 3am on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am a news photographer and I work the Morning Show. Between the Domestic Violence killings and exploding Turkey Deep Fryers, the Holidays are busy news days.

It is actually pretty shocking how much Domestic Violence happens during the Holidays. It is a REALLY stressful period for a lot of people.

 

[Lord_Vader]

I will be working at 3am on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am a news photographer and I work the Morning Show. Between the Domestic Violence killings and exploding Turkey Deep Fryers, the Holidays are busy news days.

It is actually pretty shocking how much Domestic Violence happens during the Holidays. It is a REALLY stressful period for a lot of people.

Not too shocking, too much time with too many family members for some.

 

[Cesar R M]

I will be working at 3am on both Thanksgiving and Christmas. I am a news photographer and I work the Morning Show. Between the Domestic Violence killings and exploding Turkey Deep Fryers, the Holidays are busy news days.

It is actually pretty shocking how much Domestic Violence happens during the Holidays. It is a REALLY stressful period for a lot of people.

exploding turkey deep fryers? what the hell...

 

[nytimez]

I recall a time not too long ago when employers - even smaller ones - could shut down on the holiday and GIVE everyone a small bonus.

Today, the only "bonus" is that you can work during the holidays and earn a little more at the expense of not seeing family and loved ones. And some of you seem to think this a good thing?

Good luck with that.