SHOW ON WPRI 12.
WELCOME BACK TO THE RHODE
SHOW.
THIS MORNING IN THE BUZZ, BLACK
FRIDAY SHOPPERS, BETTER LISTEN
UP.
YOUR HOLIDAY SHOPPING TRADITION
MAY BE IN JEOPARDY.
IT COULD BE LIGHTS OUT FOR BLACK
FRIDAY AT WRENTHAM VILLAGE
PREMIUM OUTLETS.
THE TOWN IS THREATENING TO SHUT
DOWN THE TRADITIONAL MIDNIGHT
SHOPPING AFTER THANKSGIVING,
CALLING IT A PUBLIC SAFETY
ISSUE.
THE EVENT DRAWS THOUSANDS OF
SHOPPERS EACH YEAR, OFTEN
CAUSING TRAFFIC JAMS AND WHAT
OFFICIALS BELIEVE TO BE
DANGEROUS SITUATIONS.
ALSO, POLICE SAY SECURITY
CAMERAS ARE NECESSARY TO INSURE
THE SAFETY, A MEASURE WHICH HAS
NOT YET BEEN IMPLEMENTED.
BOARD MEMBERS ARE HOLDING A
PUBLIC HEARING TONIGHT TO
CONSIDER REVOKES THE PERMISSION
THEY'VE GIVEN FOR THE PAST
SEVERAL YEARS TO OPEN AT
MIDNIGHT.
OFFICIALS ARGUE THE OUTLETS
ATTRACT CRIMINALS AND COULD EVEN
BE A SOFT TARGET FOR TERRORISM.
OUTLET OFFICIALS SAY MIDNIGHT
MADNESS SHOPPING HAS BEEN MAINLY
WITHOUT INCIDENT.
SO WHAT DO YOU THINK?
I KNOW A FEW YEARS AGO, THERE
WAS TRAFFIC THAT WAS HORRENDOUS,
AND THEY HAD TO SHUT DOWN PART
OF 95 AND THE AREA INTO
WRENTHAM.
THERE WERE A FEW OTHER INCIDENTS
THAT HAPPENED THAT YEAR.
IT WAS CHAOS.
BUT THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, LAST
YEAR I DON'T THINK THERE WERE
ANY PROBLEMS.
THERE REALLY WEREN'T.
THAT'S IT.
AND ANYWHERE THAT YOU GO, I
MEAN, US BEING FROM WARWICK,
PRETTY MUCH FROM NOW UNTIL
JANUARY 20.
IT WILL BE CRAZY.
YES.
I THINK IF YOU KNOW THAT'S GOING
TO BE HAPPENING, AVOID 95 ON THE
AREA OF BLACK FRIDAY F. YOU
DON'T WANT TO GO SHOPPING.
BUT YOU KNOW, IT HAS BEEN
RELATIVELY OKAY.
THEY DO HAVE A LOT OF POLICE
DETAIL.
I DO FEEL BAD BECAUSE OF THE
CHASM ERA SITUATION, HOPEFULLY
THEY GET THAT FIXED.
I KNOW THEY WERE TRYING TO
ALSO FIX THE TRAFFIC SITUATION,
WHICH I GUESS LAST YEAR THEY HAD
A NEW PLAN IN PLACE TO MOVE
EVERYBODY IN QUICKER, AND MOVE
IN AND OUT QUICKER SO BACKUPS
WOULDN'T BE SO BAD.
BUT JUST PUT THE CAMERAS IN.
I THINK HAVING THE CAMERAS THERE
IS A GOOD IDEA.
I AGREE.
YOU NEVER KNOW, IF SOMETHING
HAPPENS, YOU CAN CHECK THE
CAMERA AND SEE WHO DID IT.
I CAN SEE THE CONCERNS, WHY.
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO SHOPPING
REGARDLESS OF THE TIME F. STORES
OPEN AT 12, 3, 5 IN THE MORNING,
IT DOESN'T MATTER.
THAT'S WHEN SHOPPERS WILL START.
EVEN IF YOU WANT TO PUSH IT BACK
IT WON'T AFFECT SALES, THAT MANY
PEOPLE ARE STILL GOING TO GO TO
YOUR OUTLET TOSS GET THOSE SALES
AND BARGAINS.
BUT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE
NOT REALLY THINKING THROUGH,
LIKE THE DANGEROUS THAT HAPPEN
NOT JUST IN THERE BUT ON THE
ROADS, AND THAT'S WHAT MY
CONCERN WOULD BE, WAS THAT
YOU'RE UP EARLY, COOKING
THANKSGIVING DINNER OR WHATEVER,
HOWEVER YOU DO IT.
SO YOU'RE UP EARLY AND YOU'RE
UP, THE ENTIRE DAY, BECAUSE
STORES ARE OPEN UNTIL MIDNIGHT,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GO TO SLEEP
OR TAKE A NAP IN BETWEEN,
BECAUSE YOUR HOUSE IS PROBABLY
ABUZZ WITH YOUR FAMILY AND
FRIENDS AND YOUR PLANS ARE
GOING.
SO I'M SURE PEOPLE ARE STAYING
UP WELL OVER EVEN 24 HOURS, AND
TO ME, SOMETIMES A SLEEPY DRIVER
IS WORSE THAN A DRUNK DRIVER OR
TEXTING DRIVER.
NO MATTER WHAT IT IS.
SO I THINK MAYBE THAT'S A
CONCERN FOR PEOPLE, TOO, JUST
THE FACT THAT AT ODD HOURS OF
THE NIGHT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A
LOT MORE DRIVERS ON THE ROAD,
AND SAY MAYBE THERE IS THAT
DRUNK DRIVER OR TWO.
NOW THERE'S MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR
SOMETHING TO GO WRONG.
AND PATIENCE GROWS WEAK WHEN
YOU'RE TIRED.
I HAVE NEVER DONE THE MIDNIGHT
SHOPPING.
LAST YEAR WE GOT UP AT 3 OR 4 IN
THE MORNING, BUT I CAN'T STAND
THE CROWDS.
THAT'S IT, I CAN'T STAND IT
EITHER.
I HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO WORK
AT WRENTHAM ON THANKSGIVING AT
MIDNIGHT, AND THEY PLAN
ACCORDINGLY, SO THEY WILL GO TO
BED, TAKE A NAP.
THEY WILL MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT
THE ONES COOKING.
I THINK THAT'S IT F. YOU ARE THE
PEOPLE WORKING THERE, BECAUSE
THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE COMPLAIN
ABOUT, I FEEL BAD FOR THE
WORKERS.
I HAVE WORKED THAT SHIFT BEFORE
F. THAT'S YOUR JOB, THAT'S YOUR
JOSH, AND THAT IS NOT A PLUS OF
IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO GET OVER IT
AND SAY I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF
MYSELF, I NEED TO SLEEP AND NAP.
IT DOES STINK, BUT MEMO WANT TO
SHOP, NOT MYSELF, BUT THEY WANT
TO SHOP AT THAT TIME, THEY WANT
THE DEALS.
I'LL BE SLEEPING IN MY TURKEY
COMB AIRKS I'LL BE HAPPY.
I'VE GONE EARLY, BUT I'VE
NEVER, LIKE, STRUCK OUT SO GREAT
IN
THAT I WANT TO GO AGAIN EVERY
YEAR.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THE THINGS I
NEED TO BUY AREN'T PARTICULARLY
LIKE THE BIG-SCREEN TV.
YEAH, I'M NOT FIGHTING
ANYBODY FOR A GAME SYSTEM OR TV,
ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
ALL OF THIS IS BECAUSE THE
BOARD MEMBERS ARE UPSET THAT THE
CAMERAS HAVEN'T BEEN INSTALLED.
SO FOR THEM TO USE WORDS LIKE
TERRORISM AND CRIMINALS,
CRIMINALS ARE IN MY OWN
BACKYARD, SO THEY NEED TO PUT
THE CAMERAS IN.
IF THAT IS GOING TO MAKE
PEACE, PUT THE CAMERAS IN.
I KNOW IT WILL BE EXPENSIVE.
THE TOWN DOESN'T LIKE THAT
TRAFFIC EVERY YEAR.
MICHAELA IS GOING TO PACK.
MOVE ON OVER.
AMY WEIGHED IN ON THIS SHE
SAYS THE FRENZY WILL OCCUR AT
ANY TIME.
MIDNIGHT OR 7, IT'S JUST AS DARK
DURING THE WINTER.
IT'S TRUE.
IF LACK OF SECURITY AND CAMERAS
ARE AN ISSUE, IT JUST NEEDS TO
BE FIXED.
YES.
AND JULIE SAYS, PEOPLE SHOULD
NOT BE THINKING ABOUT SHOPPING,
INSTEAD OF THANKSGIVING.
GIRLFRIEND, I'M RIGHT THERE WITH
YOU, I WILL STAY HOME AND EAT
MORE TURKEY.
THIS ONE SAYS, I WORK THERE,
AND IT TOOK ME, GET THIS, THREE
HOURS TO GET THERE FOR MY
MIDNIGHT SHIFT.
I HAD TO CUT THANKSGIVING SHORT.
OH!
HAD TO WORK FOUR HOURS.
I KNOW.
IT WOULD BE BETTER IF WE GOT TO
OPEN UP AT 7 A.M. SO US WORKERS
