Even for a culture of incessant consumerism and “Black Friday” madness, this news item about a man named Derek De Armond took me by surprise. Reports the New York Times:
Mr. De Armond, 55, set up a tent at 10 a.m. on Nov. 11, more than two weeks before Thanksgiving. He and three teammates, who rotate through the tent to hold their place, are first in a growing line outside a Best Buy in Fort Myers, Fla., that will open its doors at 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day.
Two weeks?
Mr. De Armond is not exactly roughing it, either. He’s sort of living in a Best Buy outside a Best Buy. According to the Times,
Mr. De Armond has elevated the usually mundane task of waiting in line into something akin to performance art. This year, his tent has three rooms and is equipped with air-conditioning, a screened porch, a hammock, a 42-inch flat-screen TV, a tiki bar and a fully decorated Christmas tree. “We’ve kind of gone crazy wild with it,” Mr. De Armond said. The only creature comfort lacking is a bathroom — Mr. De Armond still has to shower at home.
One wonders how far this will go. Next year, will it be three weeks? A month? How far will mankind go to get a deal?
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