Why Stand in Line on Black Friday?

Standing in line is a pain. At the post office. At the box office. At a restaurant. 【小题1】The first spot outside some Best Buy stores is usually claimed (认领) weeks in advance, often by a person in a tent. Shoppers at Walmart will print out maps of the store, with circles around their primary targets. 【小题2】

“These queues are quite different than the usual annoying ones we come across day to day at the ATM or in the subway,” said Richard Larson, a professor at MIT who has spent years studying line behavior. “Once a year,” he said, “the lines are exciting. They’re the kind you might tell your grandchildren about.” 【小题3】 Billie LeClere, 45, was first in line on Thursday at Walmart in Manchester, Iowa. She said she was a regular Black Friday shopper. But this year, she came with a specific purpose: to get a good deal on a new TV. She and her husband had recently separated, and he had taken the old TV earlier that day. “The marriage died, not the TV,” she said. 【小题4】 “It’s going to be nice to have something that’s newer-and it’s mine, not his.”

【小题5】 The following are two of the typical results. The “gotta have it” atmosphere makes people more anxious. Sometimes the behaviour of the queue turns violent. Therefore，lines test patience，personal space especially on Black Friday, when the crowds can be overwhelming (势不可挡的).