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Shop owner protests dark side of “black Friday”
November 24th, 2009, 3:45 pm · 15 Comments · posted by Pat Brennan, green living, environment editor
The only money changing hands at Delilah Snell’s Road Less Traveled Store Friday will be play money — to help customers barter goods with one another in a green protest of “black Friday.” 
The traditional stampede shopping day — jammed malls and parking lots, mountains of plastic packaging, all those excess greenhouse gas emissions — can leave the green-minded incensed. And it has given rise to another tradition: “Buy Nothing” days, held to counteract black Friday.
“We’re getting a really good response,” Snell said Tuesday. “People are calling every day.”
Customers will be encouraged to bring items to her Santa Ana store on Friday to barter for others: “books, clothing, small furniture, electronics, hobby gear, camping stuff, craft supplies, magazines, music,” she said. “Obviously, bring stuff that works.”
The customers will receive play money, which can then be traded for other items brought to the store.
They needn’t be “green” items, she said, even though that’s what her store specializes in selling; instead, the event is all about “recycling and repurposing.”
She hopes it will cut down on purchases made in regular stores of items shipped long distances — another practice considered harmful to the environment by the green movement.
“It isn’t supporting the local economy,” she explained.
“Buy Nothing Day — Black Friday” will be held from noon till 4 p.m. Friday, Nov. 27, at the Road Less Traveled, 2204 N. Main St., Santa Ana. It’s free; snacks and lemonade will be served.
(Register photo of Delilah Snell at her store by Leonard Ortiz.)
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That’s just great, unemployment is through the roof and families are struggling to pay the bills and this lady wants us to avoid consumer spending…except in her green store. I can appreciate recycling but to undermine the economy right now is just plain wrong.
so we should just throw things away?
relax people! it is one day
i am almost flattered that you think my little store could make people so upset…first time for everything i guess!
Great idea in a different economy, the only way the economy is going to get better is with people spending money.
Good! I never buy anything on Black Friday. What a nightmare of epic proportions…I remember reading about people getting trampled at Wal-Mart by people acting like cattle. So sick.
how wackkk
Listen, i really like the idea behind this, think green, BUT, c’mon, boycott black friday???? Wow. How ridiculous can that be?
logicisourfriend says:
November 23, 2009 at 5:20 pm
Why don’t they manage the bison like a ranch and harvest the meat? Use the profits to strengthen the herd and environment in which they live?
dribble says:
November 24, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Bison makes me sick. Does everyone out there know that logicisourfriend and aceofspades are one in the same, glued at the hip, same DNA - comprende?
WhoYaKiddin says:
November 24, 2009 at 7:36 pm
Yes friend I did know that! Nice catch though. The question is why does aceofspades want us all to think he is a chick? Maybe that is on his santa wish list this Xmas? At any rate logic/ace we have your number - YET AGAIN!
That’s right! Buy nothing on black Friday and then you can be a part of the economy failing.
People need to appreciate that the economy is driven by people buying stuff. If you buy something then someone else will have a job making, moving and selling that thing.
So if you want to damage America and help the enemies of this country win a victory for Radical Islam, then by all means, don’t buy anything on Black Friday, or any other time for that matter. Then they win and we will have not done anything to fight for our freedoms and hopes as a free nation.
Congratulations.
susie,
call me, i have supported our local farms longer than you have ever seen this blog, created farmers markets in OC, started local non-profs, taught young people to support and nurture this community. serve on local non-prof boards. i have done a great deal for this community. i even refer customers to my LOCAL competition to keep our $ here.
call me and have a chat, i would love to work with you and help find ways to make our area better.
714.836.8727
How awesome! I LOVE the Road Less Traveled and its commitment to green living. Don’t pay attention to the imposers!!!
Lets get obama to resign. We need a new leader. Tired of these phony leaders that lie to us.
You need to sit back and relax. I dont see how you think one person or another would not lie to you. Who are you anyway? A nobody, a nothing. Let Obama, handle it because thats what he does. You think someone else could do a better job? What did the last president do? Only 8 months into being president, two planes hit a couple of towers. Obama, has been on cleanup duty on two wars and the economy. And you think that there is someone who could do a better job? please. The only one I know that might do a better job, is the one and only governor of California. He has the force of will to do what has to be done. Health care reform has to happen. So does changes to the economy.
ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER for president!!!!
Hate to break it to you “Let Obama handle it because that is what he does??? He has out spent all the presidents in less than a year. He has already spent a trillion dollars more than Bushes first year and its hasn’t even been a years yet. He is acting like a high school student with his first credit card. He has the force of will to do what has to be done? are you high??? He can say the ecomomy is better until he is blue in the face but it worse and getting worse.
Keep drinking the kool-aid.
Hippies trying to ruin everyone’s excitement.
as the shop owner, a small business owner (aka contributor to the economy), native OC resident i am all for alternative ways to black friday (ie. local spending, trade, making your items…).
we are not rebelling spending but ALLOWING people to do something different, even for those who CANNOT afford SCP, etc…
relax and do something different for a day…if you actually take the time to know us, you would realize that our store and staff are serious proponents of supporting a local economy.
i would much rather have someone make something from scratch than battle their way in a line at Wal-mart where the $ leaves our community.