Now Comes the Door-buster Crowd Control Bill

ON the heels of the Wal-Mart Black Friday trampling death of Jdimytai Damour, New York City Councilman James F. Gennaro thinks he’s come up with a solution. A "door-buster bill” would hold retailers accountable for injuries.

According to the Chicago Tribune, New York City Councilman James F. Gennaro is working on a "door-buster bill" that would require large retailers and malls to make appropriate security arrangements whenever a big sales event is likely to attract large numbers of shoppers.

"We need to provide, at a bare minimum, public safety and security to make sure when people come to these things they are walking into a safe and secure environment," Gennaro said.

On the other hand, the National Retail Federation vice president, Joseph LaRocca, believes that this isn’t the answer. He wants customers to take responsibility for their own actions. He said that retailers don’t condone people rushing doors and overpowering employees but, "It is something the individual customer has to be accountable for." A University of Michigan marketing professor, Aradhna Krishna, recommends that the “doorbusting” practice be stopped altogether because it creates a “herd-mentality” insanity.

She said the formula for the insanity is a simple one: superlow prices, increased demand, limited supply and a clock that's running down.

Neil Stern, a senior partner in retail consulting firm McMillan Doolittle has suggested that retailers to issue tickets “for entrance as part of crowd control.” Can individuals be held responsible for their actions or inaction as part of a frenzied group? Is there is such a thing as a herd-mentality group insanity plea? Perhaps large retailers and malls will eventually act in their own interest by adopting measures that will eliminate door-busting? But is yet another law necessary? For background on this story see, “What is Wal-Mart’s Responsibility in the Death of Jdimytai Damour?”