Black Friday in Modesto area: Afternoon traffic could be troublesome

1:24 p.m. Update: Been hearing a little scanner traffic regarding, well, traffic near the Vintage Faire Mall.

Then just go to this Tweet from J.D. Langley a few minutes ago: "Wow. The traffic around the mall area is insane! almost 15 min to get from Standiford/Sick to Pelandale/Salida Blvd."

So, don't say we didn't warn you.

Recalling last year, there was a huge jam around the mall as morning turned into afternoon.

Keep that in mind as you plan the rest of your day.

11:53 a.m. Update: If you're looking for a Kodak CD82 digital camera listed for $69 at Wal-Mart, you won't find one at the Sisk Road or Turlock stores.

Monica Sliva of Turlock went to the Sisk Road store, hoping to buy two about an hour ago, and found they were sold out. She called the Turlock store. No dice.

"Everything I wanted at Wal-Mart was sold out," she said.

Surveying the store a few minutes ago, she said: "It's like an earthquake happened."

She said even a few toys and a basketball she was going to pick up were gone.

She had an idea for retailers. Either buy more product in anticipation of Black Friday, or have stuff go on sale at different times of the day, especially for those people who have to work.

11:48 a.m. Update: McHenry Village had a light crowd at mid-morning. Chris Hansen, manager of Valley Sporting Goods, said his store tends to get busy later in the day and does not have the kind of frenzy seen at big-box retailers.

10:48 a.m. Update: Apparently, Tuolumne County isn’t the quiet hamlet some think it is.

Jim Hildreth, the former city councilmember, arrived at the Wal-Mart in Sonora thinking he’d have an easy time picking up an inexpensive laptop. Certainly, there wouldn’t be too many frenetic shoppers at 6:15 in the morning.

Wrong.

“I couldn’t believe the streams of cars exiting, and I arrived at 6:15," he said. “There were flat screen TVs, televisions … large items coming out. The parking lot was 85 to 95 percent full.

“There also were a lot of charge cards. I thought, ‘Wait a minute. Don’t we have 12 percent unemployment?’ "

Hildreth was looking for an inexpensive HP laptop, but was told there were none. He asked for a raincheck, and they said no chance.

He then went back to ask someone about online, and the salesperson said they did have some Acer laptops in the back for less than $300. He snapped one up.

He said not only were the shoppers the real winners today, what with all the bargains. He also pointed to the sales tax the city will reap.

10:24 a.m. Update: Monica Sliva of Turlock has been shopping all morning at Vintage Faire Mall, and had a good reminder to customers: Watch what’s being rung up.

“If you don’t know what 25 percent, 40 percent or 50 percent off is, and you’re not watching what they’re ringing up, you’re going to be paying more,” she said.

She said she went into one store and the price at the register came up for more than what was listed on the floor. The person at the register would not honor the lower price, so she left.

Sliva said JC Penney is an absolute zoo. She said there are 15 people waiting at each register, but said the customer service is excellent.

“I’ve been really impressed,” she said. “They’re working really fast. I feel for salespeople … but they were laughing and joking and really nice with the customers.”

A former Macy’s employee, Sliva said Macy’s at the mall wasn’t nearly as busy. She did go into buy something, however, and it came up at the cash register as costing more. The salesperson saw where the item came from, and honored the lower price.