Infographic: The Black Friday Experience

See the whole thing after the jump

​Today is "Black Friday", so named because of the hellish throng of shoppers and cars choking the streets, sidewalks, and retail outlets all over the country. Believe it or not, up until a few years ago, "Black Friday" was an urban legend; the shopping crowd was no different than any other day between Thanksgiving and Christmas. However, now that the stores have gotten into the spirit by offering Black Friday sales and specials, it has finally begun to live up to its dreadful reputation.

We're sure you were hoping to get started earlier today and be out of the stores by now. There's almost no chance you've made it home. Hopefully you have a smartphone upon which you can view this helpful chart while you're waiting in line, and that, in turn, will help stem the tide of murderous fury rising within you. It's not worth a rampage, people. Don't be afraid to just drop your purchases and run.

See the full graphic after the jump.