CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A new report by G.P.S. maker TomTom claims SouthPark Mall in south Charlotte is the most congested shopping area in the country on Black Friday.
Malls in Atlanta, Chicago, and New Jersey rounded out the list of shopping areas with heavy holiday traffic.
The day after Thanksgiving is often considered to be one of the busiest shopping days of the year. It earned the name Black Friday because, at one time, it was the day many retailers got back in the black.
A lot of residents in the SouthPark neighborhood weren't surprised by the findings.
I believe it. Traffic out here is pretty bad, said resident Matthew Milazza.
Some neighbors even said they purposefully avoid the streets around the mall and other shopping areas in SouthPark.
I'll probably try to avoid mall parking lots at all costs on Black Friday and sleep in, said Aaron Kaufman.
The report compared Black Friday 2010 to December weekends in 2010, and found traffic slowed by more than 25 miles per hour on Black Friday, and used that equation to quantify congestion.
But some neighbors question the results.
It's hard to believe. There's so many more large areas, said 25-year resident Keith Eades. It's a fantastic place. It's not worst. And it's better than most.
