I can understand stuff like socks and electronics and Christmas sweaters, but a car? And why at 5 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving?

It might be hard to believe, but some dealerships across the country actually opened to car buyers at the crack of dawn Friday morning and ready to slash prices on cars. According to the , a Chevrolet dealer over there opened at 5 and put Cruzes on special for $14,990 and Malibus for less than $20,000 – thousands off the sticker price for even the most stripper-y of models. The boss at that dealer said by 8:15, the dealership had shifted more than 20 cars.

Over in Charlotte, NC, to give $8,000 off of outgoing Pathfinders.

Dealers everywhere are apparently lowering prices for people who think you could get a good deal on anything anywhere on Black Friday, , which predicted this week discounts on cars would average 8.5% of sticker, and as much as 16% for luxury cars.

Just this week, someone asked me if people really buy cars on Black Friday like they do children's toys. I've never met someone who waited in line to buy a Nissan or decided to get up super super early to bring home a Cruze to place under the yet-to-be-purchased Christmas tree. Getting 8.5% off the purchase price of a car doesn't sound too generous for 2012 models at this time of year, either.

I don't totally judge people who stand in line at Best Buy or whatever as long as they've done the math and realized how good of a deal they got. When someone offers you $8,000 off of the price of an outgoing model, you should realize you could've just gone at a normal time on a normal Friday and probably signed on the dotted line for the same deal.

Leave Black Friday for appliances and clothes, not for cars.