I try to stay away from crowds too, I can get uncomfortable in a crowd, especially to tighter the space gets...It's not a full-blown phobia, just a comfort thing. I did go to the U2 concert this past July and the crowd was fine. Although it did turn into a downpour halfway through. But I almost never go shopping between Thanksgiving and New Years, people are animals the other 300+ days of the year, why do I want to go looking for trouble? I'm all about getting my stuff done, even groceries, off-peak!