they might worry what others may think?

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), May 19, 1999

Answers

Tim -- No, I think most people

1) Haven't heard anything about y2k beyond the joking advertisements or the news articles assuring them nothing really bad will happen

2) Don't want to believe anything really bad will happen

3) Believe the government or Bill Gates or somebody will fix it in time

I don't care what others think. I'm getting ready anyway.

-- shy ann (really@shy.com), May 19, 1999.

Hi Tim,

yes, I know a number of such folks...*sigh* It's been my observation that yuppies appear to be especially prone to this sort of peer pressure...

Arlin

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), May 19, 1999.

In some cases, absolutely! It continues to amaze me how some folks self-esteem seems to be contingent upon others' views of them. I've witnessed far, far too many examples of this to make me think it isn't a causative factor with some people.

Excellent job Tim!

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), May 19, 1999.

I am very concerned about what others think about the preparations I have made already and the ones I plan to make in the very near future.

I haven't even told my DGI wife about them, although I used her environmentalist sympathies in order to explore the possibility of going solar (very expensive in the city).

I have used subterfuge to put my mother in a position that her food allergies will possibly not kill her if there is serious trouble (she cooks all of her own food currently).

If TSHTF (and I am more worried today about this possibility than I have been heretofore), I can't save everybody, but I have a responsibility to my family to give them a chance to make it through whatever difficulties lie ahead.

I accept the fact that I am a doomer, but I'm hoping that everything will turn out OK.

-- GEC (childsge@msx.upmc.edu), May 19, 1999.

Yeah I do care what people think, as I have come across some stange reactions while trying to talk about this.It's kinda funny that people would take offense at the thought of someone trying to protect themselves, but they seem to nonetheless. That is why I am now only trying to express to the people I love that y2k is going to be a problem, and try to encourage them to prepare. Maybe they in turn will express this to the people they love, and I will have made a difference. I respect a person's right to choose, and I'm not going to push myself on anyone.

-- Gia (Laureltree7@hotmail.com), May 19, 1999.

GEC i'm glad i'm not the only one having to do preps on the "down-low."

-- sarah (qubr@aol.com), May 19, 1999.

Tim,

Yes. But, it goes deeper than the fear of being out of vogue. The effects of ridicule can lead to ostracism.

But, there are ways to limit the risk.

Quiet, private preparations seem to be the norm in North and South Carolina. One example is the intentional efforts within churches.

And, they are beginning to connect to the public at large, leading open Y2K meetings. Recently in Wilmington, North Carolina sveral hundred people attended a Y2K Q&A hosted at a Baptist church.

Slowly, but surely the invisible will become visible.

Critt

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), May 19, 1999.

Absolutely, but the good news is that it is far more socially acceptable now than, say, last fall to discuss the need to prep. However, I think this year's PR campaign has cut that back down a bit. It is part of the schizophrenic, parallel universes of Y2K, and why forums like this are such a comfort. Thanks everyone!

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), May 19, 1999.

Some of us started out telling neighbors and friends. The reactions were, almost without exception, "Are you crazy???" Or, for those who didn't know us quite so well, a strange look as if we were trying to sell cosmetics or plastic containers or household cleaners or something. Then we realized these people, again almost without exception, weren't going to get it at all until the last minute, when it would be too late. So we stopped talking about it except with those we knew we could trust. And we decided that those who thought we were crazy might well come over and ask for our take our stash. At that point it becomes your family or theirs (and there are a lot of "theirs" around here). So now, when people ask, as they wink at a DGI companion, we say, "Oh sure, we put away about a week's worth of stuff. It'll be handy to have after another Fran too." Sighs of relief. The oddball survivalist neighbors are sane after all. Hence, if Y2K DOES turn out to be that fabled bump in the road, we're still identified as those people with the nice flowers and cats. A little weird, but pretty much sane. This is a surprisingly small and narrow-minded town.

-- Crazy Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 19, 1999.

What would you suggest telling a next door neighbor who knows of all your preps, says they too are going to prepare, but haven't gotten around to it yet, and you secretly suspect they are counting on your heat, your water, your food, etc. as their back-up plan.

You don't want to alienate them, but want them to stop relying on y

-- housemouse (jgj@nevermind.net), May 19, 1999.

The preparation undercurrent is still there ... simmering below a silent surface.

I think things this summer will start to shift on the awareness scale.

Remember, this is a "just-in-time" society and by the end of summer, it will be JIT to be thinking about the rollover, for most.

Sure would like to see more of Koskinen's summer alert plans, that he's alluded to!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), May 19, 1999.

Thanks for the replies so far! I guess I'm more of an individualist than a collectivist.

As my father used to lecture to me: "Life is not a popularity contest. Think for yourself, and don't let others do your thinking for you...yet keep an open mind, respect the opinions of others."

-- Tim (pixmo@pixelquest.com), May 19, 1999.

Housemouse: I have a couple family members in the same area where I live, they are waaay too cool to store up food, water and necessities for themselves and thier families. I even talked to them and asked them what they would do if the power went out in the winter for about 10 days. They both said that they would just go to someone's house who had power. I guess that their idea of preparedness is knowing someone who is, and just inviting themselves to their preps. I have told both of them that I will be out of state at our other place, and that our preps will be THERE, so that they have to depend on themselves. Hopefully they will GET IT.

-- homebody (no_one@not.here), May 19, 1999.

Housemouse, I would have to start dropping very broad hints. Such as: "You know, my cousin was talking about Y2K/a hurricane/an earthquake the other day, and I asked him what preparations he had made and he said none, he was coming over to my house! And he was serious! Can you imagine? So I told him, well, that's fine, but you have to bring enough supplies for you and yours because I have only just enough for me and mine."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), May 19, 1999.

That's one reason they're called "sheeple". Flock (or herd) mentality. Looking for -- begging for -- a shepherd to show them the way. That's why most people believe in a god and are religious, and also worship secular gods such as (recently -- Hitler, Stalin, Bush, Klinton...)

-- A (A@AisA.com), May 19, 1999.

Housemouse,

I have neighbors exactly like yours. They would come peek into my garage while the door was open, to inspect my preparations. So here's what I did: I had a heavy duty storage shed (really a very small barn) built on another property I own, insulated it, and moved all the stuff to it when I knew the neighbors weren't home. The next time the garage door was open, the neighbors came by again. "What did you do with all your supplies?" they asked, perplexed. I told them that I sure do feel foolish admitting this but, gosh darn, I decided I had overreacted to that whole y2k problem, and I up and sold that stuff to some other y2k survivalist sucker! Yep. I sure was off my rocker a while there, wasn't I? Thinking that y2k would be a big problem! What was I thinking? Hah, I sure was foolish! Etc. Then I quoted the stupid bump-in-the-road arguments about how great the remediation is coming along, and the government is 92 percent ready, etc. I invited my neighbors to come in and take a look at my small pantry of "emergency" supplies -- about 50 cans of food and some candles and matches. I told them I'd share it with them if they ever needed. Well, they decided I finally came to my senses! What a swell and reasonable neighbor I was after all!

Moral of the story: If my stupid, lazy ass, looting, mooching neighbors won't take steps to save their butts, I sure won't. Their NEED does not impose an OBLIGATION on me! I remember reading Macchiavelli's "The Prince" in college, and I learned a thing or two from that book. I'll make my neighbors think what I want them to think, and then I'll secretly do as I please.

-- RMH (aint@tellin.now), May 19, 1999.