What to expect when the herd moves...

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

I feel this is important to share for everyone. I am using the current situation in Hawaii as an example.

On Friday 10/15 at 6:00 pm, it was announced that the dock workers will void their contract on Monday 6:00 and possibly go on strike. The local news reported this as their lead story, but did not go and say what the impacts of this strike will be.

By Sunday 10/17 afternoon, Costco Hawaii-Kai was out of toilet paper, Costco Salt Lake was just about run out, Sam's Club was out of milk and thin on toilet paper. Without saying the word "run", the local news reported that "there was a run" toilet paper and rice.

The amazing thing is that all this was accomplished by an increase of around 25% additional shoppers over this time frame. And not everyone who were there had put the possible strike and what that means for future goods and foods together. There were people actually amazed at how many other carts had toilet paper. Some thought that it must be at a good price...

Granted that the shoppers who did pick up toilet paper numbered around 50-75%, but on an average, the carts that I saw picked up 2, 3, even 4 24/packs... I stood by the rice display and counted 20 50-pound bags being picked up in a five minute span... paper towels...

When the time comes when Y2K gets reported in a negative light and the "herd" starts to move, just 25% additional shoppers will WIPE OUT the just-in-time inventory... and this will happen before most people figure it out!

-- Forum Regular (Here@y2k.comx), October 18, 1999

Answers

Oh thanks alot, now I won't be able to get back to sleep,... have to wait up until Costco opens.

Might as well inventory the t.p. while waiting....

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), October 18, 1999.


Or you can use copies of the Senate Y2k report as toilet paper....

-- You Know... (notme@nothere.junk), October 18, 1999.

Thanks for that Forum Regular. I have family in Hawaii I've been trying to motivate and perhaps this situation will help.

I don't think it would take much of a percentage of people acting to create a run on anything, including banks.

Would the local authorities allow a situation to occur where residents are left without vital necessities because dock workers go on strike? Surely, "they" would not let this happen, would "they"?

Mike

==================================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), October 18, 1999.


Gonna run to Costco this afternoon :-) Who said anybody with less than 1000 rolls was a wimp? We don't have 1000 rolls yet ... hey, the stuff is expensive when ya pile it up

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 18, 1999.

Yup, it's going to happen quick when it happens. We could have had a long wave of preps, but just couldn't seem to reach enough people. It'll be like a rubber band snapping, they'll all GI at once, and it's going to be messy.

If you're just now prepping, do it real quick, there's still time to order more and ship it in. Once the panic starts, all you'll be able to buy is your share, whatever that is determined to be.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), October 18, 1999.



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