There's a local "Sports and Auto" store chain around here called "GI Joe's" - I went in yesterday and as you walk in there was a prominent display featuring watertight storage bins ("action packers") filled with camping gear and flanked by 20 and 30 gallon sealable barrels - there was a reasonably large sign with Y2K emblazoned across it and underneath some text about how many believe there could be serious breakdowns of infrastructure this winter, and GI Joe's had all the camping stuff you might need.

There were flashlights, hand-crank radios, wooly socks, a camp stove, some dried food, all that kind of stuff. There was also a stand selling a preparedness manual's special Y2K edition.

Just another public-awareness data point - or another merchant seeking to make the most of the opportunity?

JZ

-- Jeff Zurschmeide (zursch@cyberhighway.net), October 20, 1999

Answers

What state are you in...?

-- STFrancis (STFrancis@heaven.com), October 20, 1999.

This sounds like a good sign. Like the Kia (and some other?) commercials, it implies that general public awareness of y2k has reached the critical mass necessary to use it for marketing leverage. Good to see it being used to encourage preparation.

-- Flint (flintc@mindspring.com), October 20, 1999.

Hi Jeff. In the Portland/Vancouver metro region there are GI Joe's. They had a big Y2K sale. We found some good stuff at very reasonable prices! They've entered into a partnership with the Red Cross to encourage ppl to prepare. They sold out of some major staples, so somebody's catching on. One item they sold out of were recommended shotguns ...

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 20, 1999.

I'm just south of Portland, OR. This was at the Tualatin/Lake Grove GI Joe's.

The signs did mention the RC recommendations for preparing for 3 days without services. Living, as I do, on a hobby farm, this is not a problem for me.

Of course, northwesterners know that whenever a snowflake falls from the sky, the media/authorities release something like this:

"For GOD'S SAKE, Stay in your HOMES! Oh, the humanity! It's SNOWING! Call out the National Guard! Oh, who will save us?!?!" - Halfwitness News

Feh.

So, A&L, any Y2K gatherings or such going on in our area? And would I, as a confirmed Polly(tm), be welcome to come and offer (hopefully) intelligent skepticism?

JZ

-- Jeff Zurschmeide (zursch@cyberhighway.net), October 20, 1999.

West Central NC. On Friday, Oct 15th, a Food Lion store was distributing pamphlets printed by the Ever Ready battery company in asscoiation with the Red Cross. On the following Monday, I notices a display just inside the entrance of Sports Authority storethat listed the items needed to be prepared for Y2K. The list included food and water for a week for every person in a family, flashlights, batteries, candles, alternative heat source, warm clothes and more.

-- (southeastern@my-deja.com), October 20, 1999.

Jeff, please eMail us. We have some surprises for you :-)

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 20, 1999.

A&L -

Ooooh, a surprise for Mr. Z. Make sure you take lots of pictures to share with us!

-- Mac (sneak@lurk.hid), October 21, 1999.