New York: Y2K Yawn & Order

In New York, Y2K Yawn and Order City Confident, But Preparing For the Worst

By Lynne Duke Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, December 25, 1999; Page A03

NEW YORKThe Millennium's coming! Run for the hills!

That would be the New York parody of the American hinterlands preparing for the new year, a jab at those places where people fear the potential for Y2K mayhem or religious doom. But not here, not New York. New Yorkers are too cool, too worldly wise--so says Brian Cohen, head of New York's Y2K project, with a common East Coast bias.

"I don't want to say New Yorkers are more educated, but New Yorkers don't react that way," he says. "New York City people are more the people, like, 'Okay. We got a problem? We'll deal with it.' They're not as reactionary as some people out West may be."

Really? Then just who's buying up all the gas masks down at the Trader survival store on Canal Street? Morris Kumar, a store manager, said some customers are talking about Y2K fears. And what about those MREs--meals ready to eat--that are selling briskly at Kaufman's Army & Navy on 42nd Street? And there's that very large Wall Street investment firm that took delivery a few days ago of 110 survival kits with emergency blankets, flashlights, water and pocket knives. Stocking stuffers? The person who placed the order won't say and didn't appreciate being asked.

more......

-- Sheri (wncy2k@nccn.net), December 25, 1999

Answers

Goodbye New York!!

-- Porky (Porky@in.cellblockD), December 25, 1999.

My friend Marie's husband is on the NYPD and he informed his wife that the city has purchased an extra 2,000 body bags, just in case. This isn't second hand information. It's first hand.

According to Marie, her husband and other members of the NYPD are scared Shi%@*less that there are going to be problems of MAJOR proportions. This FWIW information was phoned to me this morning, Christmas Day.

-- Richard (Astral-Acres@webtv.net), December 25, 1999.

Remembering my first thoughts when I realized what Y2K means to NYC:

"Bridges. Blow the bridges. Every bridge between NYC and here."

Still wondering how to do it.

-- upstater (tooclose@150mifromnyc.com), December 25, 1999.

Why wonder, when you can be right there via this NYC police scanner as the Big Ball drops in Times Square...:)

Live NYC Police Scanner Broadcast

-- John Whitley (jwhitley@inforamp.net), December 26, 1999.

With my audio cranked all the way up, it's still weak, full of static, and unintelligble. Is this a quirk? Is it usually a better signal than I'm getting now?

-- Ron Schwarz (rs@clubvb.com.delete.this), December 26, 1999.