Panic buying

[JohnfromUK]

I know this is a serious thread, but this did make me chuckle;

[old man]

4 hours ago, WestonSalop said:

I am fed up of hearing of a so-called distribution problem. There's nothing in the shops. And if it is being grabbed by dole-wallahs and/or social reprobates then bring half a dozen squaddies into each store, inside and out and enforce society's will. Forcibly. 

But such sensible logic doesn't work on a sizeable proportion of our population. We need to begin a harsh regime and make examples of these scabs.

This maybe why China recovers quicker than europe, the ability to closely control the population without question?

The social reprobates are no doubt setting up distribution lines for loo roll in each city? 😊

 

[old man]

Expanding the thread, personally not sure that visiting the shops in the "golden oldies" hour a good idea, a condensing of the most vulnerable and at risk all in one place at once?

[JohnfromUK]

4 minutes ago, old man said:

Expanding the thread, personally not sure that visiting the shops in the "golden oldies" hour a good idea, a condensing of the most vulnerable and at risk all in one place at once?

That can work both ways I think;

The "most vulnerable and at risk" are probably those most likely to be diligent about their 'self isolation' and general care - and also probably less likely to have the illness without symptoms.

The 'high risk' (from whom to catch the virus) ones (in my humble view) are the utter idiots who are still apparently crowding the bars and clubs of London etc.  Should drench the crowd of them in disinfectant as they leave!

The story locally was that Aldi offered a special early time - but it was busier then and very crowded with long queues.  I don't think Morrisons do one.

[Retsdon]

A critical care nurse can't find food in the shops.  https://youtu.be/jmSPOSGpAYs?t=1 

 

[oldypigeonpopper]

22 hours ago, fern01 said:

Just a paper and a pack of three shooting mags.

Left the shopping to the wife, it was a dangerous place for me, far too crowded.

I just hope and pray nobody in there had the virus

She did ok but no rice, bog roll etc

Worst of all, no Yorkshire tea

hello, have you managed to get some yorkshire tea ?

[Raja Clavata]

6 hours ago, AVB said:

Get your lads to use socks rather than toilet roll. We all know what they are using it for and it isn’t for no.2’s! 

Maybe some truth in that but I have one son and one daughter so the six in total is when their gf and bf stay respectively, I'd rather not think too much about any of that (as long as they are not adding to the world population for now I'm good!). All that said, if you saw how much my lad eats, it would amply explain the amount of toilet paper he goes through 🙂 

[Mice!]

8 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

At a time like this the police have better things to do.  Putting a limit on purchase quantity is more practical ....... as we are assured that there is no 'shortage of goods' - only a distribution problem due to people being greedy.

You would think the police had better things to do but I'm sure I got done by a speed van on the way home today, country is falling apart but still time for speeding fines, doing 60 odd on a 60 dual carriageway 🤬

[JohnfromUK]

Just now, Mice! said:

You would think the police had better things to do but I'm sure I got done by a speed van on the way home today, country is falling apart but still time for speeding fines, doing 60 odd on a 60 dual carriageway 🤬

100% agree.  Police spending time on people 'just' over is one of my 'pet hates', but in our area (I'm pretty sure) it's done by 'non police personnel' - and I'm not quite sure what that means other than they work for the Police. but are not Police - so cannot be used as Policemen (or women).

[Jim Neal]

8 hours ago, JohnfromUK said:

The "most vulnerable and at risk" are probably those most likely to be diligent about their 'self isolation' and general care - and also probably less likely to have the illness without symptoms.

You'd like to think so but there really are still a lot of septuagenarians who are displaying the same gung-ho attitude as the 20-somethings.  Everyone thinks they're invincible.  I've been in more shops and supermarkets in the last 3 days than I've visited in the last 3 years, there are scores of older folks still mingling about in close quarters with everyone.  I know there are some who HAVE to because they've got nobody, but most are quite frankly in denial.

What really grinds my gears is that people just haven't bothered to educate themselves on how a virus spreads, it's not about the risk to them but the risk to the dozens or hundreds of other people they may pass it on to.

8 hours ago, old man said:

personally not sure that visiting the shops in the "golden oldies" hour a good idea, a condensing of the most vulnerable and at risk all in one place at once?

This is going to be the downfall of the older generation and I'm absolutely gobsmacked that the government haven't stepped in and told the supermarkets that this is a *****g ludicrous idea!  The supermarkets are basically tempting the over-70s back out of their homes and into a LOT of danger, which is completely in contravention of the sound advice to stay distanced/isolated AT ALL TIMES.

People just can't get their heads around the fact that if you stay isolated for 6 days and then go to Tesco you may as well just have spent the last week licking the door handles in a doctor's surgery.

Human idiocy is the catalyst to this virus.

Some may have read my post in another thread about giving my Mum a bit of a ticking off the other night because she was still mingling with the great unwashed.  To briefly summarise, Mum's not especially vulnerable but Dad's got every condition going to make him vulnerable.  He's like a stick of dynamite stored next to an open fire, he'll snuff it if he gets this virus, probably before the ambulance even gets there.  After feeling like I'd talked some sense into Mum and asking her for a list of things she needs so she doesn't put them both at risk, what did she go and do today?  WENT OUT IN TOWN TO THE CHEMIST!  THEN TO THE SUPERMARKET! THEN FOR A WALK AND A COFFEE IN THE CAFE AFTERWARDS!

"...I don't want to be a burden to you..."

wall.....head......bang

Edited March 20, 2020 by Jim Neal

[Retsdon]

@Jim Neal: You can blame the people, but 99.9% of what you're describing is a failure of government. The overwhelming majority have no idea why they are being confined to their houses. They think it's to 'keep them safe' or some other reassurance measure. And quite frankly I'm not even sure that some of the people giving the instructions are much better. Why only older people? Who in government has given a clear description of a coherent battle plan and the role they want the public to play in it? Who has explained, clearly and logically, the principle of breaking the chain of infection and the part that everyone needs to play in the battle for it to be won? Even on these boards, there are responsible, decent people who, instead of knowing that to stay inside and isolated is be  doing one's duty as a soldier in the war against the virus, instead believe that staying inside and isolated is a form of cowardice....that it's letting the virus push them around. And that's not their fault. How can they know what they  haven't been told?

 

Edited March 21, 2020 by Retsdon

[old man]

4 hours ago, Retsdon said:

@Jim Neal: You can blame the people, but 99.9% of what you're describing is a failure of government. The overwhelming majority have no idea why they are being confined to their houses. They think it's to 'keep them safe' or some other reassurance measure. And quite frankly I'm not even sure that some of the people giving the instructions are much better. Why only older people? Who in government has given a clear description of a coherent battle plan and the role they want the public to play in it? Who has explained, clearly and logically, the principle of breaking the chain of infection and the part that everyone needs to play in the battle for it to be won? Even on these boards, there are responsible, decent people who, instead of knowing that to stay inside and isolated is be  doing one's duty as a soldier in the war against the virus, instead believe that staying inside and isolated is a form of cowardice....that it's letting the virus push them around. And that's not their fault. How can they know what they  haven't been told?

 

Have to agree with that, it's time to scare some a bit instead of the mollycoddled twaddle given out maybe?

[12gauge82]

5 hours ago, Retsdon said:

@Jim Neal: You can blame the people, but 99.9% of what you're describing is a failure of government. The overwhelming majority have no idea why they are being confined to their houses. They think it's to 'keep them safe' or some other reassurance measure. And quite frankly I'm not even sure that some of the people giving the instructions are much better. Why only older people? Who in government has given a clear description of a coherent battle plan and the role they want the public to play in it? Who has explained, clearly and logically, the principle of breaking the chain of infection and the part that everyone needs to play in the battle for it to be won? Even on these boards, there are responsible, decent people who, instead of knowing that to stay inside and isolated is be  doing one's duty as a soldier in the war against the virus, instead believe that staying inside and isolated is a form of cowardice....that it's letting the virus push them around. And that's not their fault. How can they know what they  haven't been told?

 

Good point. I think anyone underestimating this needs to take a look at the views expressed by the Italian doctors in Italy, they have no political agenda, you can hear and see the fear in their voice and face.

This is not the flu.

[vmaxphil]

Talking to a mate yesterday he reckons ao has had a run on freezers, surely the panic buying has to come to an end when everyone has run out of room to store it all or money to buy it 

[JohnfromUK]

30 minutes ago, vmaxphil said:

ao has had a run on freezers

I also heard that - and if you look on line almost nothing is in stock at Curry's.  On the other side, I spoke to a friend on the phone earlier today who is older, doesn't drive etc. to make sure he was OK.  He had walked to his local Aldi yesterday (Friday) , and he said there was 'adequate' stock of most things and they were limiting to no more than 4(? - I think he said 4) of any individual item.  He got everything he needed OK and said it wasn't any busier than usual.

[Scully]

My OH called in at our local garage ( four miles away ) yesterday and asked for her usual ‘20 pounds’ worth. The lady serving her said how nice it was to have ‘ a normal person in ‘. 
Apparently people who would normally just get a tenners worth of fuel or whatever are now asking her to ‘fill it up’, and more than several have started bringing in Jerry cans to fill also. I witnessed this myself the other day by a woman who had two jerrycans with her, but just assumed it was what she normally asked for.

Telling customers there is no fuel shortage just falls on deaf ears! Siege mentality! 

[JohnfromUK]

4 minutes ago, Scully said:

Telling customers there is no fuel shortage

I should have thought with most people 'grounded', and working from home - fuel usage would be a fraction of usual.  I know my usual (very low being maybe 50 - 100 miles a week average) weekly mileage has been cut to roughly one supermarket run (say 10 miles total) every week to 10 days, so I will be using about 1/4 gallon a week.  I will use nearly that in petrol for the mower the way it is growing!

[Mice!]

58 minutes ago, vmaxphil said:

Talking to a mate yesterday he reckons ao has had a run on freezers, surely the panic buying has to come to an end when everyone has run out of room to store it all or money to buy it 

Lad at rugby is in sales, he said they had doubled their targets selling freezers, bread makers that sort of thing, now out of stock.

[browning123]

My wife and I are both in our mid 70's and are self-isolating, we have been trying to use Tesco and Asda home deliveries but most items are out of stock, also when you try to book a delivery slot they are all booked up or not available until the end of April.

I don't want to go out as I have underlying medical conditions, but I think I will have too as we need get urgent supplies.

Edited March 21, 2020 by browning123

[Scully]

19 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

I should have thought with most people 'grounded', and working from home - fuel usage would be a fraction of usual.  I know my usual (very low being maybe 50 - 100 miles a week average) weekly mileage has been cut to roughly one supermarket run (say 10 miles total) every week to 10 days, so I will be using about 1/4 gallon a week.  I will use nearly that in petrol for the mower the way it is growing!

Not the case around here, or in other rural areas I would think. Many are still driving to work. 

[Lord v]

7 hours ago, Retsdon said:

@Jim Neal: You can blame the people, but 99.9% of what you're describing is a failure of government. The overwhelming majority have no idea why they are being confined to their houses. They think it's to 'keep them safe' or some other reassurance measure. And quite frankly I'm not even sure that some of the people giving the instructions are much better. Why only older people? Who in government has given a clear description of a coherent battle plan and the role they want the public to play in it? Who has explained, clearly and logically, the principle of breaking the chain of infection and the part that everyone needs to play in the battle for it to be won? Even on these boards, there are responsible, decent people who, instead of knowing that to stay inside and isolated is be  doing one's duty as a soldier in the war against the virus, instead believe that staying inside and isolated is a form of cowardice....that it's letting the virus push them around. And that's not their fault. How can they know what they  haven't been told?

 

100% disagree. All those points have been explained very clearly. 

none so blind as those who don't want to see.

 "It will never happen to me"

"We are an isolated community - it wont happen here"

"I will just keep going out until I don't feel well enough"

All direct quotes over the last week from inside a supermarket.

[johnphilip]

19 hours ago, Retsdon said:

A critical care nurse can't find food in the shops.  https://youtu.be/jmSPOSGpAYs?t=1 

 

I posted that to all my facebook groups and friends  , I dont mind admitting it brought a tear to my eye , god bless her and all out there in the NHS , as those trying to keep the country going,  they are putting there lives at risk . 

[Blackpowder]

Just thank our lucky stars it is not that Jerry  bloke  and his Abbot  sidekick who are doing the organizing , then we would have been in deep.

 

Blackpowder

[lancer425]

2 minutes ago, Blackpowder said:

Just thank our lucky stars it is not that Jerry  bloke  and his Abbot  sidekick who are doing the organizing , then we would have been in deep.

 

Blackpowder

Phew! I would say we would. Can not imagine it.

[southeastpete]

Supermarkets should only be doing home delivery to the vulnerable, or old or ill.

I can’t believe the panic buying is still going. We’re lucky we already had a chest freezer nearly full of home raised meat and we also have chickens.

we were down to our last loo roll before I managed to find a budget brand. Luckily yday I found a slightly more comfortable brand so the budget stuff is now for emergencies lol.

the one for me though was calpol. If I get it and have to I will struggle through without paracetamol. But I really didn’t want to have to watch my 6yr old daughter suffer and able to do nothing. Found a small shop with two boxes of calpol sachets. Didn’t even ask if there was a limit, I just bought one and left the other for the next desperate parent. It’ll only last her 3 days though. But I also managed to find a pack of paracetamol so if needs be can crush that into honey or something.

supermarkets are hurriedly trying to hire extra shelf stackers. Why aren’t they hurriedly hiring extra security to kick the sh er I mean control these panic buyers.