Just made my weekly grocery/Costco run. I get most of my food there, and hit the grocery store on the way back for a few small items.

Pull up to the Costco, which is usually dead on Monday evenings 45 minutes to close. Parking lot is completely full. I get inside and ask WTF is going on. Greeter says “Corona virus” this and that. Fucking 100% out of eggs, water, rice. No toilet paper, no paper towels, place is cleaned out. I ask another worker that I know wtf, he says “You know how much water we carry. We got a few pallets of water today and it was sold out in 2 hours. No hand sanitizer either” Oh my fucking goodness. Place was busy like December 23rd. Just fucking nuts.

Got my normal stuff and gamed it. I didn’t go to the grocery store, I had to go to Target. I knew that place wouldn’t be cleaned out. I was able to get eggs, TP, protein oatmeal, etc. Fuck me. You tell me, what good does stocking up on eggs and fridge goods do you in a catastrophe? Nothing. Buy canned goods you idiots.

Good luck out there. This panic is just getting started. Only time I’ve seen shit like this, ever, here, is when we get ice. We’ll get iced roads for 3 days people act like it’s a blizzard for a month.

Fucking media hyping shit up again.

I absolutely hate the media with a passion.

Well the good news was 87 octane was $1.89 a gallon and I was damn near empty. When I was in the Costco, I thought for sure there would be gas lines...people flipping the fuck out, but it was empty. Even before iced roads, I’ve never seen the water isle completely empty. That’s a first. And I have been shopping at this same store since 2005.

Good to know, thanks for posting this. I had not seen it yet.

The one on 75? The news must have had something specific on stocking up and the lemmings came out in force. We were at the one on the tollway in Plano on Saturday and it was the normal crazy for a Saturday. So they must have just had a fresh round with the sh*t stirring stick on the 'news'. I'm betting it was national news.

I learned a long time ago a lot of people are cattle. I guarantee you that even if coronavirus wiped out half the country, the water is going to stay on.

You heard it here first.

I watch the news and weather on ABC...each morning I see "Millions are threatened by heavy rain/snow/Ice/fog/etc....".

Sometimes I think that we are becoming a nation gripped in fear..

quote:

Originally posted by PowerSurge:
the water is going to stay on.

Screw the water, what about the whiskey. And while you may be right, I don't have a whiskey tap. Short sighted on my part.

Where the hell is Balze? Does he still drink bottled whiskey and bottled (banish the thought) water.

Prefontaine, where are you located?

I'm curious too. Why do you need massive quantities of bottled water during an epidemic? Does the tap suddenly dry up? I did score a couple pf half gallons of bourbon in town, but that's because my small town has a 7 percent sin tax. The city doesn't.

My Son was in SE FL last Fall as hurricane Dorian was threatening. He said the circus at Home Depot and Walmart was the main show, frenzied shoppers.

Their winds didn’t break 35 mph as the storm turned north.

quote:

Originally posted by Fredward:
Why do you need massive quantities of bottled water during an epidemic?

Because... panic!

Our daughter lives in Kalispell Montana and our son lives in Salt Lake City Utah. Both reported the exact same thing yesterday.

Didn't Johnny Carson create a toilet paper shortage in about 1973?

A friend of mine texted me on Sunday that the woman in front of him was buying $600 worth of groceries at Wegmans.

He also noted the drug/medication aisle at Wegmans and Costco had huge holes in them, people were buying up lots of meds.

Friggen' SHEEP.

There is a lot we do not know about this virus. I am always well stocked but bought addition stuff just in case.
What if he virus gets in the water? I sold my carboys last year so I will replace them since I have a good water filter.
What happens if the Water Works people get sick and don't come to work??
This virus is bad for old people and they may be trying to get rid of us to save Medicare? So we need to put up a good fight and get more vitamin C.

I am going into isolation for the next two months or so and no contact with people. Still haven't figured out how to sanitize my mail....ultraviolet light??

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
What happens if the Water Works people get sick and don't come to work??

Yes, and the possible disruption of supplies of the chemicals needed to treat the water to make it potable. It seems that some people have little understanding of how utilities work; the water doesn’t just materialize out of the air in our supply pipes.

I doubt that the disease will shut things down because of the actual number of people who get sick, but it could keep people from going to work, and that includes the workers who supply us with all the things we use on a daily basis.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund: It seems that some people have little understanding of how utilities work.

And there are those of us that actually do.

quote:

Originally posted by sigfreund:

quote:

Originally posted by 41:
What happens if the Water Works people get sick and don't come to work??

Yes, and the possible disruption of supplies of the chemicals needed to treat the water to make it potable. It seems that some people have little understanding of how utilities work; the water doesn’t just materialize out of the air in our supply pipes.

I doubt that the disease will shut things down because of the actual number of people who get sick, but it could keep people from going to work, and that includes the workers who supply us with all the things we use on a daily basis.

I agree with you but a panic does nothing but harm. You have people buying up all the necessary things to store for months on end and others get left holding their genitals. That is not good. People need to remain calm, or sane, and unfortunately that's not happening because of the liberal media. The bigger issue is our citizens are hooked on supreme convenience and any disruption to that extreme convenience and their arms are up in the air and they are screaming about it.

I remember right after Katrina, it was labor day. President Bush did a national news conference and told everyone to remain calm, and for people to stay home, avoid the trips to the lake, and be frugal on gasoline since our rigs in the Gulf were fucked, many of them. It was a very sane response from a sane POTUS. What do I see? People towing their boats, same traffic on the roads as usual. I went out to get my groceries, all local driving within 5 square miles and I saw the traffic congestion, people going to the lake, etc. People are just narcissistic ass holes.

quote:

Originally posted by sourdough44:
My Son was in SE FL last Fall as hurricane Dorian was threatening. He said the circus at Home Depot and Walmart was the main show, frenzied shoppers.

Their winds didn’t break 35 mph as the storm turned north.

I live in SE Florida, Pompano Beach to be exact and have for 43 years. If you've ever lived in the aftermath of hurricane, you will understand entirely. A hurricane is unpredictable and changes it's course at a whim. I keep my house entirely stocked during hurricane season including 30 gallons of gasoline, 3 propane grill tanks, 10 cases of water,freezer etc. so I don't have to panic shop because when a hurricane is coming, I'm busy working 14 hours a day securing yachts I manage or moving them when a hurricane is coming. In reality it only takes $200-300 to be ready with stuff you consume anyways.

However, after Wilma category 3 or 4 in 2005, the roads had so much debris and power lines we couldn't drive 1/4 mile for about 5 days, no gas stations or grocery stores were open until about 7 days, still can't drive from one side of fort Lauderdale to another. We had no power for 21 days.

After Ivan in 2017, where we only saw 70 mph winds but for over 2 days. Same thing, trees and powerlines all over the ground and can't drive 1 mile for 5 days, I didn't have power for 14 days, 98% gas stations ran out of gas before the storm came or were closed for a week because they had no power or gas wasn't being delivered until the roads were cleared. I had no power for 14 days and used a customers boat to get around to check the yachts I manage and maintain and run their generators to keep the batteries from going dead (and bilge pumps etc.).

City water was never effected or natural gas, BUT, had a boil water notice......kind of hard to boil water when 95% of the people here have electric stoves and no electricity and aren't prepared.

This is one reason I like Costco's 2-day delivery on groceries and paper products.

I spend $75.00 and pay no shipping or sales tax.

Items come from a central distributor and not always from the closest Costco.

Yes they do occasionally run out of items, but more often than not I can get all the staples. Canned tuna, peanut butter, toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc...

And I don't have to wait in line, deal with people, or drive two hours (round trip) to do my shopping.

Sams Club report in Chesterfield, MO.

We were literally out of TP and Paper Towels. I went to Sams Club at lunch and they only had 5 boxes of TP and a few bundles of paper towels left.

The manager told me they were completely out of hand sanitizer.

RIDICULOUS!