SIGforum
Shortages

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April 08, 2020, 03:13 PM
NK402
Shortages
There is a running joke in my area, that when there are rumors of snow, people descend on the grocery stores and clean them out of milk and bread. I'm in the grocery store today and there is plenty of milk and bread but after a month of this Covid-19 crap, the shelves are still bare of toilet paper, tissues, paper towels and disinfectant wipes. Is this like an oil embargo? Are the Saudis making toilet paper and manipulating the supplies? Lot's of people on TV showing me how to make my own mask. Nobody so far showing me how to make my own toilet paper. We no longer can depend on the Sears-Roebuck catalog. I do have a rather extensive library but some of those books are first edition, so hate to have to go there. The irony is that the grocery store I visited today is half a mile from a paper plant. If Ford can gear up to make ventilators instead of F-150's, why can't the paper plant make toilet paper instead of cardboard? Wait a minute, cardboard? Hadn't thought of that. What did I do with all those Amazon boxes?
April 08, 2020, 03:34 PM
RHINOWSO
This post has a shortage of RETURN key usage.... Wink
April 08, 2020, 03:43 PM
.38supersig
Well, Johnny Carson isn't available for comment, but some of us have seen this show before.




April 08, 2020, 04:45 PM
95flhr
There are leaves coming out on the trees these days, always that option Eek




“Government exists to protect us from each other. Where government has gone beyond its limits is in deciding to protect us from ourselves.”
― Ronald Reagan

Retired old fart
April 08, 2020, 04:56 PM
Fredward
I wanted to go to the grocery store, but there were 72 people lined up 6 feet apart, and the staff were letting 1 in for every 1 out. I family member per group. Minimum 6 feet apart. 1 person per 1000 square feet. Turns out my tiny dick mayor of this one horse piss ant town issued an "order." Subjects who violate are subject to arrest.

It was a fucking bread line.
April 08, 2020, 09:27 PM
Skins2881
Try a googling "restaurant supply stores near me," find one as close as possible, call them, ask if they have TP. If they say no, try next closest, if no, rinse and repeat.



Jesse

Sic Semper Tyrannis
April 08, 2020, 10:37 PM
rburg
Just find the nearest Interstate rest stop and steal all their TP. The gov can afford it, he talks shit every afternoon on TV.


Unhappy ammo seeker
April 08, 2020, 11:01 PM
ZSMICHAEL
Tried that. None left.
April 09, 2020, 03:18 AM
Prefontaine
I’m wondering if there are people out there with a whole spare bedroom or garage full of TP. My local grocery store and the Costco, no TP, PT, sanitizer, to Clorox disinfecting wipes in just about a month. They started hoarding before this even became a big deal.

I managed to get lucky at the grocery store at night when the stockers showed up. Angel Soft (I hate it but take what you can get right?), Bounty (Had to buy a big f’in pack, all that was available) but no sanitizer so I had to order it from some ritzy cosmetic company my Aunt found, and had to over pay for it because it’s the fancy shit, Peppermint smelled alcohol is all it is. Those Clorox wipes, are no where to be found anywhere. So I’m using scrubbing bubbles and PT to clean the counters and steaming my floors.



What am I doing? I'm talking to an empty telephone
April 09, 2020, 09:05 AM
kz1000
Wash your ass.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Yidn, shreibt un fershreibt"

"The Nazis entered this war under the rather childish delusion that they were going to bomb everyone else, and nobody was going to bomb them. At Rotterdam, London, Warsaw and half a hundred other places, they put their rather naive theory into operation. They sowed the wind, and now they are going to reap the whirlwind."
-Bomber Harris
April 09, 2020, 09:24 AM
PowerSurge
^^^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0uIOjyDGTM


———————————————
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Psalm 14:1
April 09, 2020, 09:31 AM
mcrimm
We stayed in 2 hotels last week. Both had double TP holders but only one roll of toilet paper. Hmmmm.



I'm sorry if I hurt you feelings when I called you stupid - I thought you already knew - Unknown
...................................
When you have no future, you live in the past. " Sycamore Row" by John Grisham
April 09, 2020, 09:36 AM
tatortodd
I'm still using my same personal trainer (via FaceTime now) that I used prior to this nonsense. However, I'm in the minority as most of his clients have not opted for virtual personal training. To make money, he recently started working at a grocery chain restocking overnight (10 PM to 6 AM). He said every night they receive a truckload of TP and fill the aisle to the brim and when he returns the next day the aisle is bare. He doesn't know how much they used to receive before this nonsense started and neither do his coworkers since they're all recent hires too.

IMO, two things are driving this:
  • people are still hoarding and have found ways around the limits (e.g. family members shopping solo, shopping multiple stores, going to the store every day, etc.
  • a lot of people used to shit at work on the company's dime (both time and tp). Commercial supply of tp to businesses is a whole different delivery chain than supply of tp to households.



  • Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

    DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.
    April 09, 2020, 09:55 AM
    just1tym
    NK, in my neck of the woods here along the southeast coast of Florida we're so used to the mad dashes that clean out all supplies for upcoming dangerous hurricane threats, it's difficult but with most manageable to a degree if you've experienced it and anticipate things coming. Luckily, we still have a lot of hurricane prep stuff at home.

    You do have to get creative as many here have advised. Since we all have a mandatory stay at home with the obvious emergencies, I've just ran short of chlorine tabs for the pool and called my local store here that is within a couple of miles and asked if there was anybody that could possibly deliver, maybe on one of their pool routes or just a quick delivery and leave it on my front deck and ring the doorbell. As it turns out and not surprising, the young gentleman that I spoke with on the phone lives close in my neighborhood and is finding out if he can just drop it off for me as he's going to or from work. So I'm keeping my fingers crossed but, it's just managing a work around and getting creative for me during these difficult days.

    ***EDITED FOLLOW-UP***
    I spoke with the pool supply store owner and she was so kind and understanding about this current dilemma. She said it would be no trouble having somebody just drop off a bucket of the chlorine tabs on my front deck, ring the doorbell and leave for safety prevention. I did however mention that I would put an envelope on my front door mailbox with a tip just for the "out of the way" help. So that was my much needed successful work around for today!

    This message has been edited. Last edited by: just1tym,


    Regards, Will G.
    April 09, 2020, 11:09 AM
    V-Tail
    quote:
    Originally posted by Prefontaine:

    I’m wondering if there are people out there with a whole spare bedroom or garage full of TP.
    They're buying it, and then reselling for huge mark-ups.

    Example: This Kirkland Signature sells for 67 cents / roll at Costco.





    Here's a dude (dudette?) selling it for $4.17 / roll on ebay.

    That's a $3.50 markup on a $0.67 cent item, 522% markup. That's if you pick it up. He (she?) will ship it to you for an additional $14.40.

    People who do this should have their toilet paper confiscated and they should be tied to a post in the public square, with tickets sold for $1.00 each, which will buy you a roll and a chance to throw a bucket of poop at him (her?).



    הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
    April 09, 2020, 12:02 PM
    just1tym
    ^^^^^^^^^^
    Just wait until those guys with the masks and guns start holding up tractor trailer loads of TP and selling it on the black market Big Grin


    Regards, Will G.
    April 09, 2020, 12:25 PM
    ensigmatic
    quote:
    Originally posted by V-Tail:
    Here's a dude (dudette?) selling it for $4.17 / roll on ebay.

    That's a $3.50 markup on a $0.67 cent item, 522% markup.

    When you see that shit, report it to eBay. They'll pull the ad. If the seller pulls that stunt once-too-often, they'll suspend or whack their account.

    ETA: And maybe somebody did just that, because the link to that advert leads to a "we can't find that" page now.



    "America is at that awkward stage. It's too late to work within the system,,,, but too early to shoot the bastards." -- Claire Wolfe
    "If we let things terrify us, life will not be worth living." -- Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher
    April 09, 2020, 12:35 PM
    V-Tail
    quote:
    Originally posted by just1tym:

    Just wait until those guys with the masks and guns start holding up tractor trailer loads of TP and selling it on the black market Big Grin
    I had a mask and a gun today. Smile

    Wearing a mask because virus, and P938 on my belt, as usual.

    I did not hold up a tractor trailer, though.



    הרחפת שלי מלאה בצלופחים
    April 09, 2020, 01:33 PM
    Kevmo
    I saw that Amazon sells the keys for many of the industrial toilet paper holders and, according to one of my clients, people are coming in and stealing TP/hand soap and towels from the restroom while waiting for take out orders.
    April 09, 2020, 06:08 PM
    odin
    Here in NH, we're starting to see items that were non-existent for a few weeks! TP and paper towels are some of them. Canned goods, frozen foods are coming back too!