Panic buying in shops due to weather

Originally Posted by injuneer

It just goes to show how quickly civilisation would collapse if there was a real emergency.
Most of Northern Europe is suffering under cold temperatures & heavy snow at the moment, even Germany but the media conveniently ignore this. Our news coverage is becoming like the USA, very insular.

Have to agree with the sentiments.
In defence of USA, Boston in particular, they know how to deal with far worser conditions than we would ever get.
When the snow hits there they do not just grit the roads, which we cannot even manage, they have the snow ploughs out, and life carries on as normal.

[Arthurgray50@blu]

The strangest thing is, this country DOES ground to a halt when we get hit by bad weather, and it does happen each year. And yet we cannot deal with it, we have also the problem of grit.

It really amazes me, l read an article in the paper today about Sibera, where this sort of weather is there, but much harsher, and theyjust get on with it.

The trouble is, we don't prepare for it, we don't store the stuff we just sell it abroad, then when we need the stuff and goods, the PM will say, lets gets the military in, what when its to late.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

The strangest thing is.....

In all honesty though Arthur, this weather isn't normal for us - its much harsher. Siberia expects this type of weather so they are prepared for it.

The OH just came back from Stockholm the week before christmas where they have very limited daylight and he was under 10" of snow each day. The cars are equipped with chains on the wheels, public transport continues without any problems and snow ploughs aren't like the little sissy ones we have here - they actually get rid of the snow. Everyone just goes about their daily business as its completely normal to them. Here, we kinda get 4 seasons a year (well sometimes anyway) ,

Originally Posted by Arthurgray50@blu

The strangest thing is, this country DOES ground to a halt when we get hit by bad weather, and it does happen each year. And yet we cannot deal with it, we have also the problem of grit.

It really amazes me, l read an article in the paper today about Sibera, where this sort of weather is there, but much harsher, and theyjust get on with it.

The trouble is, we don't prepare for it, we don't store the stuff we just sell it abroad, then when we need the stuff and goods, the PM will say, lets gets the military in, what when its to late.

if we did get all the equipment to cope with siberian temperatures and conditions we would be prepared ,but we would only use them once in 20 yrs and then the public would be winging that we wasted all that money and we could have built 3 hospitals with the money blahblahblah
cany have it both ways arthur

[Stuart]

The thing is, the temperatures in the south east and London are low, but they aren't that much lower than is normal for january. It would also be relatively easy (though expensive) for the rail companies (at least) to keep the main train lines clear. BR managed it mostly.

I know it seems self centred to bring up the conditions down south when there are people a lot worse off in villages, but London is our capital. Millions of people were unable to get to work because the rail companies down here were apparently unable to cope with the cold. Why is that important? Well, it could have cost the economy a *lot* of money.

[injuneer]

I think the problem with the railways is down to modern train design, they have so many on-board processors & electronics that go wrong at the drop of a hat, they just aren't resilient enough in adverse conditions. The older trains were simpler engineered & they were heavier so could gain more traction on the rails. The old slam door trains in the South always seemed to get through.

[Osem]

Sorry I've got no time to post properly, I'm just rushing out to the shops to buy everything in sight.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Bread? Learn how to make it, it's not rocket science.

Buy a breadmaker for a two week winter stint of snow, yeh thats cost efficient isn't it I'd rather go without bread, which is what I've done.

[superbiatch]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Who said anything about a machine? I make it by hand, the proper way.

And who has the time for that?! Between working two jobs, I just about find time to sleep (sometimes!)

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by heero_yuy

Two or three days after they've panic bought a load of perishables, it'll all go rotten ('cos they're so stupid they don't know how to preserve food) and they'll have to go and buy it all again. Having no milk is surely not the end of civilisation as we know it FGS. Bread? Learn how to make it, it's not rocket science.

Try telling that to my 2 year old daughter! lol

I've just panic bought a packet of sausage rolls, 6 litres of milk, 2 six-packs of yoghurt, rice noodles and a packet of rolo's! :o)

It does make me laugh when i go to the local sainsburys and see all the muppets stocking up as though they won't be able to get out for the next six months. Seriously some people in the UK need to get a grip and realise that we are talking about a few days when things might not be delivered on time and even then there is usually plenty in stock. Media does play a big part how they love trying to terrify everyone and the only thing that is sadder then that is the growing number who seem happy to be paniced at the slightest thing.

While i don't think we should pay out for all the cold weather kit many other countrys have i am sure there is a middle ground to this as there usually is with all things and putting the old agreement back in place where local firms and farmers would be out clearing roads and suchlike in these conditions seems a simple one to me. Should we limit what people can buy no not really because then us reasonable people wouldn't have so much to laugh at when we go about our usual routines.

As far as the media go i really hope someone with a pair either above or below the waist gets a grip on the in this country soon because they have a lot to answer for in the way they hype up the silliest thing getting people worried about it.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Its even worse on Christmas eve, when even though most places are open on Boxing Day, people still go absolutely nuts in the shops!

[Charlie_Bubble]

Originally Posted by Saaf_laandon_mo

Its even worse on Christmas eve, when even though most places are open on Boxing Day, people still go absolutely nuts in the shops!

Yeah, makes you wonder how half of them survived in the days when all the shops shut at 5pm and nobody but your local corner shop was open on a Sunday.

Yeah xmas loonies are just as bad i literally pointed and laughed at one couple this saturday who had four trolleys loaded up two of them with just bread and milk. Apart from anything else it is selfishness of the worst kind as they have to know that 1 they won't be using all that stuff anytime soon and 2 that they are reducing the amount available for everyone.

I really do wonder about some people at times like this and how absolutely stupid they are and how they would manage in a real crisis and my bet is not very well at all.

[Saaf_laandon_mo]

Originally Posted by RizzyKing

Yeah xmas loonies are just as bad i literally pointed and laughed at one couple this saturday who had four trolleys loaded up two of them with just bread and milk. Apart from anything else it is selfishness of the worst kind as they have to know that 1 they won't be using all that stuff anytime soon and 2 that they are reducing the amount available for everyone.

I really do wonder about some people at times like this and how absolutely stupid they are and how they would manage in a real crisis and my bet is not very well at all.

That could also be a cafe/shop owner. I remeber when we used to have a corner shop, Sainsburys sometimes had 2 litre of coca cola cheaper than we could get it from coca cola itself. We used to go into Sainsburys and load up trollies of only coke and resell in the shop.