is panic-buying selfish?

[cherryx30x]

so I'm sure this is going to be a very mixed opinion but hard hat at the ready. I'm not talking adding a few extra tins of soup to your trolley.

but to take packs and packs of nappies. and all the vitamins. all the medication like paracetomal and calpol?

someone on my facebook was unable to get calpol for her toddler who is actually ill because people had bought the lot in a blind panic. like she said her kid now has to suffer with a temperature because people have bought it over a virus they may not even get and that may only cause them a cough on the mildest end.

I think its extremely over the top to be wiping out the alcohol gel sanitizers (again I know someone with a premature baby who always has them on hand as she has to be a lot more careful who has been unable to find any anywhere), nappies, baby wipes, medications and vitamins

sorry but to me this is just selfish and takes away from people who actually need them. educate yourself and follow basic hygiene- dont wipe out the stores of stuff you probably wont even need and take away from those who currently actually need them

• [Please note, thread title edited by MNHQ - was originally 'Is prepping selfish?']

That's not prepping. That's panic buying.
All us preppers were sorted out months ago pre-Brexit.

Yes panic buying is. Toilet paper for instance. If you get trapped indoors and run out, put your thinking cap on. What could you use? I know, an old rag. Then wash it.

That is panic buying, not prepping.

Yup, this is panic buying going on. It's a shame for your friend, but she should see a pharmacist, I'm sure they could give it on prescription rather than let a small child with a fever suffer.

okay well regardless of what we call it, the point I'm trying to make remains

I actually think people buying packs and packs of nappies, loo roll, huge amounts of Tim's etc very selfish. It also feeds into mass hysteria and creates unnecessary panic in my opinion. It's totally unreasonable to bulk buy the way that people have been these week

I'll see if I can get the title changed but yes panic buying - selfish or no

*tins

Yes, selfish

Yes panic buying is selfish. People buying 20 hand gels and leaving none for anyone else is selfish.

Prepping is the opposite. Preppers have everything already so are actually reducing current demand and therefore decreasing the number of people panic buying now.

YABU. Prepping is getting ready on an ongoing basis, so buying a bit more regularly, rotating end by dates so you use the oldest and have about 2 weeks always in reserve (or another time frame, depends on preppers).

What people are doing now is panic buying. Who needs 6 months of loo rolls?

What you’re seeing is the result of non preppers panic buying.

I was about to say that.

I'm not a prepper but accept prepping definitely doesn't harm anyone.

Panic buying however... yes. I completely agree that panic buying can be really selfish. But it is what it is - people are scared and scared people often do daft things. Hopefully there are enough stock piles in warehouses at the moment that shelves get restocked quickly and in a week or two time people should (hopefully) have calmed down again.

Prepper is the polar opposite, not the same thing by a different name

I've said I'm gonna see if I can get the title changed to is panic buying selfish. that's not really what I'm asking. in asking is if the scenario I've described really fair on the general population. like should a young child with a temperature have to go without calpol

Panic buying is selfish, prepping is not. As a pp said prepping is about stocking up slowly over time which would not affect the supply chain. You replace what you use so you always have a good stock of what you need. Panic buying is usually scared and sometimes aggressive people clearing shelves bare. The two cannot be compared.

Panic buying is exceptionally selfish and honestly I feel shops should do more to prevent it as soon as potential emergencies occur (e.g. limiting individuals to 1 big pack of loo rolls, 2 bottles of handgel, 2 packs of tablets etc etc per day). Of course this won't prevent a couple from pretending not to know each other or coming back for multiple trips in a day, but it will give others a bit of a chance.
There's nothing wrong with stocking up over a period of time though. Angling for the BOGOF offers and setting something aside over a long period of time isn't going to leave those less fortunate and more vulnerable in the lurch.

Prepping is getting prepared and is not selfish at all.
Dashing to shops in a panic and panic buying is selfish and does not show people in a very good light at all. There's no thought to it, no time spent planning it etc it's just pure panic. People who panic this much are not good to have around in extreme circumstances but I bet the peppers would be useful in extreme circumstances.

I read this title as 'I'm prepping Shellfish'.

I was visioning prawns etc.

We are preppers. We can easily not leave the house for 3 months if necessary. I have a compromised immune system so we are always careful and prepared just in case it's needed.

In light of panic buying, yes, it is selfish is buying more than needed, and I think shops could introduce rationing on items. Tesco rationed lettuce buying back when these went scarce some years ago if I remember correctly. My assumption is that the shops are not rationing because there is no risk to the supply chain yet.

That said, for paracetamol sold in store (online shops may differ) there is a rationing all year round linked to the risk of overdose.

zero lol!

its just going to have a negative and knock on effect on others because I'm now feeling a bit panicky that I'm not going to be able to get my 3 month old her nappies or vitamins in the weeks to come

Panic buying - especially buying ludicrous amounts of something- is very selfish.

Having a "just in case" stock of Calpol etc (not daft amounts) is not selfish.

I just had a rant about this today. It's selfish and it is greedy. I went to the shops today, needed some rice for dinner and nearly at the end of the loo paper, so getting more as part of normal shop. Yeah. Rice gone, loo paper gone because greedy selfish people only think about themselves.

Then I was pondering the responsibility of the media in this. If they weren't doing news stories on loo paper shortages the stupid little sheepies wouldn't all rush out and clear out the shelves.

I'm still at a loss as to why clear out the loo paper. I mean, why?