Is it actually selfish to stock pile?

[Orange89]

Now I haven’t gone crazy with the whole loo roll situation (I currently only have 2 rolls left) and have been doing my usual shops (average of 3 small shops a week) but it’s safe to say I’m focusing my food on long life semi-healthy foods I can store in the cupboard space we have. It’s a little more than usual but nothing crazy. All I’m hearing is stockpiling is a stupid move but surely and obviously more people are doing this than letting on as the shops are emptying. But surely this is purely practical move? I know this could face backlash from people saying some people can’t afford to stockpile (I can’t really either) but I’m talking high calorie, cheap alternatives instead of the fresh foods they’d normally buy. Or that demand can’t be met but I bet there’s another baked beans / rice / powdered custard etc to last a couple months... Just in case

The whole self-isolating is just an excuse, firstly because they could still order online or get a family member, friend, neighbour etc... to go shopping for you.

2 weeks self-isolating doesn't require triple need of toilet roll or paracetamol.

This is really about people who imagine that the country will run out of everything for months, and they will be the last survivors enjoying food and medication if it happened. Except of course that if it did get to this, people would have no qualms to come and raid their kitchen, because well, when you are selfish and need food, you don't care who else is affected by your actions...

The whole point is that this all panic driven and totally unecessary, yet leaving people without who have the same needs or more.

@dontdisturbmenow exactly! if it got to that level of absurdity and there was no food and people were going hungry then normal rules would no longer apply...people would raid anywhere they could in order to eat. the levels people are stockpiling is as if they are going to be locked away for months and the country is gonna run out of food. if that scenario genuinely happens do they think the rest of us would just accept starving and leave them to it

at a minimum they need to ration medicine, cleaning material and hand wash/soap.

This is already happening in most supermarkets.

Some people are not bulk buying for themsleves, they buy to sell on on Ebay etc for four times the price.

@userxx

Not where I live. It says on the shelves you are limited to xxx but when I’m at the checkout you see people with 6 packets of the 9 pack loo roll, entire tray/boxes of pasta and beans. The checkout staff/management of said supermarkets aren’t enforcing it and I’ve been to nearly all the supermarkets within a 1 mile radius of my home and I’m in london so 5 large superstores and god knows how many expess/local stores. I think my local Superdrug is the only one being rigid with the rules. Even the 2 I went to on Saturday that were a bit further out were allowing the free for all.

But hey, as someone else said, the same sheep panic buying are the same idiots posting about it on fb and twitter. We now know who to rob, get the pitchforks

Panic buyers do this.

First rule of prepping is that you don't tell anyone.

And BTW most of us own no tin foil hats. I have basically the same amount of food in my house as my mother, who lived through rationing. Enough to get through tough times while not burdening the emergency services or crashing the supply chain. I am struggling to see why this kind of stockpiling annoys Cherry so much.

As other posters have quite rightly pointed out
If this really did come down to survival - none of would consider the consequences of forcing those who had more than enough to share.
As if we’d just allow our kids to starve to death - lol

@cherrylovex3 No, but I have MY pasta - I bought two packs!

@MrsTerryPratchett how have I said I have an issue with that? I have an issue with the morons who are wiping the shelves now and leaving none for the rest of us and trying to excuse it or even openly admitting that they would be MORE selfish if they could. did you see my post about the 80 year old woman and the injured child? can you explain to me why I'm unreasonable to be annoyed?

take what you need. the health professionals did an entire piece on the shelves being cleared the way they are is more damaging then the coronavirus itself.

all I can say is thank fuck places like iceland are now opening at 8 and from 8-9 only the elderly allowed in - you know the actual at risk group

people on here have said they would take more if they could afford it and feel no guilt whatsoever. it concerns me that you're more interested in asking why I'm annoyed then questioning fellow humans on why they think they are more entitled then everyone else

Like everyone has said, sensible to buy a few extra bits, dick move to clear the shelves. I’ve bought a few extra things and have made sure I’ve got a few boxes of baby formula. Morals aren’t going to feed my baby and I’ll be damned if she misses out. I don’t mind if DH and I don’t eat but the wee one and the cat are my responsibility.

No, but I have MY pasta - I bought two packs!

Did you need two packs though?

Technically yes - we've been told to prepare to go into isolation for two weeks. We could definitely get through two packs in two weeks.

@userxx I would say that's actually generous by namechange account. judging by their attitude towards it all I'm surprised it was only 2

It's a spectrum. Panic buying heaps of stuff last minute is selfish, but so are the people who have done nothing who have had the money to prepare a little. We have known this was going to head our way for weeks and I appreciate there are some people who live hand to mouth, but I know a few people who have made no prep for self isolation at all, so will expect others to put themselves at risk to help.

Buying stuff over an extended period and having a few bits put by for general emergencies all of the time is sensible.

I just used up the last of our Calpol last week as DS had chicken pox. Can’t replace it for love not money. Hope he doesn’t have a random fever in the night because there is fuck all I’ll be able to do for him. And it’s even worse for people’s children who are genuinely ill at this point and they can’t do a thing for them.

@cherrylovex3 My terrible attitude and I also got a 24 pack of toilet roll and 12 bottles of Calpol.

Lighten up.

I know a few people who have made no prep for self isolation at all, so will expect others to put themselves at risk to help.

This is what is most galling to me. I've seen badly disguised begging posts on social media all day from people 'suddenly' realising that they've run out of certain items that they can't possibly live without. Everybody who can read has known this has been coming for weeks and weeks and anybody I know with half a brain has picked up a little extra of essential supplies every time they've popped to the shops recently.

name the situation is anything but light so I'm not really going to be joking about it am I.

begging? I've seen quite a few people needing calpol/wipes/nappies/basic essentials too but I would never ever sneer at them for not having these things as some simply cant afford to get more than they need or cannot get to shops for a whole host of reasons. I would offer help where I could because why wouldnt you? your disregard for others is honestly up there with the worst I've seen on here so far

We're semi-peppers, we have a farm that's quasi self-sufficient with its own drinking water & solar power source. We have a fully stocked larder and freezer chest, but that's normal for us.

I've done nothing to prepare specifically for covid19.

Whether people have prepped gradually or panic bought I do see people’s reasons. There have been changes in my shopping but by no means clearing the shelves but a bit more extra to see that my son is fed through the expected isolation (and probably a little more incase). I am now glad I have hopefully what I need (one bottle of calpol added to my one I already had but that was actually bought a couple of weeks ago before the madness started). I feel sad for the people who have not foreseen this coming for a few weeks. I’ve been trying to tell my friends for a few weeks now and none of them had been taking it seriously and a couple of their attitudes really stank with regards to the flippant attitude to if I get it so what it’s ‘just a cold to us!’ . I found this appalling seeing as I have family who are in the vulnerable category!

Hopefully now people can get to grips with the situation and take it seriously

@cherryloves3

Those people who asked for help on social media are the exact people who a few weeks ago were openly mocking preppers and dismissing the virus as "no worse than the flu". People with half an ounce of sense, especially those with dependants who rely on them, have tried to buy a little extra of things they may need with their usual shop. It's such a complete lack of foresight.

Thanks to PM Boris latest speech I guess panic buying will now accelerate to unprecedented levels

way to go Boris
We are all about to feel a whole lot poorer that’s for sure.

I’m miffed as I’ve just spent the past 6 frigging months cooped up with the dark wet evenings - now spring is on its way, blue skies, daffodils etc etc and now this shit.
All because of some gormless fucks stupidity in a country 1000’s of miles away.

FFS

Those people who asked for help on social media are the exact people who a few weeks ago were openly mocking preppers and dismissing the virus as "no worse than the flu". People with half an ounce of sense, especially those with dependants who rely on them, have tried to buy a little extra of things they may need with their usual shop. It's such a complete lack of foresight.

I do agree with this, not an attack on people (most my friends and family in this category) but I feel in a bit of ‘I told you so’ to my friends that have only decided to panic now.

Yes Boris Johnson’s statement has produced more panic but I think that’s the whole point! Yes it’s a terrible situation but it’s being done in other countries and now he’s following suit for a reason. People who didn’t foresee this coming a few weeks ago and buy a little extra are now worried. It’s not even about the food —well it is— but more the ignorant people who aren’t worried about going out and spreading it! People who have added gradually over the last few weeks have been wise!

@contentedsoul

I feel your pain! It’s like the only positive thing on the news is the weather might be warming up! But this will now be more sad, I especially feel for those without gardens if we do go into complete lockdown!

And yes agree, this just shouldn’t have happened. Dirty wet meat markets 🤬