AIBU to think panic buyers are not only selfish but also stupid

[Miajk]

First of all, if you buy out all the soap and sanitiser so there's no left for anyone else, you're not really that safe. Because everyone else is walking around spreading germs anyway.

But also, don't panic buy. Shops won't close instantly. Once the government tells everyone the world is on lockdown, then panic buy, but for now just stop being an idiot.

Educate yourself, wash your hands. Tired of seeing people buying PPE for builders/decorators and using it as a sanitary mask (not medically approved). Or wearing masks that don't cover their nose, just mouth. Also wash your hands after using the toilet anyway.

What's really scary is that if there was a real threat to humanity we'd kill each other with our stupidity and selfish greed quicker than the actual problem would.

I am lactose intolerant and couldn't buy my usual pack of long-life lacto brand because people haha just been buying all milk, even the lacto free. It's disgusting.

@DGRossetti it's not going to change anything because the panic buyers will still be there at 8am when the crowds are too busy for the elderly and people who aren't panicking are getting their kids off to school or on their way to work.

... just thought I'd try and keep the thread updated. I don't have a dog in this fight ...

Panic buyers are selfish. Beyond belief.

I bought the last two boxes of Weetabix in Sainsbury's yesterday and worried that people would judge me for it. I'm not panic buying - they only had the small boxes left and DP and DD both love them, and DP is having to work from home this week.

Surely you could have bought one box, then another family would get the breakfast they love for another few days. ?!

This is part of the issue I believe. Everyone buying double makes a huge difference to stock.

I'm not judging you for buying them... I would have probably done the same. I am judging you for trying to justify it, badly!!!

I havent been panic buying but a friend who lives in china sent me some videos of how bad things are over there back in January and since then I've ordered a large delivery from musclefood to stock the freezer and got an extra bag of pasta and rice and an extra tin of tomatoes and chick peas with every weekly shop since then.
Its annoying though as various threads in here were scoffing at those of us getting prepped just in case as "its just like flu" (i have severe asthma so flu could kill me) and i wouldnt be remotely surprised if those are the same people who are now panic buying.

I’m currently washing my hands in the kitchen thoroughly - with body wash. As that’s all that was left in Asda. Bloody ridiculous. Just heading out to Aldi in a while to buy a liquid handwash if they have any.

People are stupid. I walked through the park earlier and there was plenty of room on the 3m wide paths to walk by each other on opposite directions but no they had to walk practically touching me. WTF. You don’t drive like that, move over a bit and just be sensible. Keep away from me as I could be a carrier, who knows. I don’t.

I’ve bought extra bread and tins to last a week in case I go down as I live alone, so the food will be needed in the event of me getting the virus. I’ve not gone mental though. I’m not stocking up for a war, just to keep away from others if unwell. An extra couple of items worth under a pound at each shopping trip over the last few weeks isn’t panic buying I don’t think.

@AnaphylacticAnnabelle 1 box wouldn't last the week with DP working from home.

I compromised with green pea pasta - who the fuck even eats that? I also went without toilet roll and baby formula. I'm not compromising on breakfast too. There were plenty of other cereal options.

I have started to cook from scratch as it’s less stressful. Flour, eggs, longlife milk, fresh fruit and veg are never the things panic buyers want.

People who are saying they're organised and providing for their family.. have you stopped for a second to think about anyone else?

As previous posters have said, if everyone bought normal amounts there would be lots left. If you need to self isolate, order groceries online to get them left at the door.

Even if the world comes to an end, I'd rather I had 2 bags of pasta and someone else had 2, than someone else going starving. You might be literally buying out medicine that someone sick or elderly needs, or formula that another mother can't find on the 10 shops she's gone to.

It's not organised. It's not providing for your family. It's not ok cause other people are doing it too. If we want to be able to survive things bigger than this we should be rational and think of others. There hasn't been a shortage of food due to the pandemic yet, the shortage of food has come from panic buying. You are the problem, stop.

You can always rely on stupid people being stupid.
It's stupid to expect anything else :)

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail." —Benjamin Franklin

How many people are ACTUALLY buying 10 24 packs of toilet roll, or 30kgs of pasta?

Yes, some people are. And when I’ve been in the supermarket there are people with what I would consider excessive amount of some things (appreciate some people have big families etc). But what’s really running down the supplies are people who are buying out of their normal pattern/buying one extra. Despite a lot of the smugness/judgmental comments on this board, how many people can honestly say that over the last couple of weeks they haven’t picked up two tins of tomatoes when in other circumstances they’d have bought one? Or two tins of baby formula? Are those people “selfish and stupid”, because technically they are “panic buying” in the sense that it’s not their normal pattern and it’s induced by media hysteria, and a majority of people doing this is what’s actually causing empty shelves.

@GrumpyHoonMain Flour and eggs both completely sold out in my big Sainsbury’s today.

The selfish cunts bulk buying baby formula and nappies need a fucking slap. People on low incomes who can only afford to buy these as single items as and when they have the money are now faced with empty shelves.

If you need to self isolate, order groceries online to get them left at the door.

You can’t get any slots around near me for atleast 10 days.

Totally agree OP, so so true. It's embarrassing for the people that are doing this.

*Buying a bit extra = prudent
Buying 100 bog roll = acting like a cunt

The latter are ruining it for all of us.*

😂😂😂

Some of this superior virtual eye rolling is a little tedious. Not everybody has transport, time or shops on their doorstep. Stocking up is prudent for many. Didn’t see anybody going mad during the big shop Friday. Just lots of people buying x 2 of things. Sensible.

Totally stupid. It’s the idea place to pick up the virus.

Flour and yeast gone. If I could have I’d have bought 2, work full time. Who knows what will be there when I get back next week.

I have a large family, I've been stockpiling for a while, but I'm still buying my regular shopping where I can, and still adding extra bits where I can, despite not urgently needing it.

Maybe I'm stupid and selfish for doing that but do I fuck want to run out of anything I need, it's my job to make sure my kids are provided for, that's all I'm doing.

Hopefully now the initial flurry of panic is over, people will realise we are in this for a marathon, not a sprint.

I wonder when the point comes that you can actually start using all the stockpiled stuff and eat like a King on tinned tomatoes and pasta?

I’m not stupid. I bought lots of food. As I said on another thread. I am wheat free , dairy free I have ibs and a bladder that doesn’t function like other peoples and reacts to food with bleeding and infection if I eat the wrong thing.
You bet your life I stocked up on the ten things in the entire supermarket that I can eat. If I run out I can’t just eat something else.

So the people who tutted at me and accuses me of ‘being let of the problem ‘ can quite frankly piss off.
Don’t judge everyone the same.

You can’t get any slots around near me for atleast 10 days.

I tried to do online deliveries for PIL and another elderly relative today. no slots at all at any of the supermarkets for the next three weeks. Nothing.