Panic*

"We are trying to reassure the people that removing all of the lavatory paper from the shelves of supermarkets probably isn't a proportionate or sensible thing to do at this time."
--Dr. Brendan Murphy, Australia's chief medical officer.

I woke at 4am with a start and found myself unable to go back to sleep. Dana and Jim are flying from San Francisco to London tonight, and the hazmat suits I ordered for them have not arrived...not only that, but we have used up the last roll of toilet paper in our bathroom. When I went to Walgreens to buy hand sanitizer last week, it didn't occur to me that I should be panicking about toiler paper, yet here I was confronted with an empty toilet paper holder....

I understand an Australian newspaper is publishing extra blank pages to help, er, fill the need.

What is it about crises, or perceived crises that cause people the world over to stockpile toilet paper?  Costco shelves here are empty of paper towels as well as toilet paper. Of course there wouldn't be a shortage if people didn't create one by panicking and buying every roll they can find. Nobody needs a six month supply of toilet paper. It isn't going to save lives. It isn't even going to protect against rogue viruses. Where are they going to put it all? The empty spaces on store shelves are bigger than our garage.

Just a few months ago health officials were talking a lot about herd immunity...the fact that if everybody was immunized against childhood illnesses and flu, those with legitimate reasons (such as allergies...religion doesn't count) for not being vaccinated would be protected.

Stockpiling toilet paper in an emergency is an example of herd mentality. If everybody else is buying it, I'd better buy some too before it runs out....a stampede ensues and nobody is any better off or any more protected from Coronavirus, or whatever....Maybe they could use this logic on the anti-vaxxers.
 
Perhaps we should run out and buy one of those fancy Japanese toilets that washes dries buffs and polishes all without the need for a single square of toilet paper, just a console of buttons fit for a jet plane

The real crisis is when there is no water....

*They make all kinds of things out of bamboo...perhaps there is a way to make toilet paper out of it. It's impossible to get rid of it any other way...the dump won't even take it....