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AIBU

Panic buying of loo roll

(85 Posts)
Sallywally1 Wed 11-Mar-20 19:20:45

I don’t understand this; Coronavirus is ultimately a respiratory /lung disease, so why the bulk buying of loo roll? There is no associated bowel dysfunction. And in any case, fighting over the rolls is ridiculous. When I was growing up in the 60s we always used cloth hankies which my mum then washed and ironed. (The warm hanky felt lovely when one had a cold). So if there is a shortage why not just cut up an old sheet and use that? Am I missing something?

Missfoodlove Wed 11-Mar-20 19:25:07

Because toilet bowl is such a bulky item and does not have a high profit margin supermarkets tend not to carry a big stock.
It takes up a lot of space on the shelves.
So if delivery was held up there could be a shortage.
I guess in our modern and privileged world loo role has become an essential

Callistemon Wed 11-Mar-20 19:29:25

As I explained recently, as posted by an Australian:

One person sneezes and 100 people shit themselves.

Sorry to be vulgar but the Aussies tell it as it is!

lemongrove Wed 11-Mar-20 19:49:49

At least the population will have clean hands and bottoms for a while then.

M0nica Wed 11-Mar-20 19:56:07

I have never quite understood why the panic buying is of basics. Looking back to the last war. Basics; bread, flour, potatoes were always available. It is the little luxuries that disappeared.

If I was panic buying it would be differents herbs, spices and pickles, stock cubes, jams and spreads, all the special flavour enhancing items that make basic food tasty and enjoyable. As it is tomorrow I will go to my local artisan bakery that makes properly proved and baked bread and the most delicious cakes and get a couple of extra loaves and a cak or two, so if we do have to self exclude for any reason we will be able to eat to the standard we are accustomed to. Nothing will go to waste, it will just go into the freezer until needed.

merlotgran Wed 11-Mar-20 19:56:14

grin Calli

Iam64 Wed 11-Mar-20 20:30:37

I called at our supermarket today to buy a bag of potatoes and some hand soap. I've been away so mrI did the shop the past two weeks, so our usual stock of 2 -4 blocks of soap has been used.
There was not a single bar of soap, the toilet roll shelf was also bare. Staff told me there has been a rule of no more than 4 soap bars and two of toilet rolls for a week but as fast as deliveries arrive, shelves are cleared. Cereal and brown rice -all gone, the big worry was that tea bags are also being panic bought.
What's the matter with people?! What about our elderly people, or those with low weekly income who can't afford and often can't carry huge bags of supplies.

lemongrove Wed 11-Mar-20 20:38:08

Perhaps now, anarchy is only three missed toilet rolls away?

grannyrebel7 Wed 11-Mar-20 20:43:48

Who are these people???!!!

EllanVannin Wed 11-Mar-20 20:43:58

The corner shops near me have plenty.

Cunco Wed 11-Mar-20 20:44:42

I visited my local Sainsbury's early this morning and, once again, found few customers, mainly elderly, and most shelves well stocked. Toilet rolls were available in smaller packs but it looked as though the larger multi-packs had gone. Among other things, I bought soap, tissues, pasta and kitchen roll.

I imagine people are stockpiling in case they have to go into isolation for a period. A friend told me yesterday [Tuesday] that the earliest slot she could get for a delivery was Friday. If the worst happens, the wait for a delivery will presumably lengthen.

Once people have stock piled, one assumes the shelves, now empty, will be re-stocked. The question will be whether many of us will be willing or able to get to the shops.

EllanVannin Wed 11-Mar-20 20:47:03

Asda only had a few boxes of tissues on the t.roll shelf. No pasta ( what's that about ?)

I imagine the toilet rolls will come in handy seeing as the baked beans shelf was also empty.

Sallywally1 Wed 11-Mar-20 20:47:25

I’m going to rebel and cut up an old sheet!

Cunco Wed 11-Mar-20 20:49:57

lemongrove No, anarchy breaks out when the government announces we all have to use Izal toilet roll. It's when the younger generations learn how hard it used to be.?

Joelise Wed 11-Mar-20 20:53:45

We had our normal Tesco delivery this morning , the young man delivering, told us that he’d just dropped off shopping to a customer which included five packs of loo rolls, each pack having 24 rolls !

EllanVannin Wed 11-Mar-20 21:00:22

Hahahaha Cunco, nobody would be buying many packs of that. It was like using sandpaper.

GagaJo Wed 11-Mar-20 21:03:46

Never mind loo roll! Plenty of that at Asda online. Quorn is nearly completely sold out in every variety (and there are loads of types).

SueDonim Wed 11-Mar-20 21:06:39

I’ve seen some interesting psychology into this. It’s partly because we’re worried and we’re trying to get some control over it. We don’t have any control over the virus itself so we look to see what we can control. Loo paper is the answer! That’s because it’s relatively cheap and it’s bulky, so seems as though it might make a good defence (maybe D Trump could build his a Wall with it?).

There’s also the impetus of seeing someone else taking some which makes it seems appealing to you so you grab some too. It’s totally irrational but then humans aren’t very rational beings! It’s just a way of trying to get control over a situation in which you’re otherwise powerless.

Marmight Wed 11-Mar-20 21:21:52

My DD here in Australia places her Woolies order on line & it’s delivered the next morning. Now, she’s lucky if it’s delivered within 8 days. She’s having to think ahead especially with a family of 6 to feed (& bottoms to wipe/noses to blow?). We ventured to the Mall yesterday to stock up on essentials. The place was all but deserted. Very weird

FlyingSolo Wed 11-Mar-20 21:28:39

On the other hand I have heard of people who because of all this media attention to panic buying are now embarrassed to buy toilet paper when they actually need it. They fear people will see them and judge them and think they are panic buying when they aren't

Doodledog Wed 11-Mar-20 21:48:51

Yes, I've heard a lot of people justifying their shopping. Everyone was boasting about their Brexit stashes, but the same people are now making excuses for having 251 packs of loo roll and 53 family bags of fusilli.

I dropped off some loo roll at the local foodbank collection point (in a church) and was told that people had stolen theirs from the cubicles. That's pretty disgraceful, isn't it? I'm going to go back tomorrow with some more, and give that to the church for the community centre to keep rationed.

I can understand people wanting a couple of weeks' supply of 'things' in case they need to isolate, and pasta is easy to cook and digest, plus it will keep if it doesn't get used immediately, as we don't know how long this thing will last. I don't understand the loo roll thing, though.

We always have loads of it, as we get it from Costco in giant packs, so I haven't needed to think about it, and can spare some for the feedback and the thieving churchgoers grin.

Doodledog Wed 11-Mar-20 21:49:40

Foodbank, not feedback!

MawB Wed 11-Mar-20 22:17:43

This?

Doodledog Wed 11-Mar-20 22:46:47

I'll look out for him sneaking out of the church. I think I could describe him to the police.

Calendargirl Thu 12-Mar-20 06:58:36

Joelise

I’ve mentioned this before, (a few times!) but I blame Tesco et al for ALLOWING any customer to order such huge quantities of loo roll or anything else, the supermarkets are fuelling the panic.