Can someone please explain to me why people are hoarding tp for a respiratory disease?

[efhmc]

This is too weird for me to understand.

[RandySF]

1. Potential store closures.

[BigmanPigman]

2. I would like to know the answer to that question too.

Kleenex I could understand, but TP?

[apcalc]

3. Because they don't want to run out . Looks like 8 weeks at least to isolate.

Lots of immunosuppressed and older people do not want to have to run to the store. They are self isolating.

I will not be going to a store, probably have a two month supply. I expect AT LEAST two months of isolation . CDC agrees.

[PoliticAverse]

4. They should be hoarding coffee filters... n/t

[apcalc]

7. Can you rinse and reuse a coffee filter?

[FreeState]

17. Not really

They break down pretty quick.

That being said the only thing I hoarded was coffee filters and 15lbs of coffee...

[efhmc]

22. I am a tea drinker but folks in my family have used paper towels before when in

foreign climes. (Not in my house. I try to provide them with whatever they need for their creature comforts.)

[mr_lebowski]

48. Not a paper one but there are reusable metal ones that last for years ...

It's basically just really fine-meshed metal colander.

[uponit7771]

5. The mixed government messages caused a primal trigger and TP was the comfort item also

When it comes to stocking up, different basics offer differing options. “If people did not find the food that they wanted, they could buy other food,” says Fischhoff. “For toilet paper, there are no substitutes

https://time.com/5803273/hoarding-toilet-paper/

[efhmc]

18. Don't kleenex work ok for tp? Actually I was sick with a bad head cold before all this virus stuff

started. I ran out of tissue and used tp for my snotty nose. They seemed interchangeable to me. I would have preferred tissue since it is softer but was alone and used what I had. If I had run out I would have used anything that was available. Luckily that did not happen.

[rickford66]

46. They don't break down as fast as TP

Not good for septic tanks or long sewer runs

[efhmc]

62. Interesting. I always flush dirty tissues because to me they are full of germs and I

want them gone. I have no problem with them and have always done this.

[rickford66]

63. Depends upon your circumstances

If your sewer line is long or has many bends or on a septic tank it may build up. City sewer? Go for it. Not your problem if you got a nice straight shot to the main. I use the cheapest TP available because it pretty much disintegrates almost immediately like the TP for RV's. Funny that the RV TP is expensive. A friend of mine joked that he was afraid when s**t went down the toilet for fear of blockage.

[ProfessorGAC]

65. Saw A Plumber On TV...

...not for this situation now, but for some other big thing like a hurricane bearing down.
He said if you use face tissue, "use one, flush twice".
Seemed logical to me. The extra water flow might be enough to get to wider parts of pipe.
Now, I doubt he was talking septic system. Think it was about municipal sewer.

[efhmc]

66. I lived in Houston for over 20 years and during a hurricane we often did not have any water.

When warned of an impending hurricane we would fill up the bathtub with water to use to flush the toilet. When I think of it I never had a cold during that time so no extra tissue problem. I miss Houston, even the hurricanes.

[Midnight Writer]

21. If someone other than Trump was in charge, I would feel a whole lot better.

The motto inside his 2016 campaign was "Honey Badger don't give a fuck!".

His wife makes an official trip to a disaster area and wears a jacket emblazoned with the words "I don't really care. Do you?".

He said he didn't want Americans with the infection to enter our country because "it would make our numbers look bad.".

We are currently waiting for wonder boy Jarred to complete his crash course in global catastrophic viral outbreaks.

And the Republican Senate is taking a vacation, while the legislation to start addressing this life and death crisis sits on McConnell's desk.

These people don't care about me or you.

[jberryhill]

6. Because something bad is going to happen to our ass

[Doreen]

10. You made me laugh.

[cmb1729]

15. Lol, thank you

[smirkymonkey]

25. *snort*

[jberryhill]

32. But seriously

The virus apparently turns people into the Great Cornholio

[mr_lebowski]

49. This is unquestionably the greatest Cornholio episode ... no other can touch it ...

It was one of the episodes of the "Butt Bowl" during the Broncos/Packers Super Bowl.

It totally rules ...

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1gmv66

[Grokenstein]

54. Love Cornholio

almost as much as your altered avatar.

[DBoon]

8. because they have their head so far up their ass they can't breath

[tavernier]

9. Freudian response

to all the shit the government is throwing at us.

(Credit to whoever first posted this on DU a couple of days ago)

[unblock]

11. Um, what do *you* use to wipe your bum?

[Hermit-The-Prog]

57. The neighbors' cats. Mind the pointy bits.

[GemDigger]

12. It's comfort food.

[lapfog_1]

13. explanation

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017571808

If the US or significant portions undergo "lockdown" (not voluntary, stores not open), and you don't relish using a wash rag...

TP is what we are used to.

I think the chances are decent for a Chinese style lockdown. Plus, since we are going for "flatten the curve" rather than containment (that ship sailed 2 or 3 weeks ago)... the lockdown is very likely.

Not to mention we don't have this sort of disaster in our "playbook"... what we have is earthquake and hurricane... and extra TP and canned good (plus a generator) is what we do.

Trump pushed th panic button after days (weeks) of saying "All is well! All is well!" and we did what we always do when panic happens.

[efhmc]

27. Lived in Houston hurricane area for about 20 years and people were worried about water and

other necessities but never TP. I know this is not the same thing but really do not understand it.Trying.

[lapfog_1]

33. Went to the store today to buy a few last minute things

The bread was completely gone,
The pasta was completely gone,
There was NO water and paper products (TP, kleenex, paper towels).
Most canned goods were gone.
No alcohol wipes or hand sanitizer (and no masks, or course).

OTOH there was plenty of gallon sized flavored tea.
Peanut butter and jelly was plentiful.
Boxed cereal was plentiful... milk and eggs... and meats.

Lots of drinking alcohol, cheese and crackers, cakes and sweets.

Some flour tortillas still there (which I use with PB & Honey).

People are a little crazy. But no fist fights or anything.

[efhmc]

39. Went to Lowes and Big Lots yesterday and there were tons of paper towels.

Needed other items but a nice lady at Lowes asked me about tp I said I did not have a clue where to get any. Then a third lady joined in the conversation and told the person looking for tp where she had seen some at a store several miles away. It was bizarre. I though I was part of a drug deal.

[trackfan]

47. My experience was the same, except for meats.

They were all out of fresh meats and fish.

[misanthrope]

53. I anticipate shelves being stocked again in a week

If you were the manufacturers/producers of these items, you would want to sell as many as possible while the market is hot.

[frazzled]

14. They don't want to be admitted to the hospital with

dirty underpants?

So humiliating. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[Brother Buzz]

16. It's simple, really. People are twitchy and on edge...

and every time someone coughs, a hundred people shit.

[Kacy]

59. So funny! If there were a prize, you would get it.

[tinrobot]

19. Because this nation is bidet challenged.

[Iggo]

43. Wink.

[Kacy]

60. So funny. Great delivery.

[nancy1942]

20. Potential quarantines?

Or: catch the virus and be stuck at home for a long period and not being able to run to the store to stock up? I can understand why people want to be prepared for the unexpected.

[Arthur_Frain]

23. Can't really.

Don’t most of us buy our tp at costco these days? I don’t know about you, but that one trip sees me (retired couple) for nearly a year. So these folks buying more than one, even for a family of 4 or 5, that’s what? A 3 month supply? I haven’t been able to figure this one out.

The exception of course, are the profiteers, who try to resell it at a gouge. Screw them, I understand them all too well.

[efhmc]

30. I am a single person and buy the big 12 pack at Big Lots. Just looked and have about 6 left.

I think I can ride this out.

[Arthur_Frain]

45. I enjoyed the reddit post I read this morning.....

...as the U.N. Medical response team moved across the charnel house that was the United States in the post Coronavirus environment, a trend began to emerge..... 3 million I corpses all of them with spotless assholes!!!!!!!

I snorted some covfefe at that point. Bigly.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

50. No, most of us don't buy our toilet paper at Costco these days.

Some of us don't even have one nearby.

I buy mine at the local Target Store, usually one of those 12 or 20 pack ones, which lasts me for months. I live alone.

[Skittles]

24. lessen trips to the store

[customerserviceguy]

26. It's a displacement activity

also, they're imitating others. It's probably a survival instinct that selected for those who followed the rest of the herd away from danger.

[greenjar_01]

28. If you get sick you're not supposed to leave your place for two weeks

Many others are choosing to self isolate to protect themselves and others.

They don't want to run out.

People should stop pretending that they don't understand this.

[meadowlander]

31. +1. There's already been like 4 threads on this in the past two days.

[treestar]

64. but then there are other things

too that one would not want to run out of.

[DrToast]

67. Thank you!

Jeez...I don't understand why its so confusing to so many people.

[Throck]

29. Eat less, poop less, hibernate.

Wake me in 10 weeks.

People are getting crazy out there.

How did we survive before we got all this stuff?

[dflprincess]

34. Early on there were reports that there might be

A shortage of paper products because components are produced in China. I think that may have something to do with it.

[Eko]

35. Cause they are full of shit.

[RhodeIslandOne]

36. America is obsessed with shit

Look at the President.

[dawg day]

37. If you're going to be stuck in your house for two weeks--

You'll probably need more than a few rolls. (Not that I'm casting aspersions on anyone's bathroom habits. <G&gt

[Generic Brad]

38. They are clearly not scared shitless

If they were, the wouldn’t need toilet paper.

[2naSalit]

40. House full of kids?

How fast do kids go through tp? Especially teenaged girls?

[Sogo]

41. I did tp hoarding last November

It was because I was preparing for a possible really bad winter like we had last year. Never happened, so I have plenty left from that stash. But now the recommendation is for seniors to stay in for four months.....That will require a lot of tp....

[Iggo]

42. They're hoarding it for a quarantine, not an illness. (n/t)

[RB TexLa]

44. As a general rule people like to have control

Over stocking on necessities in case of not being able to get to stuff or stuff not being available gives people a sense of control and being ready. TP would be one of the most basic necessities. It also is the most cost effective to stock up on because there's very, very little chance you won't eventually use it all no matter how much you bought.

[33taw]

51. Why is water being hoarded?

[DrToast]

69. Yes, this actually makes less sense

But nobody talks about that.

I guess anything related to pooping is funny.

[RockRaven]

52. My grocery store very sensibly put up signs telling customers they were limited to 2 packages

(regardless of size) and what do you know? There was plenty on the shelves. Granted most of what was left were the smaller packages. Almost everybody in the store had some in their cart, but everyone was able to get some and nobody was publicly-freaking out that what they were being allowed was inadequate.

But paper towels? Gone. Kleenex? Gone. Pasta? Gone. Rice? Gone. Not a surprise, I guess, because there were no signs on those.

I think it's reasonable for people to buy TP in preparation for a lock-down/quarantine period. Usage rate is pretty constant over time, and substitutes are less than ideal or unwanted by users.

But I doubt many buyers were really acting upon the thought of "hmmm.... how much TP does my household use in 2 months (or whatever)?" but rather they want to buy SOME and it's like a game of musical chairs where they're stressed out about being the person left without any when they see everyone buying it and shelves less full than they are used to seeing. And that concern of scarcity becomes self-fulfilling because of defensive over-buying.

[milestogo]

55. Personally I'm hoarding air, in case I run out.

[Grokenstein]

56. Because they see everyone else do it on the teevee.

Still lovin' this golden oldie from 2013:

[Olafjoy]

58. Report from Olafjoy

L.A. children on “work from home” arrived in AZ 4 hrs ago. Hooked up their game consoles to my TV I watch from treadmill. Seem to be hogging up the internet. Husband pulled me aside after dinner and told me I had to talk with son who has grown a beard because he used 3 napkins during dinner and used 2 tissues when he sneezed instead of 1. I am afraid we will be allotted squares for the loo. On this national day of prayer, I am going to need some to get through. Pass the Tito’s, mama needs a drink.

[efhmc]

61. Best of luck. Lots of paper towels at the stores I have been to.

[Bettie]

68. Because they usually steal it from work and they

aren't going in for a while?