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The reason there was a TP "shortage" in the US is everyone started hoarding it. There really wasn't a shortage, it was just idiots taking advantage of the situa
by dheera 5y ago
The reason there was a TP "shortage" in the US is everyone started hoarding it. There really wasn't a shortage, it was just idiots taking advantage of the situation to resell {masks, TP, lysol, sanitizer} to other people on ebay at 10x the cost.
If the government had some guts they would put their foot down, personally go to every single one of those ebay sellers' homes, throw them in jail, and then restrict sales of all of the above products to a generous and reasonable amount per person with government ID required to purchase. Problem would have been solved.
But our government is too chicken to do that.
- nickpp 5y agoThe reason we had true shortages in Eastern Europe in the 80s in because the government thought it knew better and interfered (planned). The reason you had fake shortages last year is exactly because the government stayed out of it.
- dheera 5y agoAnd because the government stayed out of it the poor got shafted out of basic necessities. Not a world I would like to live in. There wasn't even an actual shortage in the manufacturing of TP, so if the government rationed it, the rations per person could be extremely generous, to the point that as long as you were using it to wipe your ass instead of an investment vehicle you wouldn't even need to think about the limits.
- dragonwriter 5y ago> There wasn't even an actual shortage in the manufacturing of TP Yes, there was, because COVID-related closedowns of job sites and public venues shifted demand from commercial TP to consumer TP which have separate and not-easily-converted production lines (and aren't convenient direct substitutes, because they aren't made for the same fixtures and the commercial versions mostly aren't easily used without fixtures), so there was no way to spool up consumer production to meet increased demands. People were going to the bathroom just as much, and more of it was at home, but the quantity supplied of the TP for home use was constrained. That is a real shortage.
- dheera 5y ago> not-easily-converted production lines So don't convert them, sell the commercial stuff to consumers. It's TP, either home or enterprise edition is compatible with any ass. That's exactly how I got my TP when I needed it, I ordered from commercial supply websites. But ban the eBay hoarders who exacerbated the problem for consumers; they were literally lining up at 6am to clear out shelves out of the local supermarkets to resell on eBay to make a quick buck.
- seattle_spring 5y agoEnterprise edition TP is definitely not compatible with my ass. The stuff at malls and offices is like sandpaper, yet somehow less absorbent.
- chihuahua 5y agoOne interesting thing that happened was that Costco said you can no longer return toilet paper and bottled water. As a way of discouraging hoarding, it's better than nothing.
- tamaharbor 5y agoA bit harsh don’t you think?
- dheera 5y agoI have zero sympathy for the scum who can't think of anything better than to profit off draining supply and reselling things at jacked up prices, and especially during times of crisis.