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>The idea is that no one should be more than 50 km from such a store and it should prevent hoarding/panic buying as people will know basic food will be availabl

by ksec 1y ago

>The idea is that no one should be more than 50 km from such a store and it should prevent hoarding/panic buying as people will know basic food will be available in an emergency. I dont think that is how it works? That is assuming people wont flock out to buy everything in the emergency store. And do people visit it every day or are these "Emergency Stores". After all they need to replenish stock. Or are these simply some form of marketing play? Off-Topic: Its been while since I last visited a The Mastodon site and it seems a lot faster than before.

eru 1y ago
> That is assuming people wont flock out to buy everything in the emergency store. Well, you could make everything really expensive in these emergency stores during an emergency.
- chrisphilip 1y ago
  Isn’t this just price gouging which is illegal in much of the US at least, I don’t know about internationally.
  - eru 1y ago
    I think it's fine, if it's always expensive, not just in an emergency. (Yes, the US has silly laws there, too.)
  - dcow 1y ago
    I think there’s a subtle difference between charging everyone $100 per umbrella in a rain storm vs charging $100 for your last few umbrellas. Former is price gouging; latter is just economics.
    - eru 1y ago
      Alas, I don't think the law sees it that way.
      - dcow 1y ago
        Are you sure? Under a unified definition Uber’s surge pricing is an example of price gouging that hasn’t been legally addressed because it’s in response to supply-side shortage not demand-side need, allegedly anyway.
        eru 1y ago
        Morally, Uber should be allowed to charge whatever they want to. No one is forced to take an Uber. But in practice Uber does face at least public scrutiny. Eg when there was a hostage situation in the Sydney city centre a few years ago, everyone wanted to leave and Uber's surge pricing kicked in automatically (no human at Uber even knew about the hostage situation, at least there was no human in the loop). Of course, this was exactly working as intended, but it was a bad look, so Uber retroactively made all the fares out of the city centre free that day.
- petesergeant 1y ago
  Screwing the poor in deference to the rich doesn’t seem like good policy
  - eru 1y ago
    When there's rationing and shortages, who do you think has the connections and resources to still get supplied?
14 1y ago
We all saw what happened with Covid and panic buying. I remember when initial reports about it started coming out and something about it told me this might actually become something serious. So I went and loaded up on flour and yeast, rice, cooking oil, lots of non perishable items and a bunch of meat in a huge costco run before it took off. I had enough to last me a good year if my family had to ration. Then it spread like fire and people went crazy. I remember being at costco for a couple things I didn't think to stock pile (toilet paper) and there was virtually no meat left on the shelf. They had to queue the door as so many people were there to panic buy. So if an event happened that even slightly appeared to suggest things might get tough for a while people will always panic buy. Without limits those with money will buy it up. I did the same thing like a couple years after initial Covid when we had massive flooding in Abbotsford. I heard on the news something like an estimated 100,000 chickens were killed in the flood. I stood up, grabbed my keys and got into my car. I went and bought like a few hundred dollars in chicken. 2 days later facebook was full of posts about how all the chicken is gone and none on the shelves. Luckily it didn't last long and I believe they managed to get a bunch from Washington state but it was all at an increased cost. I am not rich but I am thankful that I am in enough of a position that I can load up if I feel there might be a need to. A few people said I was part of the problem buying lots like that buy I always did it preemptively before the surge started. And in my defense when you literally could not buy toilet paper, I kept a bunch in my car. I work as a health care working visiting people at home. I gave out dozens of rolls so elderly could have it meaning I would at times run out. I also have helped out countless clients with no food out of my own pocket. But I am the provider for my family so I need to ensure they are okay.
- jpalawaga 1y ago
  Buying a bunch and then blaming everyone else 12h after you seems disingenuous. It sounds like you’re trying to clear your conscious from panic buying. However, some people went to the store to find nothing because they weren’t able to go at the same time as you.
  - 14 1y ago
    I am not blaming others at all but my point was more to ops question about people panic buying the answer is yes people will do so. Without limits those with lots of money will take the lions share. I am not trying to clear my conscious. I know I am a good person and literally would give the shirt off my back. But I had a hint things might get bad and as a father of young children above all and everything in this world I had to make sure I had at least a bit or reserves if things got bad. I am not rich at all so when I say I did a costco run I am not talking like thousands of dollars. More like an $800 run which is nothing, but I know how to make that much last a long time. I got a bunch of flour and rice. Some meats and tomato sauce. I would not be eating in luxury had their been a long term shortage but I would at least be able to make some bread and basic foods to keep my family feed even if poorly.
pySSK 1y ago
Quotas. My Trader Joe's had a limit of one roll of toilet paper during the pandemic breadlines.
rtpg 1y ago
Yeah my impression is shortages are generated by everyone buying _just a bit more_ at once given how so much is just-in-time-y

by ksec 1y ago

eru 1y ago

> That is assuming people wont flock out to buy everything in the emergency store. Well, you could make everything really expensive in these emergency stores during an emergency.

chrisphilip 1y ago
Isn’t this just price gouging which is illegal in much of the US at least, I don’t know about internationally.
- eru 1y ago
  I think it's fine, if it's always expensive, not just in an emergency. (Yes, the US has silly laws there, too.)
- dcow 1y ago
  I think there’s a subtle difference between charging everyone $100 per umbrella in a rain storm vs charging $100 for your last few umbrellas. Former is price gouging; latter is just economics.
  - eru 1y ago
    Alas, I don't think the law sees it that way.
    - dcow 1y ago
      Are you sure? Under a unified definition Uber’s surge pricing is an example of price gouging that hasn’t been legally addressed because it’s in response to supply-side shortage not demand-side need, allegedly anyway.
      - eru 1y ago
        Morally, Uber should be allowed to charge whatever they want to. No one is forced to take an Uber. But in practice Uber does face at least public scrutiny. Eg when there was a hostage situation in the Sydney city centre a few years ago, everyone wanted to leave and Uber's surge pricing kicked in automatically (no human at Uber even knew about the hostage situation, at least there was no human in the loop). Of course, this was exactly working as intended, but it was a bad look, so Uber retroactively made all the fares out of the city centre free that day.
petesergeant 1y ago
Screwing the poor in deference to the rich doesn’t seem like good policy
- eru 1y ago
  When there's rationing and shortages, who do you think has the connections and resources to still get supplied?

14 1y ago

We all saw what happened with Covid and panic buying. I remember when initial reports about it started coming out and something about it told me this might actually become something serious. So I went and loaded up on flour and yeast, rice, cooking oil, lots of non perishable items and a bunch of meat in a huge costco run before it took off. I had enough to last me a good year if my family had to ration. Then it spread like fire and people went crazy. I remember being at costco for a couple things I didn't think to stock pile (toilet paper) and there was virtually no meat left on the shelf. They had to queue the door as so many people were there to panic buy. So if an event happened that even slightly appeared to suggest things might get tough for a while people will always panic buy. Without limits those with money will buy it up. I did the same thing like a couple years after initial Covid when we had massive flooding in Abbotsford. I heard on the news something like an estimated 100,000 chickens were killed in the flood. I stood up, grabbed my keys and got into my car. I went and bought like a few hundred dollars in chicken. 2 days later facebook was full of posts about how all the chicken is gone and none on the shelves. Luckily it didn't last long and I believe they managed to get a bunch from Washington state but it was all at an increased cost. I am not rich but I am thankful that I am in enough of a position that I can load up if I feel there might be a need to. A few people said I was part of the problem buying lots like that buy I always did it preemptively before the surge started. And in my defense when you literally could not buy toilet paper, I kept a bunch in my car. I work as a health care working visiting people at home. I gave out dozens of rolls so elderly could have it meaning I would at times run out. I also have helped out countless clients with no food out of my own pocket. But I am the provider for my family so I need to ensure they are okay.

jpalawaga 1y ago
Buying a bunch and then blaming everyone else 12h after you seems disingenuous. It sounds like you’re trying to clear your conscious from panic buying. However, some people went to the store to find nothing because they weren’t able to go at the same time as you.
- 14 1y ago
  I am not blaming others at all but my point was more to ops question about people panic buying the answer is yes people will do so. Without limits those with lots of money will take the lions share. I am not trying to clear my conscious. I know I am a good person and literally would give the shirt off my back. But I had a hint things might get bad and as a father of young children above all and everything in this world I had to make sure I had at least a bit or reserves if things got bad. I am not rich at all so when I say I did a costco run I am not talking like thousands of dollars. More like an $800 run which is nothing, but I know how to make that much last a long time. I got a bunch of flour and rice. Some meats and tomato sauce. I would not be eating in luxury had their been a long term shortage but I would at least be able to make some bread and basic foods to keep my family feed even if poorly.

pySSK 1y ago

Quotas. My Trader Joe's had a limit of one roll of toilet paper during the pandemic breadlines.

rtpg 1y ago

Yeah my impression is shortages are generated by everyone buying _just a bit more_ at once given how so much is just-in-time-y