Hurricane Shopping

I told Mark on Sunday, "If you wait until Monday to buy batteries, and water, they'll be all gone." I was of course correct. On Sunday everyone was preoccupied with back to school supplies. They hadn't been paying attention to the Weather Channel, and the ominous tropical storm out in the Atlantic. We walked into Target, and grabbed all the batteries, and water we needed, while harried moms wandered up and down the aisles with their screaming kids begging for this and that.

On Monday morning it started. Channel ten broke into The View.
The sky is falling, lock the doors, and tie down the children. Run out to Publix for water, and Home Depot for plywood and batteries! Oh, and don't forget to form long lines at gas stations to top off that tank!
I think the news people get some kind of perverted feeling of power every time they send the populace off in a hurricane panic. With the first news flash that breaks into daytime programming, they are off and running. Like lemmings they run to the store and strip the shelves of water, canned tuna, and toilet paper. Wouldn't want to be stranded on the roof of your house without something to wipe yourself with.

I had sent Mark off to the store Monday morning for just a few items, none of them hurricane related. He called me from the supermarket, and told me that the store was in chaos, "They're buying everything. Stupid things, like meat, and beer." Well yes, meat is a stupid hurricane supply, it'll rot without refrigeration. As for the beer, I think that could be helpful.

Now it's Wednesday, and it is apparent the storm is not hitting Florida. No matter, all the stores have already made their money off it, and they are stocking up for the next one. Which makes me wonder, what do those people do with the stuff they just bought, and why do they run out every time for more?