Few Americans Gird For Y2K, Poll Shows WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Nearly a fifth of U.S. households may stock up on food or water because of concerns about the year 2000 computer glitch, but the majority are planning no preparations, a poll released Sunday showed.

The poll, conducted for the CBS News program ``Sunday Morning,'' found that 56 percent of respondents said no one in their home was ``thinking about doing anything'' to prepare for possible disruptions caused by the year 2000 computer bug.

Eighteen percent of those surveyed said they were thinking about stocking up on water and/or food. Other precautions include withdrawing cash from the bank, upgrading computers and copying financial and electronic records.

Respondents overwhelmingly said they expected the so-called Y2K computer glitch to cause problems, though only 18 percent expected major problems.

At issue is whether some computers and microchips will crash or misread the year 2000 as 1900 because of an old programming shortcut that stored dates in two-digit fields.

A total of 722 adults chosen by nationwide random sample were surveyed by telephone on July 13 and 14. The sampling error is plus or minus four percentage points, CBS said.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I for one would NOT tell anyone surveying me about my preparations. Anyone with a little smarts would not tell them. This poll has a higher sampling error then they try to tell the sheeple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

-- Rickjohn (rickjohn1@yahoo.com), July 18, 1999

Answers

Rickjohn... you mean if someone you didn't know called you up and asked you if you had stocked up on food, and water.. taken CASH out of the bank, maybe bought some GOLD, maybe had some GUNS... you might pretend to be a DGI?

Smart boy.

-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), July 18, 1999.

Linda,

Actually it is kinda fun to BAIT "them"! Not for everyone to do but I enjoy it.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), July 18, 1999.

Best to keep your plans to yourself. I just heard on the radio that if you live in California and own an SKS with a detachable magazine, you must turn it in to the authorities before January 1, 1999, or face arrest. I wonder when they'll start asking for our food and water?

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), July 18, 1999.

Just goes to show that most Americans do NOT have a mental illness, unlike the Doomers here on Y2Krackpot central...

-- Y2K Pro (y2kpro1@hotmail.com), July 18, 1999.

This is good news. More time for preps at a reasonable number. Keep buying the spin America. You are omnipotent. Watch your TV while I work out. Read your sports page while I run. Mourn for celebrities while I head for the rifle range.

Pathetic. Sad. To bad.

-- Gordon (g_gecko_69@hotmail.com), July 18, 1999.

Y2kPRO-stitute; I would remind you that it was a majority of these same folks that elected Clinton.....twice! Please go away.

-- Lumber Jack (johnsellis@webtv.net), July 18, 1999.

"They will not prepare, but they will remember."

-- King of Spain (madrid@aol.com), July 18, 1999.

Actually folks, one of my concerns is that if things get bad, those you spoke to of preparing will in a twisted way blame you for it. Kind of a shot the messenger mentality.

-- kozak (kozak@formerusaf.guv), July 19, 1999.