Y2k worry? Maritz poll finds that only 10% of Americans are concerned about Y2k issue

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Y2K -- Y2 WORRY? MARITZ POLL FINDS THAT ONLY 10 PERCENT OF AMERICANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT Y2K ISSUE

Story Filed: Thursday, October 21, 1999 4:55 AM EST

ST. LOUIS, Oct 21, 1999 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Ninety percent of Americans are aware of the Y2K issue, but only 10 percent of those who are aware are concerned about it, according to a recent Maritz Poll conducted by Maritz Marketing Research. *

Two-thirds of those who are fretting about Y2K are 35 and older. Lower income also increases the likelihood of Y2K stress: 48 percent of those who are concerned make less than $45,000 per year.

Better Safe Than Sorry Though they claim little concern, many people are planning to take precautionary measures. Some of the most popular Y2K precautions and how many plan to take them include:

Store up food and/or water 33% Avoid air travel 25% Withdraw money from bank accounts 23% Use a generator or other utility alternatives, such as candles or propane 20% Avoid elevators 12% Avoid public transportation 9% Leave the city/metropolitan areas 7% Store up guns, ammunition, weapons 6% Avoid driving a car 3%

* Those polled were asked to rate their responses on a 10-point scale,

10 being "extremely concerned" and 1 being "not at all concerned." Respondents who chose an 8 or higher make up the 10 percent of those who are "concerned." However, close to half (43 percent) of Americans will do nothing at all.

The Best Laid Plans Many Americans believe that the government, the retail/business community, public services companies, school systems, and the communications industry are only somewhat prepared for Y2K.

The banking industry and the stock market lead the list of what people believe will be seriously affected by Y2K. Groups that could experience problems at the beginning of next year and the percentage of respondents who think they will are:

Banking 33% Stock market 32% Public transportation, air travel, trains 27% Public utilities 26% Beepers, pagers, cell phones 24% Telephone service 22% TV/cable, satellite service 22% U.S. Postal Service 16% Other mail/package delivery services 16% Radio 11%

Forty-one percent of the total polled do not believe any of the above mentioned will seriously be affected.

-- Homer Beanfang (Bats@inbellfry.com), October 21, 1999

Answers

Lets see how they feel after todays' stock market drop...

-- Crono (Crono@timesend.com), October 21, 1999.

Let's see how they feel after polly sully propaganda further dumbifies them: "Don't Panic."

And when the lights go out, the pipes freeze, the sewage gushes, the pipelines explode, the air poisons, the radiation spreads, and the cities burn, the soldiers will be out there to shoot any trying to flee.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 21, 1999.


For three days in a row, strangers have brought up Y2K with ME. Once in a grocery store regarding the jump in dairy prices, yesterday at City Hall on SMEs and some woman in line at a BBQ joint.

I think we're at 90% awareness and 50% apprehension.

I believe at least half of the 'no-worry' people in these polls simply don't wanna admit any apprehension.

That's why we call them de-Nile-ists, right?

-- lisa (lisa@work.now), October 21, 1999.


>> ...when the lights go out, the pipes freeze, the sewage gushes... <<

When? Or did you mean if?

-- Brian McLaughlin (brianm@ims.com), October 21, 1999.


Brian, I'm sure they meant in January 2000. That's when most people here expect big problems to start cropping up. It's possible that the problems might start in December 1999, but January 2000 is more likely.

-- Ohio Bob (ohiobob@buckeyestate.com), October 21, 1999.


Polls schmolls. How many of you make over $45k and would admit to being concern about Y2K to a pollster?

I make well over that, and I never answer to any kinds of poll.

-- (not@now.com), October 21, 1999.


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