Florida Journalist wants to know if and why you are preparinggreenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread |
Ready or not, let us know your Y2K plans
December 09, 1999What are you doing to prepare for Y2K?
According to one survey, most Americans are doing nothing. That's nothing, as in zero.
In a pre-Thanksgiving poll, the International Mass Retail Association found that more than 70 percent of the public planned to make no preparations because of concerns about what might happen if computers can't figure out what to do with that funny new date with all the zeros in it.
A mere 19 percent said they planned to stock up on food, and 16 percent said they planned to buy some extra bottles of water. Less than 5 percent planned to buy batteries, and -- this will comfort Alan Greenspan -- only 3.2 percent said they planned to carry extra cash. The retail trade group surveyed 1,011 consumers between Nov. 23 and Nov. 28.
So what are most Americans doing for New Year's Eve? More than 48 percent said they planned to stay home. More than 19 percent said they were going to host a party at home or attend a party at someone else's home.
If nothing happens on New Year's Eve, and everyone stays home, too, there's going to be a lot of reporters running around with no one to talk to. And you don't want to know what reporters do when they have too much time on their hands. Think Super Bowl. Imagine Y2K survivalists holding news conferences before mobs of reporters, spouting banalities like "It was a team effort. ... We take 'em one millennium at a time. There is no 'I' in millennium" (no wait, there is).
Anyway, I'd still like to hear from people about their Y2K plans. If you're not planning to stock up on anything, send me an e-mail and tell me why. If you're filling your closets with freeze-dried french fries, I'd be interested to hear from you, too. Is there anybody out there who's planning a New Year's Eve party with Tang and beef jerky (maybe that's next year)?
Contact me at the address at the end of the column.
David Altaner's column appears on Thursdays. He can be reached at daltaner@sun-sentinel.com or 954-356-4668.
Hey... I've got my bottle of Evian, my box of Mac-n-cheese, and a flashlight. I'm ready. Next question.
-- Linda (lwmb@psln.com), December 09, 1999.
My preparations: (1) Attend New Year's Eve party (2) Kiss wife at midnight (3) Put on football helmet for protection from planes falling from sky (4) Remain in drunken stupor for entire three-day-Y2K-storm (5) Pass outMy motto: "What Me Worry?"
-- Richard Greene (Rgreene2@ford.com), December 09, 1999.
Oh Richard! I needed that!!!!! Thank you!!!
-- ROTFLMAO!!!!! (BeenGrim@toolong.com), December 09, 1999.
David Altaner: I think the appropriate questions are ; What are the Journalists doing for "Y2K", And have you asked other big name Journalists the same question. Like what is Sam Donalsen doing ? What's Dan Rather doing ? And what about Peter Jennings , poor guy, spending his time rollover in New Zealand . To answer your question, concerning my preps . Yes, I have some food items and items for a period of time, but I think we need this wakeup call. The World has gotten too soft ,and can't think for itself,unless they have their computer to give answers. Good luck to you and your family David, Furie...
-- Furie (furieart@dnet.net), December 10, 1999.