If these are professionals, no wonder the general public can't grasp the whole thing.

http://www.msnbc.com/local/KTTC/21523.asp

-- franko (franko@home.com), December 21, 1999

Answers

Power for Y2K ROCHESTER, MN- The demand for generators is so high, businesses that need power now cant buy generators. Stewartville Fire Chief Steve Denny says when a call comes in, theres not a second to waste, and when time is of the essence firefighters cant worry whether or not theyll have electricity when they arrive at the station. We need to have a backup power source for when we have a problem with power outages, said Denny (fire chief). We do have mobile radios that run out of our apparatus and we do have portable hand held radios that run off charged batteries. We can get by on communications, but our range is tested. Thats why his department is looking for a generator. Generators are at a premium right now, youre not going to find a real bargain on them. The reason is the fear of the Y2K bug. People are afraid they wont have power on January first, and are snatching up generators faster than they can be produced. This things would keep your lights going, it would run a TV and many other things around the house if the power went out, said sales manager Brad Parrish. Brad Parrish says generator sales at his store are ten times higher than normal, thanks in part to the Y2K hubbub. Now theyve got another reason to buy, because of the possibility we could be out power for a day or two, whatever it may be. Because the demand is so high, many have already pre-ordered generators in hopes of receiving them in a few months. And if youre looking for a huge generator, be warned, the bigger they are, the harder they are to find.

-- Hokie (nn@va.com), December 21, 1999.

Generators were never on my list they are fuel eaters and fuel will be short and tite so why put any money into a generator?

-- Susan Barrett (sue59@bellsouth.net), December 21, 1999.

This is an old story. It was posted here months ago, I'm sure Chief Denny has a generator by now.

-- Mike (mwomble@luminet.net), December 22, 1999.