I would like to know who is from PA and what is it like in your area. I'm in Newville, PA which is about 25 miles SW of Harrisburg. I can say that Walmart is low on lamp oil, candles and batteries. BJ's is very low on water, propane (small),Cup o' Noodles and some canned goods. Local grocery store is seeing long lines at fuel pumps, sold out of propane,low on can goods. I spoke to the clerk and she said they got crunched on Monday night.

-- Familyman (justwondering@home.com), December 28, 1999

Answers

from Gettysburg----very little going on here!People stocking up on champagne, some on bottled water....

-- stuckhere (cant@say.com), December 28, 1999.

in nothwest pa dont see much herd movment here yet, stores still stocked, just the christmas shoppers.

-- hillbilly (yankee@keystone.com), December 28, 1999.

Then you know what I mean when I say "goat races". Hope TMI stays healthy.

-- Holycow.man (tenbrickshyofaload@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

Pittsburgh area, Family Man. Nothing unusual here. We're used to seeing incredible stupidity here. Someone mentions a snowstorm is on the way, and the local markets fill....as if traffic will grind to a halt if the snow does come.

Have relatives all over the state, and only your story seems to be remarkable at this point

-- Bad Company (johnny@shootingstar.com), December 28, 1999.

I live about 50 miles NE of Harrisburg.Absolutely nothing going on here.Went to fill up the 300SD diesel tonight and I was the only one at the pump,the whole time.Went to Super Wal-Mart yesterday to return some duplicate gifts.At the return counter there was a guy about 25-30 years old returning 3-36 roll packs of toilet paper.I always said this area has more idiots per capita than anywhere in America.If things get bad it's going to be downright ugly here.I'm locked and loaded on 4 acres 10 miles outside of town.

-- Dragnet (just@the.facts), December 28, 1999.

I would like to know who is from PA and what is it like in your area. I'm in Newville, PA which is about 25 miles SW of Harrisburg. I can say that Walmart is low on lamp oil, candles and batteries. BJ's is very low on water, propane (small),Cup o' Noodles and some canned goods. Local grocery store is seeing long lines at fuel pumps, sold out of propane,low on can goods. I spoke to the clerk and she said they got crunched on Monday night.

-- Familyman (justwondering@home.com), December 28, 1999

Hey Familyman,

You are a moron. Get a life!

Doug.

-- Doug (Doug@itsover.com), December 28, 1999.

I will have to agree with Famillyman. The last two-three days things are starting to back-up. I was at a k-mart Monday (Prospect rd. Lancaster Co.) and saw at least 3 people carrying red plastic gas cans from the store. The local Giant is showing strains, one day they are stocked to the hilt and a day or two later the shelves are low. I do the shopping for the family on a regular basis and I don't recall seeing this much activity in respect to stock inventory swings. I hear a 3 day storm is coming though. Whats funny is in this part of Pa, when the weatherman says the "s" word everybody runs to the store for, you guessed it milk, bread and a snow shovel (I think I have 5-6 shovels in the garage at this very moment). Just think what will happen when people panic (oh sometime around 4:00pm Dec 31st)

-- holycow.man (tenbrickshyofaload@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

From the Burgh;

Water, batteries selling well. Gas stations seem busier than normal.

-- Scotty (blehman202@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

I'm in hanover...I reported before that Ive seen people filling containers from 5 gallons to 55 gallon drums...D size batterys are almost all gone at least at walmart and k-mart.soup and chili have been taking a hit for about a month but are still availible...hello gettysburg and newville,right in my back yard

-- eric micael (bizarr4@hotmail.com), December 28, 1999.

I went to Aldis in Hermitage today, 90 miles north of Pgh., and they were very busy with folks buying canned goods and the like. I spoke with Amy the manager and mentioned to her how busy they were. She said it had been like that since they opened and peoples carts were full. I asked her if she thought it was because of that computer "thing" and she said yea, and she can only imagine what the next three days are gonna be like. I mentioned that my cart full of purchases was "just in case" and she said "you never know", she went on to say how she had been building her stockpile in her basement for months now and again said "you never know". We exchanged Happy New Years greetings and I wished her well in dealing with the last minute rush.

-- Vern (bacon17@ibm.net), December 28, 1999.

The guy returning all the toilet paper might have just been to the doctor, and found out that he only has 2 weeks to live.

-- Earl (eshuholm@tstar.net), December 28, 1999.

Vern,I live 5 minutes down the road from that Aldi's! We could have met and said hi!

Hi,Familyman,I live in western PA,town called Sharon,right across the border from Youngstown,Ohio..a few things gone here and there,like 5 gallon gas cans,but still plenty of most everything else..generators still on the shelves at Lowes and Home Depot,all of that..no lines at any place I stopped at today..you should come into Bokonons chat room and say hello..lots of the regular posters from the forum are there,it's fun to talk in person..

Cynthia

-- Cynthia Yanicko (yanicko@infonline.net), December 28, 1999.

Earl,Do you live here?Taking back TP because he has 2 weeks to live?Please.

-- Dragnet (just@the.facts), December 28, 1999.

My fam and the in-laws are both from south central PA. My parents are GI (father recovering from an 8/99 bone marrow transplant); my in-lwas = total DGI. A local store in my hometown was out of bottled water last Friday afternoon. They said they were waiting to unload the truck. Otherwise all is as usual. I stopped at a Giant and also topped off the car on Sunday. No sign of prepping activity. Hello to all the folks in Hanover and Gettysburg--my old stompin' grounds! I live in NY now. Good luck down there. Perhaps when this is over we can all get together and say hello.

-- nance (nancyw@mailcity.com), December 28, 1999.

I live near Johnstown (home of the great flood 'er, two or three times now) and as far as awareness...... Well, it just brings to mind the song about the unicorns laughing and playing silly games. Actually, that Christmas wrap at 75% off is the better buy???????

Take care all.

Marcy

-- Marcy (YCRAM410@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

just north of scranton. my family owns a mini mart / gas station. nothing strange as far as purchases go, normal busy holiday(travelers) local walmart and sam's stocked to the gills. no herd movement, that i can see

-- George in Ne.Pa. (grc0702@aol.com), December 28, 1999.

Northeast Pa here!! Was in Whithall and Allentown yesterday and today. Sams club shelves are stocked high. Generators are stacked at the entrance, also wind up solar radios. Nothing going on here other than in Allentown Morning Call newspaper on Sunday listed all the counties the paper covers and the Y2K emergency shelters for each town. Mostly high schools have been picked. Lots more news on tv now about y2k. One funny thing I noticed yesterday in Whitehall. 4 large cargo military planes took off one right after another. My husband joked maybe it was an air show. I said" On Monday?" Not sure what that was all about.. Seems strange to have 4 Military planes take off one after another at ABE International like that.

-- Cassandra (american_storm@usa.net), December 28, 1999.

Half way between Pittsburgh and Youngstown, good neighbors, in Beaver County.

Walked into my office this morning to see the IS guy playing with my computer. UH-oh! Why are YOU here? Turns out he was adding a patch to everybody's Office suite. Like, TODAY! Hospital sent all it's managers a letter addressed to "State, County, and Local Law Enforcement and Emergency Workers" stating that they were "essential personnel" and asking for them to be allowed to travel and to enter the hospital's buildings. Phone numbers for Command Center were posted. Gas stations busy after work. Stores still seem well- stocked. Co-workers not worried, most have done nothing, some plan to roast that free Giant Eagle turkey they have in the freezer.

Me? Glad to be back HERE!

-- Faith Weaver (suzsolutions@yahoo.com), December 30, 1999.

Hi, I am in Hershey. If TMI goes I'll be going to a shelter and you won't hear from me for three days. Or I might just go to my sister's house. I don't know what the stores are like, I've been avoiding them like the plague.

-- Amy Leone (leoneamy@aol.com), December 30, 1999.

Another report from Hanover . . . just finished a few stops at Giant, Walmart and Super-K for various reasons . . . signs of prep, but still no bare shelves and no real lines apart from what one would expect on a day like today (everyone already had in mine to get stuff for the rollover). No long lines at gas station either. You can tell people are last second prepping from what they're buying, but definitely no panic -- er ah, except at Hollywood Video as folks were panicking over acquiring the right complement of flicks for the weekend.

Not sure what to expect tomorrow . . . but it feels pretty calming to be prepared.

-- David Bowerman (dbowerman@blazenet.net), December 30, 1999.