Why do we flood supermarkets when it snows?

The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review ^ | Wednesday, December 17, 2003 | Jim Tynen

[Willie Green]

You have to wonder why Pittsburghers are weather wimps.

By Sunday morning, a layer of light, fluffy snow had made the Pittsburgh landscape a lace confection.

And people acted as if it was the next ice age.

One theory could be that Pittsburghers don't trust nature. To people here, snowflakes are lurking on their front steps, ready to grab shoes and send them flying; ice is always stalking the highways, to fling cars into the nearest ditch.

[Willie Green]

They'll ship it in on snowmobiles, or parachute it from C-147s, or -- someday soon I'll bet -- send it via the Internet. But somehow, some way, they'll get us toilet paper.

???

Sumpin tells me that Mr. Tynen is gonna have a bitzley dupa if he thinks Jine Igl is gonna deliver TP on a snowmobile.
And I seriesly doubt that Granma Tynen will let him use her babushka.

[Willie Green]

ping

[Maceman]

We flood the supermarkets because of cultural PTSD from the Blizzard of '78.

[xsmommy]

my father would not let me go ANYWHERE if there was a threat of a flake in the air. I HATED THAT!

[freedomlover]

I thought it was only us stupid southerners that did this plus we have no clue how to drive in snow.

At least that's what my wife from Pennsylvania WHO MOVED HERE (ATLANTA) BECAUSE IT WAS TO D@MN COLD keeps saying.

[TXBubba]

Hmmmm...I think I go when the weather gets cold because that's when I suddenly have a desire to eat soup or chili or something that takes a long time to prepare and that I don't keep any ingredients on hand to make. Oh yeah, and it's Christmas next week and I have to stock up for all the company coming to town who might get snowed in here at the house with me. These are only hypothetical of course being that I'm in Austin, TX.

[xsmommy]

well she is right about that. i live in northern VA now, and suthreners are clueless about driving in snow... : )

[whereasandsoforth]

They do that in Dallas too. One snowflake is all it takes. You'd think we were gonna be socked in for days unable to venture out. Nevermind it's gonna be 73 degrees two days later.

[blackdog]

Because our regional markets have no more than a two day supply of some products as finished goods ready for consumption.

I live very rural and we could go a month without visiting the store.

[2banana]

And people acted as if it was the next ice age.

Cause sometimes it is the next ice age - I have lived through more than a few multi-feet snowstorms where the roads are not cleared for a week.

[thiscouldbemoreconfusing]

Why do we flood supermarkets when it snows?

Da, cause it's inside and out of the snow? Da... Pittysburg, that's a yankee city isn't it.

[martin_fierro]

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[anniegetyourgun]

They are actually saying it is going to get down to 39 degrees here in South Florida tonight. I'm heading out to Sam's Club now.....

[xsmommy]

bundle up and make some soup ; )

[hispanarepublicana]

It happens here in West Texas too. But, as for New York, I once toured Hunts' Point food terminal in the Bronx, which supplies all of the food to New York grocery stores and restaurants. They said that, combining the food in restaurants and grocery stores, the island of Manhattan at all times just has a 2-day food supply on hand.

[wideminded]

In my area it doesn't snow that much but one winter the news said that there was going to be a big windstorm and that the electricity might go out. I happened to be at the drug store that evening and I noticed that a large number of women were buying makeup. My assumption was that these women were thinking along the following lines: power outage ---> candles ---> romance.

[steveo]

Go into an American supermarket, and there's a whole aisle of toilet paper, of every imaginable hue and variety.

I haven't seen anything except white for several years. Maybe a regional thing?

[MrConfettiMan]

LOL Ping!

[Tijeras_Slim]

I use the catbox.

[mountaineer]

The writer is mistaken. Most Pittsburghers are quite accustomed to dealing with snow. We certainly get enough of it. On the other hand, I believe you're right about the folks in Atlanta. My parents were visiting there once when 1/4" of snow fell, and observed complete and utter panic amongst the townfolk.