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Port strikes spark toilet paper ‘panic buying’ as shoppers say shelves left empty (www.independent.co.uk)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/news@lemmy.world

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Americans have already started noticing a decline in toilet paper rolls in their local stores as customer apparently bulk buy - despite the majority of paper being produced domestically

Toilet paper ‘panic buying’ has been reported in parts of the country, as Americans fear the impact of the ongoing port strike.

Roughly 45,000 members of the International Longshoremen’s Association walked out on Tuesday morning after their contract with the ports expired. News that the strike could impact 36 ports appears to have led some consumers to buy rolls upon rolls of toilet paper in a panic, with shoppers posting pictures of their local stores with empty shelves.

Social media users in New Jersey, Colorado, Virginia and other states reported shelves cleaned out of toilet paper.

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[-] CodexArcanum@lemmy.world 6 points 8 hours ago

I truly do not understand my fellow countryfolks' minds. Why toilet paper, again?

A quick search can tell you what goods might be affected, and paper products don't even make the list! https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/transportation/2024/10/01/strike-at-the-port-of-ny-and-nj-what-imports-are-affected/75468183007/

Imports into the Port of NY and NJ

Furniture

Appliances, machinery and parts

Plastics

Beverages, spirits and vinegar

Electric machinery and parts

Apparel and accessories, knit

Rubber

Vehicles and parts

Iron and steel

Toys, games, sports equipment

So as you'd expect: cars, furniture, electronics, fast fashion, some raw materials

In other words, very little that is essential or that you'll miss in the next few months, but a lot of luxury things that cheap importers make a lot of money on.

Honestly, we'd be better off as a country if we permanently stopped importing a lot of this shit and went back to making it outselves.

[-] anonymous111@lemmy.world 17 points 16 hours ago

Didn't we learn from the pandemic that most toilet paper is produced with country borders due to high shipping costs?

[-] robocall@lemmy.world 37 points 20 hours ago

We have truly learned nothing

[-] dual_sport_dork@lemmy.world 54 points 21 hours ago

Morons don't even understand that toilet paper is domestically produced, not imported, so a dockworker's strike would have fuck-all impact on the supply of it anyway.

[-] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 12 points 18 hours ago

As someone watching from outside (and a born and bred bidet user), this is hilarious.

[-] Feathercrown@lemmy.world 17 points 19 hours ago

Don't they already have a stockpile from last time?

These people need to be banned from doing this lmao

[-] krelvar@lemmy.world 65 points 1 day ago

I'd rather see people panic buying toilet paper than ammunition

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

Yeah, but I can tell you from COVID that when you're getting close to running out of it, all the people panic buying toilet paper that didn't need to make you a little bit cross.

[-] Godort@lemm.ee 39 points 1 day ago

Take solace in the fact that all the people that bought thousands of rolls with the intent to scalp them basically lost all that money after inventory caught up a month later.

[-] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 8 points 21 hours ago

Sounds like a trailer park boys story arc honestly

[-] dmtalon@infosec.pub 33 points 22 hours ago

Glad we bought a bidet after the last wrath of morons did this.

[-] Crackhappy@lemmy.world 16 points 22 hours ago

"wrath of morons" has a nice ring to it.

[-] nulluser@programming.dev 11 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago)

!fakebandnames@lemmy.world

[-] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 56 points 1 day ago

I just buy toilet paper from Costco once every one to two months and I'm fine.....these people are insane, stupid, or both. Seriously WTF does toilet paper have to do with survival? Just get a bidet if it gives you this much anxiety FFS.

[-] ShepherdPie@midwest.social 17 points 23 hours ago

Yeah it hasn't even been 5 years since this shit happened during COVID and people can't remember how ridiculous it was back then. How much toilet paper is even being shipped here from overseas and not manufactured using the billions of trees we have here in North America? Shit like this, or people panic buying gasoline and filling up trash bags with it, gives me a little bit of insight as to why the ruling class treats us like cattle.

[-] RogueBanana@lemmy.zip 3 points 14 hours ago

That was 5 yrs ago? Feels like 2. Unfortunately lot of these idiots lack the capability to learn from mistakes.

[-] drcobaltjedi@programming.dev 7 points 23 hours ago

God that was so fucking stupid. I hated it so much since I usually buy one of those 48 rolls packages to last me awhile. Well, I happened to be down to a few rolls when the panic happened, so I looked like one of those assholes.

God I hate people. Why is that the thing everyone panic buys?

[-] gibmiser@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago

There are people who benefit financially from these panics. The companies selling the goods, and the news who have a good news story. And politicians.

[-] chronicledmonocle@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

Sure, but it's still fucking stupid.

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[-] EmpathicVagrant@lemmy.world 4 points 21 hours ago

I buy the bulk packs of super thick type and hardly need any so it lasts me like 3 rolls a year.

I’d love a bidet anyway but i refuse to do anything the landlord might get huffy about

[-] cheers_queers@lemm.ee 6 points 21 hours ago

the cheap ones are so easy to connect and disconnect that i don't think you could possibly fuck up enough for them to notice you did anything

[-] Branch_Ranch@lemmy.world 3 points 21 hours ago

It requires MAYBE an adjustable wrench or pliers. Your landlord will never know. Easily returned to original configuration in minutes. Do it!

[-] don@lemm.ee 39 points 1 day ago

The bidet is the way.

[-] MegaUltraChicken@lemmy.world 23 points 23 hours ago

Hell yes. Installed bidets last time this nonsense happened and I will never go back.

Anyone not enjoying the luxury of a bidet doesn't know what they're missing.

[-] zcd@lemmy.ca 15 points 23 hours ago

Anyone not enjoying the luxury of a bidet is pooping like a Neanderthal

[-] ravhall@discuss.online 13 points 22 hours ago

The moment I finished using a bidet for the first time, I had this revelation… my entire life, up until this point, I’ve been walking around with a filthy disgusting paper-wiped ass.

[-] don@lemm.ee 12 points 22 hours ago

It was exactly the same for me.

[-] ravhall@discuss.online 12 points 22 hours ago

Clean ass bros 🤜🤛

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[-] Texas_Hangover@lemy.lol 3 points 19 hours ago

This is probably a stupid question, but how do you dry your ass afterwards?

[-] elucubra@sopuli.xyz 3 points 13 hours ago

You dry your as with bidet paper, obviously.

[-] ravhall@discuss.online 6 points 18 hours ago

You could use a single sheet or two sheets of paper or you could use just use a hand towel that you have specifically for the purpose of patting dry your wet bum. Obviously the hand towel would be a personal thing, so if this is a shared bathroom maybe suggest one or two squares of paper to do a little dab dab on the tush tush

[-] ravhall@discuss.online 20 points 23 hours ago

This a problem for people who don’t have a bidet. Gross people.

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[-] lolola@lemmy.blahaj.zone 16 points 23 hours ago* (last edited 23 hours ago)

Labor power has apparently scared the shit out of us to such a degree that no amount of toilet paper will ever be enough to wipe it up.

[-] FlyingSquid@lemmy.world 24 points 1 day ago

Is this the new America? Disaster is looming, so buy toilet paper?

[-] CarbonIceDragon@pawb.social 24 points 1 day ago

It's not even a disaster, like, the port workers wouldn't strike so long as to actually threaten the country, they live in it. It's only a disaster if you're trying to avoid paying them more

[-] metaStatic@kbin.earth 10 points 23 hours ago

It's only a disaster if you're trying to avoid paying them more

So, it's a disaster then.

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[-] skeezix@lemmy.world 9 points 20 hours ago

Yes but not just disasters. Toilet paper got sold out before the last solar eclipse. Americans buy toilet paper because it’s one of the few things they can still do with agency. It makes them feel like they accomplished something

[-] itsgroundhogdayagain@lemmy.ml 7 points 22 hours ago

If it starts to disappear again, check out a company called Who Gives a Crap? We never had a supply issue during the pandemic.

[-] whome@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 14 hours ago

All they need is this guy:

https://youtu.be/wA4KS546rZo?si=dqRvOLMlTv37WMur

[-] soupguy@lemmy.world 8 points 23 hours ago

I never understood this behaviour. I will starve before I run out of things to wipe my ass with.

[-] Dohnuthut@lemmy.world 10 points 1 day ago

My area appears to have been hit with a paper towel shortage first. Attempted to get some at Costco today because we legit needed it, but they had none. Went to Lidl and they were running low, but was able to procure some.

[-] plz1@lemmy.world 6 points 1 day ago

I learned my lesson from the early days of covid. Buy that good stuff i bulk as a habit, not as an emergency reaction.

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this post was submitted on 02 Oct 2024

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