[semi-rant]People are now stealing toilet paper...

[PapaPalpatine]

It was one thing when people were panic buying and hording it by the metric ton, but now they're stealing it too. STEALING TOILET PAPER. A national park in Michigan is starting to lock the bathrooms along their trails because people are smashing the dispensers and taking all the rolls. They're even stealing the hand soap. WTF? Do I really need to tell people that such things aren't worth going to jail for? And what's next? Breaking into people's homes to steal TP? Can't speak for the rest of the world, but in most states in the US, that's a great way to get shot. For fuck's sake, is the Beer Virus turning everyone into Cornholio?

[Mecha82]

This does make me wonder what is wrong with people in US. Only thing people in here have been buying out is hand sanitizer and no one is stealing those.

[Darth Wedgius]

A crisis will bring out the worst in some people.

But not in everybody.

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/489477-new-yorkers-have-nearly-emptied-shelters-for-dogs-and-cats-after-a-surge

[ProfessorDetective]

Why TOILET PAPER?! Are they expecting it to be the main currency in the Mad Max Post-Apocalypse?! The sam hill?!

[King Green]

There have been a few break-in in my building where toilet and kitchen paper was stolen, along oddly general flu meds? But still, it's mob-mentality that's causing people to act this crazy.

And the source...MAN CURSES MAN!

[Rocketboy1313]

You know, I was sort of lucky to notice that my supply was starting to run out back in February and bought a back.
I usually poop at work when possible so my ability to mentally time how much toilet paper I have has been disrupted.
I would appreciate it if people would stop buying it out at the grocery, you know, think of the community. Maybe stores take the logical step of limiting to 8 rolls or 1 pack per customer.

[Madner Kami]

Why TOILET PAPER?! Are they expecting it to be the main currency in the Mad Max Post-Apocalypse?! The sam hill?!

Have you ever had to live without it? After the apocalypse, there are two things everyone will want: 1) Weapons and ammunition. 2) Toilet Paper. King will be, who has both in spades.

[Darth Wedgius]

I think people made a run on toilet paper, which caused other people to think (1) maybe the first group had reasons to hoard toiler paper and (2) if other people hoard toilet paper then I'd better make sure I get plenty before they get it all. So a fairly random fluctuation got magnified because, well, primate see, primate do.

Oddly enough, I suspect this may have been partially driven by just how stupid it was. Not that TP is useless, but there are more important things to hoard. Beans & ammo, for two. But because hoarding TP stood out for being nonsensical, more people heard about it, especially on social media. And the more people heard about it, the more magnified primate see, primate do got. I can't back that up with anything independent; it's just my suspicion.

[Mecha82]

In some weird way that theory does make sense. After all to quote Agent K from MIB:"A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it".

[Madner Kami]

It has little to do with "dumb". A few people buy lots, because either they are scared or paranoid or just a prepper, this leaves less for the far larger number of normal people. Obviously the stock will be sold out at some rather-sooner-than-later point and the next time the normals go shopping, they'll buy two packages, instead of one, just in case because you do not want to end up with not having toilet paper. Now a larger number of people will buy more than they usually do, because, you know, just in case, which again leaves less for everyone still buying normal. Do you see a pattern emerge there? It's simple group-dynamics and on the individual level, it's smart behaviour. If you are confronted with not having access to something whenever you feel like, then you will create reserves. On the micro-level, this is absolutely sensible, it's the macro-level, where this behaviour becomes damaging. Dismissing this as dumb behaviour, just shows how little thought you actually put to things.