@Gargron Was just thinking about it and I wonder which scaremongering news service put the idea in people’s heads.

@Gargron Coming from Florida, I can guarantee you that this happens with every hurricane that comes along.

there's "things are looking kind of bad" then there's "roll zero" bad.

@Gargron first serious meme outside the internet. It's happening, humanity is being replaced by this new species of memes, just as Dawkins predicted (in my vague and totally correct interpretation of his thesis)

@Gargron
Here in Karlsruhe it's a bad reality ... I can understand taking precautions ... but what happened here ... they all found this recipe ...

@Gargron I think at core people are like "it would be really unpleasant to run out, and I'm not actually sure how fast I use it because normally I just buy some when it gets low and I better grab it while I can."

In the US, at least, a temp shortage doesn't even have to involve buying multiple packs: they're so bulky and low-profit and (normally) predictable that stores really don't carry that many actual units. It doesn't take many people buying *one* pack but early to screw it up.

@Gargron was wondering if it was because it's cheaper than buying "proper" paper tissues.

@Gargron https://theconversation.com/theres-plenty-of-toilet-paper-in-the-us-so-why-are-people-hoarding-it-133300

@Gargron there was an opinion that people are stockpiling everything, it's just that toilet paper takes up a lot of volume on the shelves and in warehouses and so stores don't actually stock very much of it to begin with. Like a month's supply of toilet paper is much more volume than a month's supply of rice for example.

@Gargron
Can't buy bog roll in supermarkets here now. Poundland still have some (because even stockpilers have standards) but even that's running low...

@Gargron It is less of an issue here at the Philippines. People here use water to wash their butts. Highly recomended!

@Gargron According to this 100% reliable document, it's an old habit ;)
(joke aside, I think you're completely right.)