Lubbock, Let’s Not Hoard Toilet Paper Again [Opinion]

I don't know about you, but I’m beginning to have flashbacks to the early days of the coronavirus pandemic in Lubbock. You remember March and April, right? The run on toilet paper, paper towels, water, and eventually meat. It wasn't fun seeing those empty shelves back then, and for some reason, it seems to be happening again. At least with paper products.

Last week on The Chad Hasty Show, I made mention of seeing one store with a low supply of toilet paper. I brought it up after reading a story from out of state about toilet paper disappearing from the shelves. The text line became flooded from listeners who told me that they had seen the same thing at their favorite grocery or membership store.

I then took to social media to ask if others had seen this in Lubbock as well, and the answer was yes. It seems as though there's another run on toilet paper and paper towels in Lubbock.

But why?

Yes, coronavirus cases are up in Lubbock, and government officials are warning people about gathering together with family for Thanksgiving. But is that a good reason to hoard? 

One possible reason I was given was New Mexico. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the Governor of New Mexico, has effectively closed her state once again. News out of New Mexico also reported that several grocery stores were being closed due to COVID-19 among employees. At least one of those closures has impacted Hobbs. That could mean shoppers are crossing into Texas to pick up what they need, like toilet paper.

The other possible reason? Fear.

There are some who expect Lubbock and the State of Texas to close again. The Joe Biden campaign hasn't helped alleviate those fears after a Biden advisor went on record stating that a 4-6 week shutdown could help get the virus under control. President-elect Biden himself has only said that it's a last-ditch move to make. Last week, Biden said he would not shut down the economy but instead would listen to medical experts and shutdown the virus. Still, it has people worried. The unknown always worries people.

This past Friday, the City of Lubbock announced two meetings that would happen this week. On Monday, the Lubbock City Council will meet in a special council meeting, and on Tuesday there will be a press conference. Both meetings are about coronavirus in Lubbock. News of that alone has added to the fear, I'm sure.

Here’s what I’m pretty sure of. There is no reason to panic. Supply lines are fine, and there is and always was enough toilet paper in America. 

Lubbock is not about to have another shutdown. Lubbock Mayor Dan Pope has said so over and over again. Even if you don’t believe him, remember that under the Governor Abbott's executive orders, the mayor or county judge can’t shut down non-essential businesses. It was tried in El Paso County, and it didn’t work.

Governor Abbott has stated numerous times over the last week that he would not be closing Texas. Could he reverse himself? Sure, and he has before on other issues like face masks. But on this, I think Governor Abbott is sticking to his guns.

There is no reason to panic buy. There is no reason to buy 10 packages of toilet paper. From what I’m hearing, the stores are being more proactive about this by limiting how much you can buy. That’s good, but we shouldn’t be at that point.

It's always good to be prepared, don’t get me wrong. That's why I saved up on meat, ammo, and other products. But we should also be good neighbors. Buy what you need and maybe even a little extra, but don't go crazy and panic buy. There is no reason to do it.