posted on September 26, 2001 11:52:49 AM
I dunno. I saw a bunch of people at our local swap meet on sunday, selling gas masks, water tanks, helmets, camoflage suits, etc. Maybe its just me, but it seems so....vulturish.
posted on September 26, 2001 11:57:41 AM
Check out the closed gas mask auctions!...Eerily the first date up is Sept. 11, and the prices were MUCH lower than those closing today!
The thought DID occur to me to actually buy one for each member of my family, but my DH put a big kibash on that!....He didn't let me buy Y2K supplies either!
posted on September 26, 2001 12:03:53 PMit seems so....vulturish
Yes it is preying on people's fears. I remember when there were local entrepreneurs that were giving seminars on surviving the Y2K disaster. They made a bundle, selling books, and food storage containers, to those that were ready to see the Y2k destroy civilization as we know it.
I have a sister-in-law that buried beans and rice, bought a generator and other survival gear for the Y2K event. My wife and I were at a party celebrating on 12/31/99 at 11:59pm. My sister-in-law and her husband were sitting in their living room with candles lite waiting for the lights to go out. Sad but incredibly true.
posted on September 26, 2001 01:13:55 PM
This is fear driven, no doubt.
These are one of those things that if you ever do NEED one, you don't have time to buy it.
But anyone who buys one of these isn't likely to be helped much, seems most of them only come with ONE filter rated at 4 hrs. If I was going to bother, I would want at least a dozen filters per mask, a full chemical suit, and anti-toxin ampules. No sense in half measures, which is what I think alot of people are doing.
posted on September 26, 2001 01:21:10 PM
I've never been much of a doomsday believer. If doomsday does come I don't figure anyone will be able to tell me "I told you so" anyway.
The price on the gas masks are a bit wild. It must be hard not to like a fool going through Walmart or Office Depot or a football game carrying a gas mask.
I could use a gas mask to help in the emptying of my 'Diaper Genie' (GAG!! )
posted on September 26, 2001 01:30:41 PM
lol uaru, my diaper genie days are just 3 years in the past, thank the Lord I don't have to worry about that again.
posted on September 26, 2001 04:30:45 PM
If you wanted to actually go out and say drive your car somewhere you would need more than a gas mask. A lot of the modern agents will get you from skin contact and contaiminate surfaces.
I suppose you might make it out of an area if you smeared vasoline all over your body and then dressed in complete rain gear and gloves. You would have to have some help stripping down and washing off where you were going.
posted on September 26, 2001 04:42:17 PMYou would have to have some help stripping down and washing off where you were going
I remember training in the army for NBC, and in a "decon" situation, you might be shoved into a shower with someone of the opposite sex, have to help them out of their chemical suit, and scrub those "hard to reach" areas. In any other context, it would be sexual harrasment.
posted on September 26, 2001 07:53:21 PM
microbes, I didn't get to do that when I had nbc traning. 'course there is nothing attractive about the drooling, snotting, and puking everyone was doing when I went through it.
posted on September 27, 2001 02:31:32 AM
hcross, we didn't practice decon with the opposite sex, but everyone was warned that if it was ever for real, you might find yourself in the shower with the opposite sex. I doubt there would be much on anyones mind except making sure they got clean.
