Image Credit: Mel Rothenburger

By Mel Rothenburger

ARMCHAIR MAYOR

ROTHENBURGER: The unbearable politeness of hoarding – together again

Nov 17, 2021 | 6:03 AM

IN TIMES OF CRISIS, our thoughts turn to toilet paper. And food.

If you want to know anything about the flood situation in B.C., go to your favourite super market.

The one I was at yesterday was busier than a Black Friday super sale. The expansive parking lot, normally a third full, was jam-packed. So was the inside of the store as anxious shoppers loaded their carts to the hilt with bottled water, canned goods, frozen dinners and, yes, toilet paper.

The produce aisles were almost bare. No leafy greens, no bananas, just a few russet potatoes and some red peppers.

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There was only one topic of conversation. Customers talked with each other about where the slides had happened, the latest weather forecasts, which highways were shut and how long it was going to last. They swapped stories about having tried and given up at other stores because they were so crowded and low on supplies.

Staff admitted they weren’t sure when fresh shipments would arrive. And everyone knew someone who was trapped by the slides or was delayed getting back to Kamloops after a weekend at the Coast.

There was a certain comradery to it. Once again, we’re all in it together. To borrow from the title of a novel by Milan Kundera, it’s kind of like the unbearable politeness of hoarding. Just like the early days of the pandemic.

There may be even more reason to worry about the supply chain this time, although we’re being assured goods will make it here from the East. With so much damage to highways, though, it’s going to take some creative thinking to get products back on shelves.

If it lasts very long, patience will no doubt wear thin, politics will rear its head — actually, it has already — and we’ll start looking at who we can blame, just like we’ve done with COVID.

Or, maybe the pandemic has taught us something. Let’s hope.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.