# Salt- F-ing salt



## jeffh (Apr 6, 2020)

I guess I just don't get it. People never learn. 

I recognize that we've gotten close to record snowfalls, but the News actually did several stories yesterday about how there were tons of people out looking to buy salt and all the stores were out. 

Of course everyone is out of salt. There is a foot of snow on the ground. 

Guess what else everyone is sold out of: snow blowers and snow shovels!!! Who would have guessed. :vs_frown:


I know you can't prep for every possible thing but damn, it is winter. We have one of them every single year. And the snow was foretasted days ago. Why wait until most is on the ground to go looking for salt and a snow shovel. 

/rant off


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Snow blower, plows , ATV, shovels. K1, full gas cans ect are all things to stock up on or purchase long before you need them . When no one needs them prices are lower easy to find.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

What's even more frustrating is not the fact they're out of stock because they're sold out... it's the fact that many retailers don't bother to look at a calendar and/or the weather. You go into a store in January to buy a pair of insulated gloves, and they say, "Oh, we don't have any right now.... they're _out of season_. Would you like to buy some fireworks for the 4th of July?"


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## Chiefster23 (Feb 5, 2016)

Smitty901 said:


> Snow blower, plows , ATV, shovels. K1, full gas cans ect are all things to stock up on or purchase long before you need them . When no one needs them prices are lower easy to find.


Generators too. I bet people in Texas are scouring the stores desperate to find a generator at any price.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

jeffh said:


> I guess I just don't get it. People never learn.
> 
> I recognize that we've gotten close to record snowfalls, but the News actually did several stories yesterday about how there were tons of people out looking to buy salt and all the stores were out.
> 
> ...


I don't use salt, just sand, every summer I refill my 55 gallon drum of it from the sand pit out back, scrape the sun dried fine stuff off the top.

Go back the next day and remove more dried stuff, repeat until drum is full.

My snow blower is always ready to go for the winter, plugged in ready to start, it is stored inside my shop.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

Chiefster23 said:


> Generators too. I bet people in Texas are scouring the stores desperate to find a generator at any price.


And with generators being used, people are buying anything they can to go buy gas with. Blue water jugs, glass water cooler bottles,.....


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Back Pack Hack said:


> And with generators being used, people are buying anything they can to go buy gas with. Blue water jugs, glass water cooler bottles,.....


I'm glad you have the flexibility to get gas in any type container.

When I was younger, you could only buy and transport gasoline in a red gas can with secure gas cap. If memory serves, you also had to place the canister firmly on the ground so a spark wouldn't blow up the entire gas station. I doubt this ever happened, otherwise it would have made the news. Then again, maybe this type of regimen worked...


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

The Tourist said:


> I'm glad you have the flexibility to get gas in any type container.........


We don't. But people will always try. If there's someone out at the dispenser pumping gas into a glass bottle, the station will shut it down.


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Call me a sick bastard but I actually LOVE events like this so I can watch sheep/zombies get even more stupid than they normally are, and pat myself on the back for preparations well done...for a short while at least. :tango_face_grin:

Then I come to my senses and realize these sheep/zombies live amongst us and they are not going away and multiply quicker than prepared people do..:vs_whistle:


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## Wedrownik (Sep 22, 2020)

I used to have to fly to Chicago for work from time to time. Each time there I'd spend a week. I recall one time flying out where before I even left for Chicago on Monday I already had heard on the West Coast on the news that there is a huge storm that will hit Chicago on Friday..... so I scheduled my return flight at 2PM (earliest I could due to work).

I'm there, and the news keeps harping about the impeding snowmageddon that will start on Friday btw 10 and 11AM.....

Friday comes - in the morning I could see all the privately owned snow plows staging throughout the city....... 10:30AM - snow starts to fall....... noon, the first snow plows for the city start to stage..... I get to the airport at 11:30 and I'm watching the tarmac and listen to the news and announcements. By noon there is a heavy layer of snow on the ground.... and 1PM they get some snowplow to plow open the way to the airport snowplows so that they could start clearing the tarmac..... as you can guess I didn't leave on time.... at least I did make it home on Friday.....

City was terribly unprepared even though everyone knew that it's coming.... But that's government planning for you.... you know something is coming yet you're still unprepared....


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## stevekozak (Oct 4, 2015)

Back Pack Hack said:


> We don't. But people will always try. If there's someone out at the dispenser pumping gas into a glass bottle, the station will shut it down.


That is why you get a fat guy to stand in front of what you are doing, so the meth-addict gas station attendant cannot see what you are filling. Know where one can rent a fat guy?


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

The Tourist said:


> I'm glad you have the flexibility to get gas in any type container.
> 
> When I was younger, you could only buy and transport gasoline in a red gas can with secure gas cap. If memory serves, you also had to place the canister firmly on the ground so a spark wouldn't blow up the entire gas station. I doubt this ever happened, otherwise it would have made the news. Then again, maybe this type of regimen worked...


Most of the laws read "approved containers".

I have red ones, NATO steel containers and USGI steel gas cans, all approved.

Anyone who would go with a milk jug or equivalent should have their head examined, desperate people do desperate things.

In my past life as a part time commercial pilot, ground straps were required to be put on before the gas caps were removed.

The fuel hose and airplane were electrically shorted to prevent a static discharge, 100 LL, 180 AVG can be quite explosive.

And yes there were explosions that happened, that is why there are regs. at airports.

There have been local gas stations that went up in the past.

Here are a couple from the tube.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

Plenty of salt and snow shovels here in So Cal if anyone wants me to send them some. 

High of 70 today. Brrrrrrrr....

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk


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## CapitalKane49p (Apr 7, 2020)

Few years back we had a storm up here in a city that rarely gets snow. The city was paralyzed for days. Highlight of the day was watching the bumper cars on the news of people trying to drive their very nice cars down very icy hills. Oh to own an autobody shop. The city announced that they would be giving away salt so people could salt their walkways and the side walks if front of their houses. What happened? Pandemonium people were actually coming to blows over a pail of salt. Worse part was that some people were trying to sell it on Craig's List later that day. People really are cheap and stupid. I buy a 20lb bag of salt that sits in a pail at the corner of my garage for a few bucks. Some years it never gets touched others like this year it does. It costs a few bucks people WTF? I'd post the video but I'd be accused of being a racist. 

Godspeed and stay warm if you are in teh cold zone.


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## Robie (Jun 2, 2016)

It amazes me people scramble to buy snow shovels in places that normally get some amount of snow every winter.

What? Did you throw the one away you had to buy last year?


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## Megamom134 (Jan 30, 2021)

Living in Iowa I am always prepared for winter, except maybe not quite as cold as this but this is unusual, what cracks me up is watching people that still haven't got snow tires on. They try to get up my hill and end up sliding in my ditch. One year we had a big truck, then the tow truck got stuck and then some stupid dork tried to go around them and got stuck in the other ditch, and we were just watching out the window and laughing our heads off. We only had one in the ditch yesterday.


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## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

I am with slippy.. as long as I have whiskey, some popcorn, and can see out my window.. the show is always great


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

Biggest problem is all those morons vote with the same pea brain.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

stevekozak said:


> That is why you get a fat guy to stand in front of what you are doing, so the meth-addict gas station attendant cannot see what you are filling. Know where one can rent a fat guy?


Wouldn't it just be cheaper to leave the container in the bed of your truck/trunk of your car? No need to call 1-800-RentAFatty.

Besides, given most stations have 16 bazillion cameras, you really can't hide much.


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## danben (Mar 23, 2020)

I have always bought some quantities of supplies at the end of the season. The left over ice melt goes on sale in April, I buy a hundred to two hundred pounds. Same for traction grit. It doesn't go bad, so if I don't use it this year, I'll use it next. I have a big driveway, so a large quantity can save my butt and beating heart when the "unexpectedly large snowfall, ice storm" hits. I have an oversize (for my driveway) snow blower so that I don't have to depend on plow guys who suddenly score a good parking lot contract; I keep it maintained and keep a supply of long-shelf life fuel. Hmmm. Maybe I'm a prepper?


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## jasonv (Oct 4, 2020)

Wedrownik said:


> I used to have to fly to Chicago for work from time to time. Each time there I'd spend a week. I recall one time flying out where before I even left for Chicago on Monday I already had heard on the West Coast on the news that there is a huge storm that will hit Chicago on Friday..... so I scheduled my return flight at 2PM (earliest I could due to work).
> 
> I'm there, and the news keeps harping about the impeding snowmageddon that will start on Friday btw 10 and 11AM.....
> 
> ...


I will pay significantly more money for a flight that does not have a Chicago connection. I avoid that airport and city.


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## Wedrownik (Sep 22, 2020)

jasonv said:


> I will pay significantly more money for a flight that does not have a Chicago connection. I avoid that airport and city.


sadly that was my destination. I have many issues with chicago but I will have to admit - great food and they have my favourite jazz club - the Green Mill (but I digress).

Back on topic - I believe that the government does a piss poor job of prepping no matter how much notice they get.


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