There may be plenty of goods but no way of getting them. As a solo very senior I have been trying for 4 days to do a pick up or a delivery with three different services. No luck. Very frustrating.

Hi Gretchen, I am sorry you had that experience. If you need food or supplies, please reach out to JFCS at 415-449-1200. We are delivering meals, groceries, and supplies to isolated seniors and those with disabilities.

It may not be really hoarding. People are complying with "Shelter in Place" order and are trying to minimize the number of times they go to the store. They go fewer times, but buy more each time they go. So "hoarding" may be just an optical illusion. I have not been to the store for 2 weeks now. Need to go out soon to restock.

The problem is that if someone comes down with COVID, they and everyone in their household need to self-isolate for at least two weeks, perhaps more. That means not going out for anything, including groceries.

Given how delivery services have been overwhelmed, I don't see how one can avoid having at least two weeks of extra food on hand at all times.

I've decided that it doesn't matter what the reason - hoarding, problems with distribution, a shortage. Too many times I've gone to the grocery store for the staples that I need for one week, and the shelves were bare. Nothing. My cats make out like bandits, i.e., no problem with their food and supplies.

This last trip to the grocery store was so unsettling that the panic set in. I alway wondered what would happen if we entered into a crisis and food became hard to come by, what would I worry and/or panic about first? As a single person, my first worry is for my animals. And I am now worried and I will stock up on food and supplies for them for 2 months.

As for me, I'll make do with what I find. And I am fine with that.

I'm disappointed by this article, which promotes judgmental attitude toward others. When you see someone with a full cart, you have NO IDEA what their situation is. I have two teenagers at home 24/7, including one with very specific dietary needs for a medical condition, so yes, I am buying a lot to be sure I have what they need. Besides that, fewer trips to the grocery store equals less exposure to the virus, so stocking up for multiple weeks at a time simply is safer for everyone.

Wait? They have 2 months to see if the hoarding stops? This is why we say our government doesn't work.

They should have 24 hours to fix the problem, else pass a town ordinance with some fair limits.

No reason to let people checkout with excessive amounts of basic supplies. If you have a big family you may have to make a second trip but that's a fair tradeoff to avoid hoarding. We don't make a special allowance for people with dirty hands to buy extra hand sanitizer.

We have to make sure people share what's on the shelves. If you can't buy more than 4 or 8 rolls of toilet paper per day, so be it.

Seniors and others are showing up at these stores and finding nothing. People are so selfish.

"Seniors and others are showing up at these stores and finding nothing."
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Been to two stores this week. Found plenty, including a 30 pack of the infamous "tp".

No need to 'hoard', no need to fret about it.

Take the energy wasted and use it to call politicians about the lack of testing.

Where are the hoarders storing all their hoard? I can't believe hoarders are continuing to hoard weeks into the shutdown. More likely, people are at home all day long and cooking 3 times as often as they used to. That requires them buying 3 times as much groceries as they used to. What happened to all the raw food that (now closed) restaurants used to buy? Can that be redirected to grocery stores for household use?

> Where are the hoarders storing all their hoard?

C'mon guys, have you been to stores this week?I saw plenty.

What stores (this week!!) are you talking about?

> More likely, people are at home all day long and cooking 3 times

yes

> Can that be redirected to grocery stores for household use?

No. That went to food banks last week or the week before and is consumed.

Brokers have redirected their 'commercial' stream to retailers by now.