Hong Kongers silliness due to radiation scare
Created Friday, 18th March 2011, 04:00 by Whykay
As I watch in awe on television, of Japanese orderly queues for water and food, the excessive and non-helpful panic buying by Hong Kongers is beggar's belief. Just a couple of days ago, people were worried about less Japanese cars being made and those that can afford them (and there's many it seems from watching the local news) are prepared to buy what new cars are in stock in HK. Then it's the Japanese baby milk formula, for peat sake, there are other labels as well.
Sushi is also off the menu for some and some Japanese restaurants had to inform customers that not all fish for their sushi comes from Japan.
Then the most embarrassing one of them all, the latest panic-buy in Hong Kong.... salt. Yes, someone said iodine in salt help prevent radiation sickness. Salt was sold out in many supermarkets and shops, people were buying bags of the stuff. When salt ran out, soya sauce was the next "best" alternative. It's moved its way up to China as well (word spreads fast), and I heard from my aunt that people were buying them in HK and bringing them across the border for sale in China (there are even online bids). An interview on last night's news, a young Chinese man bought ten catties (1 catty ~= 604g), he says they use that much in 2 months and there's only seven people in his household. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know why he bought so much salt. The HK Government obviously issued a press statement stressing that there's no scientific proof that table salt can prevent radiation and that a huge intake of salt is dangerous (80 tablespoons equates to one iodine tablet).
Another case of natural selection?
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