Generally what would be the result if the grocery stores ran out of one common item like bananas?

[NNN0LHI]

For whatever reason. Transportation problems. Bad crop. For any reason. And don't dwell on bananas either. Any commodity that people are used to be able to going into the store and it is always there. Almost like magic. Milk, butter, vegetables, fruit, anything. The stuff we take for granted.

[meegbear]

1. "Yes, we have no bananas" would be a popular song again

[hlthe2b]

3. We'd be a "Banana-less Republic"

[damntexdem]

13. That has no a-peel for me.

Now I'm sorry for my old bumpersticker: "Repeel Bananas!"

[ThomWV]

2. It happens from time to time, the world doesn't come to and end - they ran out of beer once

There was a national beer truck drivers strike in the late 60's (at least in Colorado) and they ran out of beer for weeks. It got so bad locals started drinking Coors there for a while.

[Winterblues]

5. Oh no, not Coors

If the Beer stops the world will end..IMO

[FSogol]

4. Q. What would happen is all the disposable diapers disappeared?

A. It would be a real mess.

[grasswire]

6. bananas ARE going to disappear

It has to do with a plant disease and unwise propagation practices. Bananas as we know them will disappear.

[Mojorabbit]

11. Not here!

I grow them in my back yard. Even better I only eat them in season which is what we need to learn to do again. No produce shipped thousands of miles.

[akwapez]

18. do you have a link or further info on this?

[grasswire]

20. snopes to the rescue

Apparently, there will not be total extinction. But the variety that supplies most Americans is in danger.

http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/bananas.asp

[calico1]

7. People usually hoard things when they are scarce

I remember reading about relatives of an elderly woman who had died finding bags and bags of sugar in her house. Some of it was so old it was rock hard.

Hoarding bananas though would be rather impractical.

:)

But during WWII when there was no sugar (or bananas) to be found anywhere, people just got creative and used other things in place of sugar. So maybe that would happen again.

[KamaAina]

8. Out here, if anyone even whispers the words "dock strike"...

...the result is a run on the stores, similar to that seen before a blizzard is about to hit the Northeast or Midwest, focusing on three items in particular: rice, toilet paper... and Spam. Yes, Spam.

[supernova]

9. Milk, and meat

and grain products like bread would be more likely to cause a riot if there were shortages.

Think about anything you have to feed to children, that would cause rioting.

A single fruit like bananas? Naw.

[lumberjack_jeff]

10. One? Nothing.

Six months ago, you couldn't get rice. It got better.

The kinds of problems I expect are going to be much more widespread.

[damntexdem]

12. We would all break into song: "Yes, we have no bananas."

In actuality, Americans would be more likely to go bananas.

[Morning Dew]

14. hoarding

Remember the toilet paper shortage of '73?

http://thelongestlistofthelongeststuffatthelongestdomainnameatlonglast.com/trivia74.html

[WeDidIt]

15. We'd all listen to this band

[Uncle Joe]

16. Do you mean like, as happened to spinach last year?

I've noticed some salad bars still haven't brought that product back.

[greguganus]

17. I never take bananas for granted. n/t

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. Bananas, not much. Not a critical product, for ANY household.

But I remember the Great Toilet Paper Scare of '73. People just thought there was a shortage so everyone rushed out and bought dozens of rolls in bulk which, of course, CREATED a TP shortage. People were getting hysterical.

And it WAS hysterical.