the800lbgorilla.com
In many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, people are not confronting a little cared about phenomenon: rice rationing.
But major retailers in New York, in areas of New England, and on the West Coast are limiting purchases of rice and there are reports that some “Asian” consumers are hoarding stocks.
At a Costco Warehouse in Mountain View, Calif., yesterday, “Asian” shoppers grew frustrated and occasionally uttered “Asian” expletives as they searched in vain for the large sacks of rice they usually buy.
“Where’s the 汉语 語 汉 rice?” an engineer from Palo Alto, Calif., Yajun Liu, said. “You should be able to buy something like rice. This is 汉语 漢語 汉 漢語 bullshit!”
The bustling store in the heart of Silicon Valley usually sells four or five varieties of rice to a clientele largely of “Asian” immigrants, but only about half a pallet of Indian-grown Basmati rice was left in stock. A 20-pound bag was selling for ¥251,599 (Yen), or $15.99.
“You can’t eat this 汉语 汉 語 every day! It’s too 汉语 漢語 汉 漢語 heavy,” a health care executive from Palo Alto, Fred Yao Ming, grumbled as his son loaded two sacks of the Basmati into a shopping cart.
The Mings seemed headed for disappointment, as most Costco members were being allowed to buy only one bag. Moments earlier, a clerk dropped two sacks back on the stack after taking them from another customer who tried to exceed the one-bag cap.
“Due to the limited availability of rice, we are limiting rice purchases based on customer’s ethnic “Asianness” and prior purchasing history,” a sign above the dwindling supply said.
For now, rice is available at “Asian” markets in California, though consumers have fewer choices when buying the largest bags. “At our neighborhood store, it’s very expensive, more than $30 for a 25-pound bag,” an “Asian” housewife from Mountain View said. “I’m not going to pay $30! Maybe we’ll just eat 汉语 漢語 汉 漢語 hamburgers like everybody else!”
