Surviving This Holiday Season:
Easing into the Year 2000

The year 2000 is now just a month away! Unless you have been living out in the middle of nowhere, you have heard much about Y2K. The following are tips to help ease into the year 2000 should there be any problems due to Y2K. Basically these tips are common sense and could apply to other situations such as weather-induced power-outages, earthquakes, etc.

• 3-day supply of water (3 gallons per person)
• 3-day supply of non-perishable food
• Pet food
• Non-electric can opener
• First aid kit with any necessary prescription medicine
• Flashlights [for your home and your car(s)]
• Battery-operated radio
• Extra batteries
• Extra pair of glasses (if you wear glasses)
• Sanitation supplies such as toilet paper and disposable diapers
• Cash to meet essential needs for a week (or longer?)
• Full tank of gas in car(s)
• Extra blankets or sleeping bags

Source: The Courier-Journal

The following is a checklist compiled and presented at the Great Lecture's Luncheon Series by Art Cromer and Mark Rubinstein of Information Technology, University of Louisville, on Friday, November 19, 1999:

• By mid-December, withdraw enough cash to cover your expenses for about a month. That way you'll have money to buy necessities in case your credit and ATM cards don't work. You'll also have money if your Social Security or pension checks are delayed.
• Do not schedule elective surgery early in the year 2000. A lot of hospital equipment is dependent on computer chips that might not work properly.
• Avoid flying during the first few days after the New Year. Airlines and the Federal Aviation Administration use a lot of high-tech equipment that is particularly vulnerable to year 2000 errors.
• Don't call out-of-town family or friends to wish them a happy New Year. If you begin your call before midnight and end it after midnight, you may be billed for a 99-year long phone call.
• Contact the manufacturer of any machine or equipment that you rely on. This might include your car, cell phone, burglar alarm, or in-home medical equipment. Ask for written assurance that the item will continue to work in the year 2000.
• Watch for recall notices. Experts are predicting that there will be hundreds, maybe thousands, of products recalled due to year 2000 problems.
• Be alert when buying new "high tech" items. Look for advertising or warranties that the product is year 2000 compliant.
• Contact the manufacturer of your personal computer. Ask how to handle the year 2000 problem. The solution may be as simple as leaving it on overnight and resetting the date on the first of January.
• If you operate a business, contact a computer expert for help in determining whether your operations may fail. Also, check with your insurance carrier to make sure you're protected in case a year 2000 problem arises.
• Don't panic. Make sure you have necessary, low-cost items such as candles, batteries for radios and flashlights, bottled water and non-perishable foods to last three days. Fill all prescriptions for medication before 2000. Fill fuel oil or natural gas tanks well before the end of December.

After the New Year…

• Examine all bills carefully before paying. A year 2000 mistake could lead to significant errors in charges.
• Contact your insurance companies. Ask them to confirm that your policies are in force.
• Reconfirm appointments with doctors and others made prior to January 1.

Either checklist has helpful tips. Both lists made me start to think how much my life may be effected should Y2K problems occur. Whether or not there are problems, remember that we are not alone, but we are in this together.

Other sources: