Many shoppers at army navy store preparing... for Christmas

By Jason Carr
Fox 2 News

ROYAL OAK, Mich. (WJBK) -- Despite the apocalyptic predictions, by now you've noticed the world is still here.  Just like the Hale-Bopp Comet and Y2K, the Mayan calendar proved much ado about nothing.  That doesn't mean people aren't still preparing whether it's for Christmas or the end of the world.

"I'm one of those 'preppers,'" said Austin.  "My whole family is.  We have about... a good two months worth of food, 15 weeks of water."

He was buying rope at Joe's Army Navy on the day the world was supposed to end.  Later in this story, I'll tell you why Sarah was reluctantly buying a gas mask.

The store has a supply of meals ready to eat, including freeze dried scrambled eggs with bacon.

"Most people that were in the military say they're not the greatest.  However, there are still people that come in buying them because they like the taste," we were told.

So-called "preppers" don't need something silly like the Mayans on which to stake their readiness.  Even the zombie targets you can buy are metaphorical, as in a crowd of hungry people finding out you have supplies.

Was Austin expecting anything Friday with the Mayan calendar ending?

"I was expecting people to go a little bit crazy when I woke up, but instead what I got was snow."

Survival knives that do multiple things are a hot seller.  One had a slingshot, boot knife, seatbelt cutter, compass and matches.

However, most customers were just buying practical gifts.  The world is still here and so is Christmas.

Back to Sarah.  She's doing a play about the post-apocalypse at Wayne State, hence the mask.

"You should come see our show.  It's January 27th and 28th," she said.  "The world will still be around by then, I hope.  We put too much work into it."