Some survivalists prepare for the end of the world
Millers Surplus manager says some customers have been stocking up for months
Reporter: Justin Schecker
TUCSON (KGUN9-TV) - December 21, 2012 was supposed to be the end of the world -- at least according to the Mayan calendar.
At the Miller's Surplus store downtown, sales manager George Landa told 9 On Your Side for months now some customers have prepared for what they thought would be doomsday.
"People through the last few months have been stocking up on ammo cans, gas cans, fuel, water, pills that purify your system and gas masks," Landa said.
Landa started working at Millers Surplus before another day on which people feared the world would end.
"More paranoia for that moment back for Y2K," he said. "People have been prepping for this all year long."
"I'm not worried about it at all," said sales associate David Alcon. "I don't think it's that widespread as a lot of people like to think it is."
Still, store workers said some survivalists have come in to get ready for the Mayan Apocolypse.
"Most of them were quite paranoid," sales associate Adriana Kanoza said. "You can tell it's on their minds because they've been asking me in line what I've been getting or if I've been preparing."
But on the final day before December 21, many customers told 9 On Your Side their reason for shopping was to purchase Christmas gifts.
And Landa is confident those customers will keep coming through the weekend.
"I had this swami guy from India walk in here and read my hand telling me I'm going to live until I'm 86," Landa said when asked if he thought the world was ending. "But I really thought it was over."
The end of the Mayan Calendar has been a popular topic on social media all week.
"Wasn't the world also supposed to end in Jan. 1 2000???" wrote Kimber Reeve on the 9 On Your Side Facebook page. "If it ends it ends, there's no use in trying to do anything about. I however don't believe it will end, stop worrying and there has been no crazy change other than the crazy in people."
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