"How am I meant to be able to wipe my f***ing kids' arses when there are no wipes or toilet paper? You guys are pathetic, f***ing hell."
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Those were the fighting words levelled at a worker at a Wollongong Woolworths on Wednesday after angry customers found toilet paper shelves empty yet again.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison put it in more prime ministerial language but his frustration was also clear.
"On bulk purchasing of supplies: stop hoarding," he said. "I can't be more blunt about it. Stop it! It's not sensible. It's not helpful and I've got to say it's been one of the most disappointing things I've seen in Australian behaviour in response to this crisis."
The buying frenzy reached new levels on Tuesday and Wednesday, with long queues forming outside major supermarkets across the region as anxious shoppers continued to stockpile food and medicine in fear of a lockdown.
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Many had come to expect empty toilet paper and pasta shelves, but this mass clear-out of groceries had extended to meat, frozen food, potatoes, canned goods and sanitary products.
A number of supermarkets brought in security guards to help keep the peace, while one store had to call for police back-up after shoppers turned up in the thousands.
"We had a call from a Woolies at Unanderra on Tuesday saying they had 2000 people, can we get down here now," Lake Illawarra District Community Safety Officer Sergeant Peter Northey said.
The police presence at many supermarkets across the region on Wednesday morning was a "proactive response to the large crowd numbers and to support overwhelmed staff" during rush hour, Sgt Northey said.
At one Woolworths store, a worker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said some customers were intimidating.
"There are too many angry, abusive customers," she said.
"I've had a few today come at me and try to intimidate me - a few succeeded and I had to go out the back to calm down; my anxiety sky-rocketed."
"I mean I get it, I'm having the same problems finding toilet paper."
We have to line up like everybody else. Our boss would not let us walk out the door with toilet paper if nobody else has got toilet paper. That wouldn't look good.
Many of the rude comments were based on the assumption that workers were getting first dibs on sought-after grocery items.
Not true, said one Illawarra Coles worker.
"I've got a shopping list and I can't get half the stuff," she said.
"The abuse that we're copping is just unbelievable.
"They seem to think we can get whatever we want because we work here and they're all like, 'It's all right for you, you work here. You can get what you like; we can't get what we like'.
"We have to line up like everybody else. Our boss would not let us walk out the door with toilet paper if nobody else has got toilet paper.
"That wouldn't look good."
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The worker said the past fortnight had taken a mental toll on staff.
"It's very, very exhausting ... this is like Christmas Eve.
"The build-up for Christmas when you're in retail is absolutely huge and it lasts for maybe two or three days.
"This has been going for two weeks and it's just mentally draining for everybody."
She is sick of talking about toilet paper, with every person coming through the check-out complaining about it.
"People just need to stay calm," she said.
"I know it's really hard because it's making everybody panic but just try to stay calm.
"You can't have your family sitting there eating like a king while others go without. It's not fair.
"And it's not our fault so please don't abuse us."
The major supermarkets are taking on more staff to help with the demand.
Meantime, Sgt Northey urged the community to behave responsibly.
"We would like to ask people to remain calm and to respect each other," he said.
"Violence and aggression will not be tolerated towards staff or other shoppers."
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