Across the Bay Area, generator etiquette and other lessons of the PG&E power shut-offs
LAFAYETTE, Calif. - Bay Area residents are unhappily adjusting to a new routine.
When talk of power shutdowns starts, there is a checklist. Get cash, gas and ice. Freeze as many water bottles as possible to keep refrigerators and freezers cold. Keep battery-operated headlamps, lanterns and flashlights at hand. Know generator etiquette: Shut off the noisy machines at night and offer to share them with neighbors.
The second power shutdown in a month, which started Saturday and ended Tuesday for most East Bay residents, found many of them more prepared.
During the first one, panic ensued when shelves quickly emptied of batteries, flashlights and ice, and long lines formed at gas
