Y2K reaction: You'll avoid airplanes, stash some cash, invest in unbugged companies

Clearly, they plan to do something. An overwhelming majority, 78.8 percent, told us they plan to prepare themselves and their families in some way. By contrast, only 21.2 percent said they wouldn't do anything at all.

Here's a rundown of some of the more concrete steps they said they'd consider:

62.4 percent would avoid air travel.

61.5 percent would withdraw money from a bank for financial institution.

58.6 percent said they'd purchase extra supplies, such as batteries and candles.

55.8 percent plan to buy extra food.

45.8 percent plan to purchase extra fuel.

Although Y2K-caused computer glitches could screw up traffic and freeway metering lights, the threat isn't going to keep many of our respondents off the roads. Only 17.2 percent said they'd consider avoiding auto travel.

Heading for the hills
And, apparently, there are not many survivalists in our survey group. Only 17.6 percent said they'd gather their families to a central location -- presumably home. Only 7.8 percent said they'd head for hills, by relocating to a "remote location" -- as computer consultant Ed Yourdon did by selling his apartment in the Big Apple and moving his family to the mountain town of Taos, N.M.

The most troubling insight here has to do with the banks. When we asked our respondents how much money they'd withdraw from the banks, 20 percent said they'd take out all their dough. And as we point out in an accompanying piece on the banking issue, as few as 5 percent of a bank's depositors have to withdraw their money to cause a collapse.

Finally, it appears Y2K may be a factor in the investment plans of our respondents. Of those who invest in stocks, 62.5 percent said they're "more likely" to buy securities in a company that's proven itself to be 100 percent Y2K compliant. A mere 1.1 percent said compliance made no difference to their investment plans.