Waiting for Help on the Rooftops

Or, why it's stupid to swim for food.

Published on October 2, 2005 By dabe In Current Events

This is a reprint from a reply in Kingbee's article "What REALLY Happened in New Orleans" Link Because I am banished to my own blog for calling stuff like I see it (but that's another story), and therefore unable to reply in that thread, I am forced to respond in my own blog. My response: HOLY FEKKING SHIT!!!! Are you fekking serious?

when I see perfectly healthy Homo Sapiens with two legs and two hands screaming that they are going to die unless someone brings them something to eat,

Ya know, I may take being a swimmer for granted, along with the knowledge that many things float in water, but I just can't figure out the mindset of someone sitting on their roof waiting for a helicopter to come along. These are truly people that are used to other people taking care of them.

Oh migod, this is such pathetic drivel. I suppose if someone risked swimming away from his house, maybe to the closest supermarket or corner bodega, they'd be caught on TV as being a looter. Maybe even shot. After all, that is the mindset for looters, isn't it. Shoot 'em first. Ask questions later, if they survive.

But, aside from that crappola reply, I am reminded that when caught in a flood, your best chance for survival is to stay on high ground, in this case, a roof, until help arrives. Otherwise, you can risk death by drowning, because you may not know what kind of hazard could be lurking below the surface, ie broken glass from cars and windows, broken tree limbs, hungry animals, god knows what.

Now, here we are, still in this mindset of blaming the victims of Hurricane Katrina, and blaming the victims of the horrific disaster response. They're too stupid. Otherwise they'd swim for food. I dunno. A loaf of bread that's been underwater is really kind of unappetizing, particularly when the water is polluted with oil, feces, dead bodies, etc. I dunno. That MacDonald's hamburger that may have been so yummy before the storm seems likely to maybe, just maybe be tantamount to poison if ingested. Seems to me that maybe the smart person would just sit it out and wait for help to arrive. The stupid dolt would risk life and limb in search of likely poisoned food.

As I said, HOLY FEKKING SHIT!

Comments

dharmagrl

on Oct 02, 2005

I am reminded that when caught in a flood, your best chance for survival is to stay on high ground, in this case, a roof, until help arrives. Otherwise, you can risk death by drowning, because you may not know what kind of hazard could be lurking below the surface, ie broken glass from cars and windows, broken tree limbs, hungry animals, god knows what.

A lot of people who've never swum in anything other than a comparitively sterile pool simply don't have an idea of what it is to swim in a lake or an ocean. Sumberged objects are hazardous, as are flowing water and currents. yes, I know the waters in NO were flood waters and weren't likely to have any currents in them, but there was plenty of debris not only floating visibly but under that water, lurking invisibly....not to mention all the fecal matter, chemicals, and even human and animal remains floating around. Even if a person was lucky enough to not drown trying to swim to safety, they were still risking contracting what could be a fatal infection from all the pollution.

People also don't realize just how damn tiring swimming for extended periods of time is. Last year I swam a mile almost daily. The first few times it kicked my ass, and I was in relatively good shape. A person who wasn't in decent shape, who wasn't used to swimming, who was ill or disabled in some way....there's no way they could make it any distance safely.

Unless people could see dry land from their rooftops, trying to swim to safety was a ridiculous idea. They wouldn't know which way to go, being as the street signs were all submerged. They'd have lost their bearings pretty damn quick.

saying 'oh, they should have swum' is an incredibly glib response and I don't blame you in the slightest for writing a response to it. Good on ya!

kingbee

on Oct 02, 2005

you can risk death by drowning, because you may not know what kind of hazard could be lurking below the surface, ie broken glass from cars and windows, broken tree limbs, hungry animals, god knows what.

i linked to your response. swimming in that situation is only a means of last resort...literally.

dabe

on Oct 02, 2005

Thank you both for your replies, and Kingbee for linking it to his original article. I was just over there, and eric the glib is still insisting that he'd swim rather than wait for food. Well, goody goody for him. I suppose that makes everyone else ........ errr ......... how did he say it?.......... oh yeah, "used to being taken care of." What a glib, derogatory and sanctimonious statement.

I somehow get this sense that if a wealthy community, maybe in an expensive coastal resort, sustained the same type of flooding, wherein the people were sitting on their roofs waiting for help, the "blame the victim" mentality would never have arisen like it has in New Orleans. I remember incidences in some southern communities, maybe in Texas or some flash floodprone areas, but I don't remember exactly where, just the images, wherein people where hanging on rooftops and in trees waiting for help. None of this dispicable disdain and blame emerged that was directed at the victims. Why is that, I wonder?

Dr Guy

on Oct 02, 2005

YOur article is a defense of anti-darwin. WHy? I thought you hated intelligent creation? yet this is an argument for it.

Well, whatever. Have fun. With your own contradictions.

ericseba

on Oct 03, 2005

I remember incidences in some southern communities, maybe in Texas or some flash floodprone areas, but I don't remember exactly where, just the images, wherein people where hanging on rooftops and in trees waiting for help. None of this dispicable disdain and blame emerged that was directed at the victims. Why is that, I wonder?

Dabe, their is a freaking difference between a flashflood and what occured in New Orleans. Once New Orleans was full of water, it was simply a lake. No rushing water, no horrendous current pulling people out to sea. It was just a big lake. Furthermore, it was not the polluted cess pool that you describe until several days later.

Now maybe I'm crazy, but the idea of a perfectly healthy adult grabbing a floating object so as to go find help seems only natural to me. If nothing else, go find the authorities and DIRECT them to my house and family versus just hoping I'll be found amongst the thousands of roofs.

I will say this though Dabe, being contradicted by you feels like winning the blogging lottery. I might start questioning my sanity if you agreed with me on this.

dharmagrl

on Oct 03, 2005

It was just a big lake. Furthermore, it was not the polluted cess pool that you describe until several days later.

That's not true. There were household chemical and human remains in that water from day one.

kingbee

on Oct 03, 2005

Now maybe I'm crazy, but the idea of a perfectly healthy adult grabbing a floating object so as to go find help seems only natural to me. If nothing else, go find the authorities and DIRECT them to my house and family versus just hoping I'll be found amongst the thousands of roofs.

this is a rather lengthy read, but well worth the time and effort. if this guy had a difficult time paddling around the big lake...Link

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