Panic to be re-defined

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There was an excellent program on TLC this afternoon related to fires and how people would react. (unrelated to y2k)

It seems that people follow ritual, familiar patterns of behavior, in extremely dire circumstances, rather than panicing in the usual senxe of the word. Fire marshalls have determined that the LACK of panic (or a need for different action) in a serious situation leads to more deaths than need be.

I couldn't help thinking of the complacency and apathy being foisted upon the public by those in power (Washington) regarding y2k that will lead to horrible consequences by those who will continue to live the easy path that we have become ccustommed to. Someone should yell FIRE in the theatre and alert the public. Maybe they will respond soon enough to do some good.

I fear this will not happen, and we will be constantly reassured that all will be well, even as the ship is sinking. Even as our banks close, gas pumps are dry, food shelves are bare, and electricity stops.

Take names. We want to give credit where credit is due

Bob P

-- Bob P (rpilc99206@aol.com), July 11, 1999

Answers

Through willful misleading and intentional inaction this mess has gotten far beyond what a ballot box revolution can accomplish.

Give credit, Hell! GIVE 'EM SOME ROPE!

WW

-- Wildweasel (vtmldm@epix.net), July 11, 1999.


kibble,s and bit,s-kibble,s and bit,s* i want my kibble,s and bit,s() COWARD,S<

-- dog., (dogs@zianet.com), July 11, 1999.

Good post, Bob.

I saw a similar show a while back (it may have been the same one). In an airline crash landing, most of the people automatically stood up and tried to get their luggage out of the overhead racks before departing the plane (what they had been "programmed" to do), while the people who "panicked" and crawled/scrambled over the seats and/or other passengers escaped with their lives. Similarly, in a maritime disaster, passengers who were scrambling to safety and trying to find any way out of the situation, were passing people who were just sitting there in shock waiting to be saved by someone else. Needless to say, the "scramblers" lived while everyone else died. Oh well. Tough shit.

I'm glad I saw the show.

-- Clyde (clydeblalock@hotmail.com), July 11, 1999.


I've heard of a few similar stories related to bushfires. People who apparently sit out on their balcony drinking beer watching the pretty show. Then the wind changes direction...

While the skittish have fled the area long ago.

-- number six (Iam_not_a_number@hotmail.com), July 11, 1999.


I agree. It's the "frog and the boiling water" experiment, only this time we're the frog. A good example of how this is unfolding in the mainstream media is the Johnson Wax commercial for their "Raid" bug spray, where they confidently state that "the millenimum bug is dead."

And of course the cartoon heads on Poole's webpage confirm it.

-- a (a@a.a), July 11, 1999.



DOG--- yeach--- You forgot to reaffirm the rest of your caricature: you always say " Help, help me, I can't read , I can't read," How true this is for both of you~!!

-- michael (mikeymac@uswest.net), July 12, 1999.

Yea - I saw the same type of thing last night on PBS' "Savage Seas." They were showing a piece on a cruise ship that sank off the coast of South Africa in 1991. The Captain in crew were in total denial and not taking charge of the situation. The entertainers aboard actually had to take control of the situation - one scene showed a suspicious entertainer, who was getting the run-around from the crew, it showed him go down into the lower compartments - water was rushing around knee/chest deep - then a crewman came over and said "Out, out of here." "What about all this water?" "What water, there is no water, now go on up out of here." Later, the crew abandoned the ship in half empty lifeboats, leaving 200-300 passengers aboard. (Kinda makes you think of Washington come December).

Think of Y2K - the guy actually sees water running around - has it on videocamera - and the "officials" deny that there is even any water there - then proceed to abandon. I'd hate to say it, but I think this is what we have to look forward to.

-- Jim (x@x.x), July 12, 1999.


Yes, yes....perhaps the government plan is to have military convoys drive around with large speakers mounted to flatbeds, playing soothing violin music, while the masses calmly pack for the trip to camp Y2K. It would probably work too.........sigh.

How many times have we seen footage of tornadoes being taken with the family video camera, only to have the twister shift directions and start heading for the clueless film director? "Whoa, that was cooool! Say honey? is this a roofing nail in my forehead?"

-- Will continue (farming@home.com), July 12, 1999.


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