A First Hand Report From the Scene

I just posted about this in the new thread called Eyewitness: police would not let us leave NOLA. The EMT in question was featured on NPRs "This American Life" and told the same story. Chilling. Time for tin hats indeed!

Originally posted by Valhall
I'm sorry, but why the hell is everybody falling out over a bunch of visitors hold up in the dry-lands of the French Quarter?

For christ's sake pull your heads out. Half of this article has been previously attributed to Europeans... do you not check anything?

Let's pretend it was real. Let's pretend some disfortunate folks visiting NO got put out and a little hungry in the French Quarter.

Heads up! do a little bit of farking research

Ouch! After a reaming like that, I for one need a bit of virtual prep H.

And Thank You, Gardenia....you said that more eloquently than I.

One link to a British couple's story.

[edit on 10-9-2005 by frayed1]

Originally posted by Valhall
Is the "W Hotel" considered in the French Quarter?

According to www.frenchquarter.com... it is.

W French Quarter
316 Chartres Street• New Orleans, LA 70130

The Astor Crowne Plaza mentioned in the other quotes I posted is also considered to be in the French Quarter. It's at Bourbon and Canal.


[edit on 10-9-2005 by Duzey]

Originally posted by frayed1


Ouch! After a reaming like that, I for one need a bit of virtual prep H.

yeah - I didn't mean to come off quite as hideous as I did. lol

Thanks for the link. I dont' think that's the British couple I'm remembering, but I'll check into it further.

Originally posted by they see ALL
Valhall...

what your saying is that this storm is a good thing because it killed these negative people and made the negative people "get a new life"???


EDIT:

darn, i quoted you wrong...

EDIT again:

val...

are you anti-european???

Are you serious? no, no, no, and no.

Why would I be anti-european???

And why would you think I would want anybody dead or even adversely affected? I stated that the citizens of Algiers may now have a chance to get out of the century(s?) old oppression and racketeering they have been under. You don't have to twist that to I'm saying Katrina was good. You just have to take it the way I say it.

After reading that story, it's going to be very difficult to ever believe in this current government again.

That story really upset, depressed, and angered me.

I have heard some about this. Shepard Smith and Geraldo both raving that people should "walk out of NO", specifically that they should walk over the bridge into the town of Gretna.
I understand Gretna is a "bedroom community" and not set up to take in survivors or refugees. What would have happened if 800 people marched into town, hungry, thirsty, tired and expecting to be cared for? There was nothing in Gretna to do any caring, just a suburb. Wouldn't the refugees become angry and start breaking down doors and taking what they needed if it wasn't forthcoming?
I see something terrible here, some officials telling the people to go over the bridge and the law from the town of Gretna stopping them from going on into the town. Who is right?
I think I would be alarmed if a nearby city started sending desperate survivors into my town without alerting me ahead of time so I could be prepared to take care of them. From what I understand, no one in Gretna had any reason to expect anyone to come from NO in need of help. I'm sure many would have helped as they were able but not hundreds or thousands of people at once. Gretna is getting a great deal of blame when they are not to blame at all.

Originally posted by Valhall
Are you serious? no, no, no, and no.

Why would I be anti-european???

And why would you think I would want anybody dead or even adversely affected? I stated that the citizens of Algiers may now have a chance to get out of the century(s?) old oppression and racketeering they have been under. You don't have to twist that to I'm saying Katrina was good. You just have to take it the way I say it.

obviously, (based on your posts and pod-casts, that are great BTW), you are pissed about this event...

but, you dont have to say something along the lines of "who cares about some people in a hotel"...

this is the thing that pissed me off honestly...

Understood tsa, understood.

Let me rephrase. They were extremely put out for some days in an area that didn't even flood - while others died in their attics or nursing home beds. It kind of got to me a little more than it should have.

But with that said, I'm glad they have given their report and I'm still looking for that other one from the Brits, because I think what we've got here is confirmation of certain events from two different groups of people. Which is something that rarely happens in these type events!

[edit on 9-10-2005 by Valhall]

Vall, I believe most of us can forgive you if not all of us. You have been under some major stress lately especially with the dealings in your other detentition camp thread. I think you may need to get away from the net and Kitrina for a day or two and take some time just to yourself. You did as much as you could have done in your curminstance to help the victims. I don't think anyone would begrudge you of a well deserved rest and relaxation.

I've be trying to track down as many names and accounts from people who were supposedly a part of this group. The criteria I have been using is tourists who were in French Quarter hotels and mention the buses that were rented. These are the ones I've found so far.

Debbie Durso and Kathy Trampas of Washington, Michigan

Durso and Trampus had been trying to leave the stricken city since the rains and winds died. They bought tickets on a bus arranged by their hotel to flee Wednesday, only to see it commandeered by police, said Gray.

Durso told the Associated Press that they'd asked a police officer for assistance and his response was, " 'Go to hell -- it's every man for himself.' "

www.freep.com...

Larry Mitzel and Jill Johnson from Saskatchewan, Canada. Mitzel's cousin Eugene Herman was also travelling with them.

They trudged for blocks to walk over a bridge, but officers wouldn't let them cross — and fired a few warning shots over their heads to convince them.
....

"I grew up in an upper-middle class family. Street life is foreign to me,'' said Larry Mitzel, 53, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "I'm not sure I'm going to get out of here alive.''
....

"We're appalled,'' said Jill Johnson, 53, of Saskatoon.

www.gazettetimes.com...

Later in the same article Whit Herndon of Jonesboro, Arkansas confirms that shots were fired at a group trying to cross the bridge. I don't know what group he was with but I thought I would add to the list anyways.

They were turned back when another group trying to cross began to threaten the officers, said Whit Herndon, 32, of Jonesboro, Ark.

I also found another account of Bradshaw and Slonsky's story. I'll quote some of the things that weren't in the original post:

And when exhausted hurricane victims set up temporary shelters on the highway, Gretna police came back a few hours later, fired shots into the air again, told people to "get the f -- off the bridge" and used a helicopter to blow down all the makeshift shelters, the paramedics said.

When the officers had pushed the crowd back far enough, one of them took the group's food and water, dropped it in the trunk of a patrol car and drove away.

Gretna Police Chief Arthur Lawson confirmed that his officers were under his orders to seal off the suburban city of 17,500 residents.

sfgate.com.../c/a/2005/09/09/BAGL1EL1KH1.DTL

I've also made a list of some of the other people who claim to be in the group that hired the buses but don't go into much detail of what happened. Maybe after they are home for a while they will start to tell their stories and we can find out more.

Bill Hedrick of Houston, Texas - was travelling with his wife and mother-in-law
Ann Robertson of Nashville, Tennessee
Susan Dewey and Eric Hansen - they live in 'Washington'. I don't know if they mean the state, DC, or one of the cities.

Originally posted by Valhall
Understood tsa, understood.

niiice...

this is a horrible event that effect 10s of 1000s maybe even more...

everyone (i think) should work together and help...