I got a glimpse of SHTF

Originally posted by foodstamp
reply to post by Talltexxxan

 

Your tale reminds me of a time when I had hit rock bottom.

I had become behind on some child support back 2010. At 148 a week when you make 250 after taxes, It can be easy. Anyway, I had my daughter over to my house for Father's day. It was just me and her when I heard a knock at the door. It was the police doing "sweeps" for child support on father's day. Needless to say I went to jail after finding someone to take my now frantic 10 year old daughter.

3 Day's later, I had managed to sell one of my two cars to bail out. This bought me about five days (losing my job in the process) and I was right back in jail for child support AGAIN. With a 2,200 bond, I wasn't going anywhere this time.

During that time in jail, I lost my house, everything in it. And my usually loving and supporting mother decided to take my second car and literally give it to her new boyfriend of 2 months (She was on title due to licensing issues). When I was released, four months later. I was jobless, homeless, friendless, and penniless in the middle of December in Michigan.

All shelters were full, as is usual during the winter time. So I soon found myself sleeping under a bridge in the dead of winter. Long story short, during the next three months begging for change and saving for a boarding room I had gone through the terrible realization that the first thing to leave me was my morals. I had done things that I had criticized other people for doing when they were in dire straights. Like stealing, pan handling, picking food out of trash etc etc.. Horrible things that, when I had money, couldn't imagine how anyone could let themselves do such depraved things.

I'm not much of a writer so I'll keep my point clear and concise. When the SHTF, you WILL do ANYTHING to survive. And believe me, it does not take long to get to that point of "depraved indifference" when the SHTF. I can only imagine if I had my kids or a wife to feed too. I woulda been in prison for sure. If not for getting into trouble. Then to get too "three hots 'n cot".

Your experience really pulled at my heart, I'm sorry to hear things went south so fast for you. A saying that helps me get through all of lifes ups and downs is "this too shall pass". It fits in every situation whether its a joyfull moment or a sorrowful one. It helps you to remember to apreciate things when their going good and helps you remember that when its bad ,it will pass as long as you keep on trucking.

Back on topic, the poo can hit the fan quicky within a large city so my family and I are ready to hit the road in a matter of minutes. The B.O.B.'s are in the closet by the front door and nonperishable foods are already packed and ready to be loaded in the trucks. In case fuel is inacessable I have a 55gal drum full and ready to fill the trucks up. I know all hell can break loose at any moment and seconds matter in a situation like that. I cant stress enough the importance of being prepare. Its not parinoia its smart planing.

~peace~

I'm starting to see, in small ways, in everyday life, people just don't think anymore.

Small example. Last weekend, on my way home from work, I decided to stop in at an Ingle's store to pick up something from their Deli dept. I saw a special on fried chicken, decided to get the Family Pack, no sides, just chicken. The Woman who worked at the counter, after I placed my order, began sifting through all the maybe 30 pieces of chicken in the metal tray. She then looked up and told me "sorry I can't do that for you". I said what?. What I ordered only has 10 pieces in it, there are plenty in the tray. She then told me, the Family Pack includes 2 breasts, and there were no breasts in the tray., so she couldn't sell it to me. I looked at her like she was crazy, and said, what are you going to do, throw all that chicken out because there are no breasts left in the tray? I said give me 2 extra thighs instead, charge me the same price, I don't care. She said she couldn't because the Family Pack had to have 2 breasts in it. I had to go to the manager to get some freaking chicken.

See what I mean...people don't think anymore. How can we expect people to make a life changing decision. If it requires logic and some thought, many I fear will be lost. How many will just sit at home, waiting for rescue if TSHTF....rescue that may never come.

Des

I learned something this summer as well:

We had the power go out for ~10 hours one late afternoon, and my older kids (13, 10) were really freaked out. I t dawned on me that when I was growing up, power interruptions were normal occurrences. My kids have lived in an age with a much more stable infrastructure, and amazingly haven't seen an extended power outage scenario before.

After I got them over the idea that there was no internet , I got them motivated digging out the candles and starting a fire in the backyard. They totally got into it and were having honest to goodness analog old-fashioned fun!

So if you have kids, do a 24 hour 'power outage' at your house every year or more. That way you can see what you have and don't, and your kids learn how to function in a crisis without you having to teach them everything.

Originally posted by Destinyone
I'm starting to see, in small ways, in everyday life, people just don't think anymore.

Small example. Last weekend, on my way home from work, I decided to stop in at an Ingle's store to pick up something from their Deli dept. I saw a special on fried chicken, decided to get the Family Pack, no sides, just chicken. The Woman who worked at the counter, after I placed my order, began sifting through all the maybe 30 pieces of chicken in the metal tray. She then looked up and told me "sorry I can't do that for you". I said what?. What I ordered only has 10 pieces in it, there are plenty in the tray. She then told me, the Family Pack includes 2 breasts, and there were no breasts in the tray., so she couldn't sell it to me. I looked at her like she was crazy, and said, what are you going to do, throw all that chicken out because there are no breasts left in the tray? I said give me 2 extra thighs instead, charge me the same price, I don't care. She said she couldn't because the Family Pack had to have 2 breasts in it. I had to go to the manager to get some freaking chicken.

See what I mean...people don't think anymore. How can we expect people to make a life changing decision. If it requires logic and some thought, many I fear will be lost. How many will just sit at home, waiting for rescue if TSHTF....rescue that may never come.

Des

edit on 12-8-2012 by Destinyone because: (no reason given)

Well, not to sound uncaring, indifferent, unchristian, or anything else ( I am not and if you think that I really don't care).BUT.....most of those people (hopfully?) will die first. To have any chance to put a functioning society back together after SHTF we are going to need people with a work ethic and some basic logical skills. Those two things I think will count more then anything else. Anyone else is just getting in the way.

reply to post by SrWingCommander


What you said makes total sense to me. I fall into the, prepper as a lifestyle, category...farmer in a rural area with occasional forays into the city. That's why I think so many will sit and perish. The dependance on a societal infrastructure, will be the end to many people. Just look at what happens at a four way intersection, when power goes out, and the traffic lights don't work to see what will prevail.

Des

And that was for just a simple power outage that didn't last days, weeks, months or years.

Read David Crawford's book, "Lights Out"..........very interesting read but sugar coated. I think it would be even worse.

1 out of every 4 adults in America is on some kind of "needed medicatation". Quite a few are on psychotherapy drugs (Prozac, Elavil, Valium, Paxil, Lithium, etc)

Now couple that with the fact that most stores only carry 3-4 days supply of food for their target area and not if but when TSHTF there is going to be a lot, A LOT of very cranky, psychotic and unprepared people.

Most people have been warned to have at least 3-6 months of food and water stored away, a power generator, extra medication, batteries, first aid kits, a gun (and know how to use it), a good secure home (steel door) and get to know your neighbors to the point where you have each other's back.

It's coming.

We know for a fact we cannot depend on the weasels in Washington or our police to protect and defend us.

BTW: People not having a extra supply of certain medicines will either die or get real crazy and it's not going to be a pretty picture.

Just one little EMP could really change your cushy 2012 life back to the the dark ages and it's coming.

The elite 1%, the real PTB want the chaos and mayhem................as they have their bunkers (like Bill & Melinda Gates & Tom Cruise/bunkers are being built at a 700% increase because those that have the extra money see what's coming and will hide out until the pions have picked each other off.

Refer to the Georgia Guide Stones.

It's all part of the NWO Agenda and it's leader is not human.

reply to post by Talltexxxan


Try being in Florida after a hurricane.. .Two weeks no power, no running water, no AC, no way to take a hot shower. Struggling to find gas. Getting up in the morning and finding that your gas tank which was full the day before is now mysteriously empty...

Getting nails in every tire while you drive from all the roof and fencing nails and construction damage that have been blown into the roadways... Driving around with no stop lights working... We here seem to get through it. At first everyone panics.. .Then we calm down a bit. Some of us work together. Sometimes we have neighborhood gatherings to cook and eat all the food in our fridges before it goes bad. But usually it last a week or two max. I wonder how bad things would be if it lasted a long time.

Dude, I saw the exact same thing in DC during the last derecho/power outage. Very telling.

I remember growing up in the country, more or less, and the power would go out. It did not seem that bad. I think in urban areas (large or small) everything requires a ton of support to function. Pull out the lynch pin, electricity, and the whole thing collapses. Folks come crawling out of there boxes looking for their next hit if instant gratification and comfort. When it's not there, there is trouble in River City.

On the flip side, in NE CT when The hurricane took out power to 90% of the state for 5+ days last fall, things didn't collapse. A lot of people have generators, their own wells with secondary manual pumping means, all the high schools were centers for food, water, showers, emergency needs.

Everyone is well armed and everyone knowing this MAY have been a factor in why nothing happened. It never had to come to anything because we would help each other even if we never saw each other before.

If the vast majority of the population has enough to get by for several weeks, such events are a mere nuisance.

You should have seen it when a freak ice storm hit So Il and shut the power down for over a week. Mass chaos.. then the break ins and home invasions. I swear, it wont take much at all for a serious issue to occur in the US. Regionally or locally or nationally. Not nibiru, not nukes, not a civil war.. just let the grid partially fail or an earthquake, or something... SHTF immediately... no conspiracies needed.
People are idiots really. Ive seen them ( and joked a LOT on here about it).. if we get a winter storm warning theses geniuses go buy perishables. Empty shelves of perishables.. and the electricity might go out. They sold so many generators they had to be shipped in and sold in the parking lot of the fairgrounds for inflated prices with that ice storm 2 or 3 yrs ago. Morons were dropping dead of carbon monoxide poisoning.. grilling indoors and generators indoors. Housefire cause some moron is burning wood in a BBQ pit in the house. Incredible to me. This isnt rocket science and these are adults!
People are really idiots. NEVER prepare or have any sense of being responsible for themselves or their families and expect everyone else to take care of them.
We're in a world of doodoo if ANYTHING happens.
If thinhgs were right.. these are the people the FEMA camps are for. The ones that need to be taken care of.. and they are the majority.

Originally posted by Destinyone
I'm starting to see, in small ways, in everyday life, people just don't think anymore.

Small example. Last weekend, on my way home from work, I decided to stop in at an Ingle's store to pick up something from their Deli dept. I saw a special on fried chicken, decided to get the Family Pack, no sides, just chicken. The Woman who worked at the counter, after I placed my order, began sifting through all the maybe 30 pieces of chicken in the metal tray. She then looked up and told me "sorry I can't do that for you". I said what?. What I ordered only has 10 pieces in it, there are plenty in the tray. She then told me, the Family Pack includes 2 breasts, and there were no breasts in the tray., so she couldn't sell it to me. I looked at her like she was crazy, and said, what are you going to do, throw all that chicken out because there are no breasts left in the tray? I said give me 2 extra thighs instead, charge me the same price, I don't care. She said she couldn't because the Family Pack had to have 2 breasts in it. I had to go to the manager to get some freaking chicken.

See what I mean...people don't think anymore. How can we expect people to make a life changing decision. If it requires logic and some thought, many I fear will be lost. How many will just sit at home, waiting for rescue if TSHTF....rescue that may never come.

Des

edit on 12-8-2012 by Destinyone because: (no reason given)

The RI night club fire that killed 99 a few years ago. All they had to do was throw chairs through the windows and hop outside on the ground floor. No bars on the windows.

People don't think anymore.

Originally posted by MidnightTide
The same thing happened to me, it was after work....was a long day and I didn't feel like cooking dinner so I went to Subway to pick up a sub while driving home. While in the store a lady was buying subs for her family (from a city nearby), apparently the power was off for most of the day and she was complaining how she couldn't cook.

I looked at her and said, what if the power was off for a week, for a month....what would you do. She just looked at me and said the government would look after us. I was in utter shock. People are SO UNPREPARED, they actually believe that big brother, when things are at its worst, will look after you.


We all call ourselves civilized, but that "civilization" can be stripped very easily.

Wow! At least have a gas grill or some charcoal to cook upon. These things are always in abundance at my place.

edit on 11-8-2012 by MidnightTide because: (no reason given)

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink.

Some people are hard wired to be dependent on someone else to look after them...and they will be the first ones at your door. First they will ask, then they will demand and will try to take.

Originally posted by tkwasny


The RI night club fire that killed 99 a few years ago. All they had to do was throw chairs through the windows and hop outside on the ground floor. No bars on the windows.

People don't think anymore.

edit on 12-8-2012 by tkwasny because: Formatting error correction

Not to mention the million other things that went wrong during that event - completely blocking off one exit (the only other visible one to the concertgoers besides the front door, which opened INWARDS, and required navigating through essentially a narrow hallway which quickly became blocked by bodies. there was an employee exit in back which a few people exited through), the flammable insulation, being over-capacity, no sprinklers, etc.

I don't think it was necessarily that people were stupid, but it was pitch black in there and many couldn't quickly breathe through the chaos, smoke, darkness, and panic. That was just a tragedy, and not really an acceptable example of people being dumb. Maybe ill-prepared, but this is primarily the owner of the building's fault for blocking a FIRE EXIT and everything else they dropped the ball on.

Anyway, to get back on topic... I too find it amazing how little people think about these things. My parents, for example, don't feel it necessary to have fire detectors throughout their house because "there are windows in every room" - SO WHAT? They could alert you earlier than you might notice yourself if a fire starts on the opposite of the house, giving you less time to react and save your home from potential destruction. And just because you COULD potentially escape from any one room because it has windows doesn't mean you won't fall asleep from carbon monoxide poisioning before you get the chance.

I finally just installed some for them, lest I have to say "I told you so" to their corpses later.

Originally posted by Talltexxxan
Finally it was my turn to make my order, low and behold the power was out at T. bell was out. ]

I am glad you are well and able to post your experience. It must have been a real eye opener.


doesn't take much

Katrina, as bd as it was was a SMALL taste of SHTF.

I finally am getting around to building a solar energy system for my home. It's not cheap, but should something happen to power, my freezer, fridge and lights will be going. And yes, I'm puttiing the charge controller, inverter, batteries etc in a faraday cage.

reply to post by jewdiful


Thanks for another prime example of...people don't think anymore. Your parents owe you, big time.

I'm rural enough that when something happens that would mean no electricity at all, for weeks or months, I won't worry too much. I trust my farmer/hunter neighbors, we'll cover each other's backs. People in crowded urban areas, will be at the mercy of the crazies looting and setting fires. It will be horrible. The power out at taco bell for a few hours, cake walk compared to the cluster-**** of power out for a few months.

Des

reply to post by Talltexxxan


Don't you just love to watch a storm rolling in? I don't know what it is about it that makes it so enjoyable.

Nothing like a good ol' thunderstorm and blackout to get your heart pumping.
I don't use a water cooler, drink from the tap, so I never have more than a litre or two of water on hand. I don't know what I'm gonna do.

When my kids were little, we used to have 'no electricity' days. Besides keeping the fridge plugged in, everything else was non-electric. No teevee, no video games, a story read by candlelight and early to bed. They said those nights were the most fun, probably because the interaction with adults was more intense and 'real'.

There's a Bob Dean interview done by Project Camelot where he says that the government knows that we'll all be willing to steal after a day without food, and kill after a week without it. I think he was being optimistic.

Wherever you may think you're going to 'go' with your bugout bag, remember you better be one of the first out of town or the roads will be clogged. And us people here out in the sticks have guns and won't be too happy with all the city folk showing up. I consider myself already 'bugged out' and I've been planning for this for years. I have enough food for myself, not for a half million panicky strangers, and even then, all the deer and fish will be gone out of the wild within days.