yankytrash
Member
Just sent this message to my brother (we're callin him "Jim" in this case) in San Francisco. Names have been changed, but I suggest everyone have a plan in place.
Not a foolproof plan I know, but it might help keep my little yuppy siblings safe. Y'all start thinkin about what you'll do, where you are, what might happen, weather p[atterns, landmarks, etc. Better paranoid and safe than aloof and dead.Jane, Bob, you read on even though this message is for Jim, but you know you're just buggin out up here if **** hits the fan. I have plenty of supplies now, and plenty of water. Keep my number in your pocket and a calling card, call if you need a ride. Don't bring anymore than one friend a piece. If anyone else insists, tell'm I'm nuts and I'd probably just shoot any other tag-alongs, or somethin to that effect. I wouldn't, but tell'm that anyway (I told every one of my wife's relatives that. No need for them to procreate anymore spawn than they have already!).
Jim, watch yourself out there, bein so close to landmarks. Stay sober just in case bug-out is necessary, you wanna be on your toes.
Get you and Sherry a roll of housewrap made by Tyvek. It's white and very smooth, and make sure it's the 10' wide stuff. There's alot of kinds of houswrap out there, but only the white Tyvek housewrap will do. Cut a couple 12' long pieces, drop it over your entire body like a kid's cheap Halloween ghost costume, and cut very small eye holes, only barely enough to see through. If you decide to double or triple up, make sure to use cotton string, like a shoelace or somethin if thread and needle aren't available, to tie the eyeholes together so they'll line up when you have to put the suit back on again. Use a scuba diving mask (best) or swimmer's goggles (will work) for your eyes, over top of the Tyvex suit. That will be enough to cover y'all from some of the radioactive fallout or very minor large-particle germ warfare. The suit is one-time short-term use, but it's enough to get ya out of the city if need be. It's goofy lookin, sure, but it's better than radiation sickness that will slowly burn you from the outside-in, or germ warfare that'll melt your insides with every breathe.
Have a plan in place to get out of the city, staying well above or below the jetstream as much as possible. It's usually best to head to northerly colder climates where particles have a tendency to drop from the sky before they get too far north, but from the Sanfran/LA region the jetstream is north of you (it usually runs through the upper 1/3 of California), so head southeast, not due east, toward the mountains. The majority of radioactivity will fall before it gets to the lee-side of the Rockies. Not all of it mind you, but perhaps enough to extend your life another 10-20 years more than the people in Vegas will live.
Oh, that stuff about covering your windows/doors with plastic and duct tape? Don't be fooled, you know that. I've built and worked on a lot of houses, and I know for a fact that in today's houses, the doors and windows are about the most air-tight seal in the entire house. There are roof vents, soffit vents, shingles that aren't properly sealed yet, siding that allows condensation to pass on through, sill plates that allow air to pass right on through like an express highway, foundation vents, hidden gaping holes in the inside/outside corners, etc. You know that as well as I. Don't be fooled, 99.9% of houses, old and new, will be contaminated inside and out during crisis. The best bet is to get out and taked a chance on dodging fallout to the north or south.
As for public shelters, those are usually big commercial buildings like school gymnasiums. What a (insert cuss word here) joke, stay way clear of those. That roof is barely thick enough to hold out the rain (and usually doesn't!), let alone radiological/biological fallout. In some cases, like flat unpainted tar rooves, it will actually attract some of the harmful particles. They think they're lockin my kids down in school if somethin happens, but I already let'm know it's not happenin with my kids.
Keep at least one backpack packed with the essentials, and don't forget toilet paper. Bring an extra pair of shoes each, because if you're walking on radioactive fallout, you're gonna want to discard your walkin shoes as soon as you get to a safer area. I suggest at least one gallon of water too, sealed at the lid with tape or nail polish, with one drop of chlorine bleach in it to keep it fresh for a long period of time. Retaliation will not be now, that's too obvious. It'll be when the plate is cold I'm sure.
Y'all stay safe, keep your heads, and I hope this is just another one of Nige's crazy rants.
- Nigel
