There's a Level of Fear

around the nation tonight. I felt it at work today.

Usually someone would bring up current events and there'd be joking about it. Every time I brought up what's going on in New Orleans, I'd be met with stifled mutters. Except one person brought up that Bourbon Street was still around, that's all that matters.

I just shook my head at that, realizing this guy had no idea that the toxic soup that is still flooding New Orleans has doomed the city to years of detoxification, if that's possible at all. (Shit a thought just hit me. Maybe the whole idea IS for New Orleans to become a toxic dumping site. I mean, why else the flaccid response?)

Anyway, about this fear. I sense that others (and myself) are wondering if this could happen to them. The one co-worker I talk with the most, he had the attitude of well, these people stayed, they should've gotten out.

All I said to him was, You fill up your tank with $50. You try and get out of town, there's a long line, and four hours later, you're empty and the gas stations are empty. What then?

Those of you clucking and shaking your heads, thinking they should've gotten the hell out of Dodge, it's a damn shame what's happening, but they should've gotten out of Dodge. Let me ask you this. How much cash do you have on you?

Cause if a huge ass earthquake hit the Bay Area right now, guess what. The power would be out. Which means NO GAS STATIONS. Which means people would be breaking open those tanks to siphon the gas out into their cars. Let's just say they find the gas since those who could afford SUV's and four wheel drives to drive over the rubble would probably be middle class and white. That wouldn't be considered looting, it'd be securing necessities for survival. (Doesn't that sound *much* better and white-bread?)

I have lived on the edge. We are a paycheck to paycheck family, regardless of how much we try and save up. But what does money in the bank matter if there's no electricity to get it out? That was the point I wanted my co-worker to conclude. It matters not how much money you have in stocks, nor how much you have in your bank account.

Unless you are the super-rich and can procure transportation out to a place where electricity exists and there is food and water, all the money in the bank won't do you any good. Unless you had the foresight to get the hell out of Dodge prior to airports being shut down, roads being too messed up to travel on, mass transit or any form of transit shut down, you Middle America, will be fucked over.

Look at the faces in New Orleans. Now imagine yourself, just due to some unforeseen stroke of luck (car dying, sick relative, repairs to the house that you have to oversee, important meeting at work) you stayed in town. Then imagine yourself going hungry for 2 days even, and thirsty. Can't happen, right?

Riiight.