Urban survivalists
: KMK, in my comments, tells a tale of urban survivalism:
I’m an alarmist……..and I’ve been the butt of many jokes since Christmas. I took hat boxes and spray painted them with glow in the dark paint. In them I put lanterns that run on batteries, huge flashlights, walkman radio’s, old phones that require no power to work, heavy duty hospital supply face masks, MRE’s from the army navy supply on Canal Street, juice boxes, and a large supply of replacement batteries. They all got a keyring laser light. I taped my phone number to the phones and laminated a card for everyone’s wallet with my number on it. My friend in Soho, who is an artist, displays my box in an Andy Warhol kind of way with his art. I’d like to say I had the last laugh last night but I am just relieved. My friends and family, when they made it home, had light and a radio telling them it wasn’t a terrorist attack. They were able to tell their neighbors what was going on. I spent the night as a check in point reuniting people with their significant others and parents with children. It didn’t take more than $40 bucks per box and a little planning to be prepared. If you could have heard the frantic tone in my friends voice when at 11:30 he still had not heard from his girlfriend and the relief when I told him she had called and was planning to walk over the Brooklyn Bridge to get home (she works midtown) and the fact that she had stopped off with a few friends to partake in the free beer pubs were offering, you’d make a box. The only one who talked to all the kids about a plan was me, the alarmist. I’m happy to know I have no MIA’s, just a few people sleeping off the free beer, and a big Cheshire cat smile on my face.
That is live in New York after 9/11. Fear comes in handy.
