Thoughts on Urban Survival

[Mistwalker]

Yep...families stick together. That's what I like about how this hollow is situated. If the s#!+ really does hit the fan, and chaos, occupation, anarchy, etc. proceeds to the point that neighborhood defense is implemented then nothing short of full military capabilities will penetrate... in the short term at least...long term is abstract so it is always somewhat iffy and never really looks good in the darker scenarios.

 

[milani74]

In response to Milani - keep your mouth shut, if you have supplies don't flaunt them, stay inside and keep your head down. Your neighbors and others will think you are just as hungry as they are.

My point was the fact that you would be boarding up your home and shoring up your defenses. That simple fact would be like placing a guard to watch something of worth and people would question it. People will do desperate things when they are facing starvation. Look at the old wild west. People were more than competent with firearms yet Arizona and other areas of the frontier had the higher murder rates than today's worst cities. And they mostly were not starving. They did have almost no law enforcement and that is the reason that the murder rates were that high.
Again, I think this would be the absolute worst case scenario, and not a short term disaster. And it also would greatly depend on where you live. But by my estimates, 80 percent of Americans live in cites and their survival rate would be very short if martial law was not enforced by some security agency.

 

[Mistwalker]

My point was the fact that you would be boarding up your home and shoring up your defenses. That simple fact would be like placing a guard to watch something of worth and people would question it. People will do desperate things when they are facing starvation. Look at the old wild west. People were more than competent with firearms yet Arizona and other areas of the frontier had the higher murder rates than today's worst cities. And they mostly were not starving. They did have almost no law enforcement and that is the reason that the murder rates were that high.
Again, I think this would be the absolute worst case scenario, and not a short term disaster. And it also would greatly depend on where you live. But by my estimates, 80 percent of Americans live in cites and their survival rate would be very short if martial law was not enforced by some security agency.

Only the unlucky first few will be faced with the worst without any warning at all. The rest will have at least a limited warning. At that moment you will then have to decide between fight and flight. And proximity to whatever, and your relationship with the rest of the people in your neighborhood or area will have as much effect on that decision as whatever is happening at the time.

There was a time when people knew everyone in their neighborhood by name, but that's seldom the case anymore. I am fortunate in that of the twenty nine residences on this road I know all of them by face and say hi when I see them and I know all but six or seven households my name.

Having been a carpenter and woodworker in this town for many years...I can say there are several houses in this area set up in a defensible fashion though no-one would know it looking at them from without, and you'd be surprised how many people here had some serious panic rooms built over the years.

 

[chewbacca]

All I am saying is...don't brag about your supplies ahead of time, and don't be outside grilling steaks in the back yard. All you need to do is keep up the appearance that you are in the same boat as everyone else in the neighborhood.

 

[22-rimfire]

Having been a carpenter and woodworker in this town for many years...I can say there are several houses in this area set up in a defensible fashion though no-one would know it looking at them from without, and you'd be surprised how many people here had some serious panic rooms built over the years.

There are quite a few folks in the SE TN and North GA area that are 7th Day Adventist. The church is pretty popular in Chattanooga since their college is nearby (Collegedale). I believe their head quarters is in Calhoun GA. The point is I believe these folks practice more survival like the Mormans. So, the commonality of folks having made some preparation in SE TN is not surprising to me in the least.

Most folks in the SE Tenn area don't flaunt wealth. You would be surprised how comfortable some are and you'd never know it by visiting their homes or talking to them on the street. The devil is in the details like everything else and you have to know what to look for.

I believe in keeping a store of food in-house most of the time. I use down the supply, and I often replenish in one or two grocery trips. I keep extra fuel cans under my house should it ever be necessary to store at least a minimal amount of gasoline. I have a generator which is big enough for small things. I plan on buying another larger one as it will come in handy from a business perspective. I also think river travel is a consideration as well as fishing for food should it be necessary. One has to be prepared for both.

Defense is only practical in groups. Neighborhood groups would be quickly formed to patrol and maintain some sense of civility in a substantial regional diaster. At some point, I know you will need to share food and other materials with those that need it. Without the banding together, the group will fragment into haves and have-nots. No one is going to be able to defend their home for very long from a determined "enemy". That is part of the function of the groups; sort of like volunteer firemen.

 

[Mistwalker]

Defense is only practical in groups. Neighborhood groups would be quickly formed to patrol and maintain some sense of civility in a substantial regional diaster. At some point, I know you will need to share food and other materials with those that need it. Without the banding together, the group will fragment into haves and have-nots. No one is going to be able to defend their home for very long from a determined "enemy". That is part of the function of the groups; sort of like volunteer firemen.

In disasters we always revert at least in part to the primitive. It was learned Loooooooooooooooong ago that there is strength in numbers. That's how clans, tribes, feudal societies, and nations came to exist, But in time of economic collapse or break downs in law enforcement it always breaks back down to the cellular level. Pays to actually pay attention to who is in your neighborhood.

 

[PrimitiveMan]

It was also learned Loooooooong ago, that if tehre was significant danger, you move on to happier hunting grounds.

 

[Mistwalker]

It was also learned Loooooooong ago, that if tehre was significant danger, you move on to happier hunting grounds.

True...but there will be competition for a lot of those happier hunting grounds. Even people who never have enjoyed the outdoors and don't even get out there for recreation have bought what they think (and some are) great supplies and plan on loading the vehicle and running to the woods when the S.H.T.F. . I know a few of these people personally and have actually trained some of them to an extent. However for the most part most of them have no real comprehension of their vast wealth becoming even temporarily worthless...they're too used to buying their way through life now. In the middle of nowhere if all collapses all that money and plastic they carry will only come in handy for starting fires. Out there it sure won't buy my services...guess it's a good thing it does here and now eh?

 

[PrimitiveMan]

Yeah, if it gets bad enough, they become the food supply.

 

[Masteroffajitas]

I love where you live man. Excellent place to film a movie I've been thinking of.

 

[Mistwalker]

Yeah, if it gets bad enough, they become the food supply.

True...lets hope it doesn't come to that. I find the site of a monkey roasting over a fire disturbing enough.

 

[Fraser]

You guys in Chattanooga need to get a part time job at this place.

http://www.chattanoogaducks.com/history.htm

The driving experience would be a plus if you had to 'borrow' one of these.

 

[Mistwalker]

You guys in Chattanooga need to get a part time job at this place.

http://www.chattanoogaducks.com/history.htm

The driving experience would be a plus if you had to 'borrow' one of these.

Ha that's funny, I was thinking the same thing as I watched a couple drive by while I was eating lunch. I'd love to have one! These could be very usefull. And there several of them. This one is named after General Omar Bradley

 

[Mistwalker]

Since I couldn’t take the camera out into the woods today I decided to go snap some shots around town.

There was one lone guy sleeping in Miller Park. They tend to sleep in public in the daytime…probably because of the need to be on guard all night long.

There is definitely a connection between the orange and white…but lots more white shirts than orange ones.

Passing through a couple of areas known as “a bad parts” of town it was easy to spot them. This guy kept flipping his jacket open to show his orange shirt as a car went by him then the car turned around and headed back…this guy turned up a side street and the returning car turned in behind him right after I passed.

Then on up the road a bit it was these guys in order of appearance. This first guy was a lot further away from me than you might think looking at this picture.

Here they separate as they cross the road.

Then I went to Coolidge Park to see how it was this weekend. Apparently something was said about the goings on last time I was there, as since a prominent school was having Prom this weekend and there was a very strong police presence this time…(was Prom night the last time I was there at night also….someone’s parents must be pretty important)

 

[Mistwalker]

I thought it worth noting that this set of steps usually occupied by several guys and girls in white shirts sitting along the walls on both sides was completely empty…before it started raining.

This guy was peacefully sleeping when I got there….he sleeps on this bench a lot.

but then it started raining again.

I find it interesting what a difference little things can make. I assume it is because I have little pieces of paper and plastic in my pocket that I can sit here on this sidewalk, under the awning, in the dry in front a store that is out of business, in relative comfort and drink my coffee while watching the world go by and watching it rain for a couple of hours. But if the sleeping guy does this he is trespassing…so he sleeps on a bench in the public park in the rain.

I just couldn’t resist the contrast of this shot…

 

[22-rimfire]

I wonder who was in the limo? Limo's aren't the most common thing in cities the size of Chattanooga.

 

[gutsy]

i work in chattanooga and have my own questions regarding how to get home if something were to happen. i work off of dodson ave .

 

[Mistwalker]

I wonder who was in the limo? Limo's aren't the most common thing in cities the size of Chattanooga.

Actually there are several of them around here. Few people own them...they are hired out to the lawyers, doctors, politicians, and powerful businessmen. Often for their children. We have Senators and Congressmen who live here...from both state and federal levels. I have worked on their houses over the years.

i work in chattanooga and have my own questions regarding how to get home if something were to happen. i work off of dodson ave .

I passed through that area yesterday. I used to work at a printing company on Dodson myself several years ago. I know that area better than I'd like. What area do you work in and which direction do you leave to go home?

 

[Mistwalker]

Lisa has just finished her second semester at UTC and this time she made the “Dean’s List”, all A’s and B’s, so we went to Rembrandts to celebrate with dessert and coffee after dinner…well she had water for the walk after. Afterwards we went for a stroll through the art district and then down a section of the Riverwalk that passes along the edge of an old historical part of town to find a place and just sit and enjoy the scents of spring and some peace on a “quiet” Tuesday night. We tend to do this a lot in the warmer months but tonight was a little different….

This is the section of the Riverwalk we like to sit at, I am facing east as Lisa is facing west.

This is the walkway stretching out behind her.

This is looking west toward the walking bridge that spans over the road at the end of “The Veteran’s Bridge” which spans the Tennessee River using McClellan Island as a center support.

After we had sat there for about thirty minutes we saw Blue lights out on the Veteran’s Bridge.

I walked out and looked but from what I could tell using the zoom of the camera the police didn’t have anyone pulled over just parked on the bridge with his blue lights on.

Then a helicopter started flying up and down the river with a search light on, It was hard to catch that on the camera because of the darkness, the movement, and the bright search light but this is the helicopter just clearing a large pine tree.

Then….a few minutes later a guy appeared on the other side of the walking bridge, about 50 meters away. He was dark skinned, had dark hair, had on black shorts and a dark grey tank top. He was headed our way at first and then he started when he saw me as I walked out into the path in the light and he quickly turned back. Then he cut and run through the bushes and across a six lane divided highway that parallels the walkway at that point and disappeared between some buildings on the other side.

The yellow arrows show his initial direction of travel on the walk way, the red circle is where he stopped and turned, and the red arrow is where he took off through the bushes.

I have no idea if the things were related or completely coincidental but I was glad of my attitude and thoughts on things here.

 

[Mistwalker]

Found out today when I got back that the helicopter had been searching for two people missing after a boating incident...they searched until 9:00 this morning with no luck.