The effects of a badly located accident and bugging out

[NorthernRaider]

Noticed on TV last night the show about London transport and in it one truck overturned on a primary route and it led to total chaos and gridlock for hours with one bus being stranded for 5 hours. The cascade effect was unbelievable and I doubt that if TSHTF any preppers in that area could go anywhere if they were in a car.

I set aside the impact of that show as I dont live in a city and consider such an unfortunate incident would be just about impossible around here in southern Co Durham.

But this morning just as the rush hour was starting an accident caused the A177 to be closed completely right on the roundabout with the A 689, Those are the main East / West and North / South commuter routes around here.

So everything got diverted and chaos has ensued, and I would say grid lock has impacted about 85% of local B roads and traffic tries to found a way through.

This has now been compounded by hasty and impatient motorists who are not familiar with many of the B roads getting themselves lost or crashing into each other on the much narrower and twisty B roads.

And to top it off a bus as broken down in a chicane causing even further tailbacks.

SO, because of ONE crash on an A road in an unfortunate spot I would say as I type the best part of over 90% of all available roads around here are shut, and this is on just a normal nice warm sunny working day.

Can you imagine the ensuing agression, frustration, dangerous driving, collisions, break downs and total anarchy if a crash or simple breakdown happened an hour after TSHTF ??

I am fairly content in the belief that only those of our community on foot, two wheels or four legs have a decent chance of success at bugging out, the rest of us need to focus on bugging in.

I need now to revise and update my contingency plans for recovering safely Mrs NR and NR Junior if they were at work and school when TSHTF, which will get markedly worse next year when NR Junior leaves the Comp School and his to go to sixth form over 18 miles away !! ( Mrs NR is already 14 miles away at her works location).

Please guys keep reviewing and updating your IA drills on bugging in and out so changing traffic flows, jobs, road layouts etc could seriously bugger up your day if something changes and you are not aware of it.

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Shit I just thought of something else that is going to require a lot of thought and planning and both my brain cells are already working flat out, I also have mutual support agreements with other preppers which is an issue in itself, but also some of them have kids as well so if they had to flee their AOO and headed this way I would need to identify places where they could get to and lay low in relative safety until they could be brought in if the roads were in chaos.

[Prepper1]

Just a thought though, if you have mutual support do dah's with other preppers, make sure you DONT rely on them.

Now dont take that the wrong way anybody, what I mean is that if you have the mutual support agreement, all well and good.

BUT make sure you can get along without the others just in case.

Things happen, cars break down at the wrong time, people get hurt, plans change.

If your plans are totally reliant on others and they dont turn up or you cant get to them,, you may be up sh*t creek without any paddles.

Make sure you can manage on your own, then if you and the others actually do get together then things are better.

[Skean Dhude]

Adding in mutual support arrangements increases the complexity exponentially. You need a rota and some sort of procedure in place. The problem you have is do you trust everyone on that rota?

You need to devote the entire output of one of your brain cells, the one still working at full power, to this if you want to do it right.Plus you need to sort out your comms and default arrangements so that if you can't contact them that the default is you pick up their kids and they have left permision with the school. If they get there and they are gone they know what has happened.

There is a lot to think about.

[NorthernRaider]

The complexity with MSA nly comes if you are living in fairly close proximity to the other MSA members, then of course you need to set out boundaries and limits of your obligations.

But the MSA's I have in place are 100% that we will provide TEMPORARY assistance, fresh water,prolly a meal,maps, guidance and a place to rest overnight, clean up, do a bit of laundry etc if TSHTF and they are passing through this area enroute to some other place. This is not intended to make this place a final destination for other preppers who have not the will or motivation to sort out their own lives.

I 100% respect and totally agree with your concerns guys cos any of us who have been doing this for any amount of time know full well just how apathetic our community often is, Only yesterday Chris and I actually discussed the issue of apathy, lack of motivation and commitment many Brits display. whilst the Merkins are infected with a CAN DO attitude over here we are masters of excuse making. I dont mind admitting to being bloody jelous of the Scots ub group and the level of commitment and effort those true pioners display.

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I can see the Alba Preppers eventually having a working comms system, regular RVs and probably helping each other at harvest times or wood felling etc as well as some sort of MSA because they just ooze such professionalism and determination....... Doncha just hate em

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Any way mot of the original UKSG group I had MSA's with have long since vanished

[Skean Dhude]

I'd discuss apathy with you but I just can't be bothered.

It is a big concern of mine because In this mickey mouse country most expect everything to be given to them without them having to do it. Even us who recognise the risk don't do that much about it. The excuse of no money, or mine of no time, is frequently heard but as has just been pointed out on another threat knowledge is just as important.

The Scottish Group is in its infancy and is reliant on a very few key resources who are putting their time into it. Yet they cover a large geographically area and call it local. People cannot continue travelling 100+ miles for regular meets just to keep in touch, down hear most won't travel 5 miles, but they recognise the benefit of a community up there so they will work at it. I wish them the best of luck. They need to set up a few basic systems to keep it going that doesn't rely on meeting in pubs.

[NorthernRaider]

(5 July 2013, 11:05)Skean Dhude Wrote: I'd discuss apathy with you but I just can't be bothered.

You GIT , you waited until you knew I was drinking my coffee before you posted that, now theres bloody coffee all over the desk !! .
Laughing my socks off

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The United Kingdom where everyones get up and go got up and went.

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I'm only grumpy ( grumpier) this morning because I finally find a County Durham prepper with propper homesteading skills only to find out they want to move north to join the Woad Wearers in Scotland, S'not fair all the achievers moving up there !!

[Arnie72]

I would love to be part of a local MSA group (ie within 50 miles) but its finding the right reliable people.

For me it is a monetary issue but you are right SD we can all still improve knowledge and key skills really cheaply, which I do.

I for one buy little and often when funds allow but I have my 'wish list' dependant on how much I have spare up to winning the lottery!

Luckily I have a lot of extant skills and some kit from my various life experiences but know there is still more to learn.

I for one am content that my family and I will survive well for when the SHTF and the immediate after effects, but am short on longer term skills which I am actively now learning about post SHTF (farming, growing crops, medical etc etc) and find there is so much to learn and no time to learn it in!

[bigpaul]

(5 July 2013, 10:37)Prepper1 Wrote: make sure you can get along without others just in case.



If your plans are totally reliant on others and they dont turn up or you cant get to them,, you may be up sh*t creek without any paddles.

Make sure you can manage on your own.

couldn't agree more Prepper1!

[Jonas]

Sorry to hear about the traffic problems. Unfortunately, any "limited access" highway has the potential to turn into "the world's longest parking lot" pretty much at any time, although "rush hour" and "hurricane evacuations" seem to be the preferred times.

I guess if/when the SHTF, and I have to be driving, I'll stick to state and farm to market roads and leave the high-speed freeways for those innocent souls who want to get nowhere in a hurry...

[NorthernRaider]

(5 July 2013, 19:14)Jonas Wrote: Sorry to hear about the traffic problems. Unfortunately, any "limited access" highway has the potential to turn into "the world's longest parking lot" pretty much at any time, although "rush hour" and "hurricane evacuations" seem to be the preferred times.

I guess if/when the SHTF, and I have to be driving, I'll stick to state and farm to market roads and leave the high-speed freeways for those innocent souls who want to get nowhere in a hurry...

You want traffic chaos cowboy you watch when they build that sodding great dome over Houston or Dallas that will gridlock the place for 8 years