Yep, I have been outed.


Half think I'm mental,
Half think I'm mad,
The rest think I'm crazy,
I'm the only one who's sane.....

It's terrible that most folks here have to talk about being prepared as if they had a bad gambling or drug habit. That said I am also conflicted about revealing skills and my preparedness level. Like izzy I have similarly been caught with my trunk bucket ;^). Although its nice to be thought of as the "go to guy" I think pizzaman has a thoughtful point on the negotiating tactic. It can sometimes take a tribe to survive and if folks have skills or equipment they can trade or cooperate with, more power to the tribe.

I am currently training to be a teacher and I'm learning it is important to teach what you know but not to treat it like a pulpit. Starting a group in your community is a good thing I think so long as it is for educational and mutually beneficial purposes. I believe my local red cross conducts some training on disaster preparedness topics and could be a great addition to such a forum. Most folks who take the time to show up to such a group would likely be inclined to contribute in some way even if its minimal (3-day) preparedness on their part thus eliminating the burden on local responders and your doormat.

I have tried my best to only recruit my immediate family and friends since I'd be wanting to help them when the SHTF but its a difficult idea to sell to them when buying food and survival supplies deals with budgeting and many, many hours of prep.

Besides using survival Christmas gifts, frequent reminders of Katrina anniversaries and "peak oil" news articles I am all out of ideas to get their preparedness levels up. I am almost to the point of just asking what they can contribute in such an event since they will be showing up in an emergency anyway. Being chief of a tribe of moochers is not my most favorable of survival scenarios.

Cheers,
Nemo.

Some of my team mates know that I am usually prepared and they all bug me when they need something. I make it to easy for them.

So I have been keeping my preparedness quiet.

The power went out at work a couple days ago. No one else but me had a flashlight. I mentioned to someone that I had my flashlight with me if anyone needed it. First answer I recieved "Of course you would have a flashlight, it doesn't surprise me." (it was meant as a compliment)

I am low key key about my EDC, however I guess that enough people over the years have seen me use bits and pieces of my EDC that some have caught on to me. Now if I could only convince them to make and carry their own EDC...

It's amazing how a complement can come out sounding sometimes. I am not only some what prepared, i also have a wicked tool fetish. As in "Hi my name is Ray and i have a Tool problem". Was helping a friend of mine repair some old plumbing at his mom's house. After we are through and i am stowing everything back in the truck he comments that if he is ever stranded on a deserted island, he wants to be stranded with me and my truck. I know he meant it as a complement and if these words had been spoken by a pretty lady it would have inflated my ego a bit, but coming from an ugly old guy..........

When I was still working, they called me "gadget man," but who do you think they came to when they wanted something? Anything? Yup, the Old Bald Guy...

I'm known around the hospital where I work as the "ever-prepared guy with the toolbelt" because of the fannypack full of syringes/saline/gloves and what-not I carry when I'm working.

People come to me to open their cans of chili for lunch because they know I carry a Leatherman at all times.

It can become a pain at times (had a female coworker come to me looking for tampons once) but slowly they are learning. I'm finding some folks learning it's ok to be " a little weird" and prepare for stuff. Some of my coworkers are actually carrying little LED flashlights on their keychains and extra set of scrubs in their car which is a start.

I use it as a teaching opportunity. When they come to me looking for stuff I ask them what are they going to do when I'm not around?

Each hurricane season I'm asked for my hurricane punchlist by several folks. Slowly they're learning, especially as I'm learning to take more time off and and subsiquently unavailable.

I'm known at work as "Inspector Gadget" by the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER..

It ain't a compliment.


Situation is: I work in a rather large warehouse. Been there about 10 years. Been there, done that, seen it all.
Power outs, flooded, medical emergency's, fire's, Darlek's invading the Earth (joke). You name it, it's happened.

Power out: Guess who had to walk around and collect all the other employee's on the floor?
Yep, yours truly.

Flooded: A certain bright spark managed to clobber a main cross pipe for the sprinkler system with 4 ton of truck. With predicable results. I was the only one with the brains to improvise waterproof overboots.
Guess who's still getting abuse about it 3 years later?
Yep, yours truly.

Fires: Sometimes a truck goes up in smoke (electrical fire.)
Guess who is the only one who punches the alarm, grabs an extinguisher and puts it out. Then gets a bollocking for the alarm? "But you didn't NEED TO push the ALARM. The FIRE was OUT."
Yep, yours......

I just had Fire Marshal training. Next time that happen's some one is going to get a very nasty surprise.


And just to add insult to injury, it was one of the Polish Totty who dubbed me IG. She also has some what limited English. Also knows that I carry a SAK. Wanders up to me every few days with a can. Hands it to me and says "You open."

I'm working on the "please......"

Welcome to the club. I occasionally tell them the correct title is Q.

"I'm Batman." said with a cold, steely voice...

-Blast