I drive a 4WD for work, and it is exactly lack of that particular choice that has me stalled. Here in the PNW, miles of the sides of the freeways are lined with thick, deep, tangled blackberry vines. Most areas appear to be old stands, probably six feet high. When the word impenetrable was invented, the person was probably looking at wild blackberries.

After blackberries, the freeways are mainly edged with stands of Douglas fir and alder, and you're not going ten feet through it even with a 4WD VW. And there are many freeway edges with concrete walls (even low ones) to direct runoff and eroded soil and debris from our heavy rainfall.

The other part of what I was thinking was: if the way ahead might be clear for multiple miles, and trading cars or walking were the two most viable choices, what's the difference between abandoning your vehicle at the edge of the freeway, and trading it with someone? How about in rain or snow or low temps?

Even in a bad quake, I doubt that all the overpasses will go down, and with most of those with exits, you could go up the exit ramp and then back down the entrance ramp. Even if available only part of the way, the freeways are still probably going to be the best way to travel. The side roads aren't going to be pristine: fallen trees, fallen power poles, collapsed buildings, power lines across the roads, abandoned vehicles, etc.

If it's a bad quake and multiple (not all) overpasses are down, it's probably going to be a long time before you will be able to get back to your vehicle. What shape will it be in by then? (This being America rather than Japan.)

Did you trade 15-20 miles on foot due to distrust of a stranger for a car that ended up being stripped, trashed, set on fire or cannibalized? Harking back to the thread on scavenging a car, keep in mind that most people will probably be quicker to cannibalize an abandoned car than their own. New tires? Your car ain't got no more stinking tires!



No, I can guarantee THAT'S not going to happen! I meant 80 miles as the parrot flies, and not under everyday, ideal conditions on pristine pavement, an easy stroll from Point A to Point B on a nice day with every other person handing you a sandwich and cold drink.

Eighty miles after a major quake could probably take three or four times that in actual traveled distance. You're going to be climbing over debris, hiking around totally destroyed areas, backtracking, avoiding stuff still falling with every aftershock, etc. There isn't likely to be even 50 feet in a straight line.

OH! Got a nail through your shoe and into your foot? Sprained your ankle? Hmmm.... your best-case scenario is deteriorating a bit, isn't it? How long is it going to take to get home NOW?

People need to realize that they can probably take the best-case disaster circumstances just fine, esp the people here at ETS.

It's the worst-case scenarios that throw you the real curves. Try something like this:
* A widespread 9.2 earthquake (Anchorage, 1964) hits your area,
* You're not at home,
* Your SO is just home from surgery,
* In the dark,
* In midwinter, with freezing rain,
* You're traveling with a co-worker (in her car) who thinks being prepared is having a double latte in the cup holder,
* One or both of you are injured,
* The car is low on gas,
* Your car just got two flat tires from debris,
* Both of you are wearing dress shoes (co-worker is wearing 4" spike heels).

Your problems just increased exponentially, didn't they?

Sue