OK, Hurricane Charley has passed. I'm not in FL. I'm in VA and got hit by Isabel. Doesn't it look like people that were prepared (like us) came out well? Look at all the people who are expecting the government to come save them!!! Boy, having some water and food stored makes you a lot more able to withstand the aftermath, eh? Doesn't it make you wonder about all the fools that had no plan? Anyway, for a question. You have food for you and your family for 3 days, your friends don't. What do you do? share? or say screw you?

HMMMM an ethical question

I'm in Florida.

I don't think it's as simple as share or not share. It's more like, cooperate or not. Using the three day figure, I'd be in big trouble on the fourth day, or the fifth if I'd been a jerk to those around me the first three days. Funny you pick three days. Turns out, down here, services are going to be down in various degrees for at least a full week, more in some areas.

Part of my planning is to buy more than I need because I know there are those around me who can't, or won't prepare. And I don't mean total strangers, either. Neighbors, friends, family... they're just as bad at not preparing. I WILL NOT refuse to help friends or family, just because they could have done something and didn't.

People are imperfect. It's frustrating. But there are people who will refuse to plan, get in trouble, regret the lack of planning, then refuse to prepare for the next crisis when the current crisis is over.

Helping others, at least to some degree isnt altruistic, either. It's rational self interest. The neighbor I give water to may not have prepared, but he owns and knows how to use a rather large chain saw. The friend I loan a flashlight to may not have prepared, but he might get his power back days before I do (actually happened). Think of buying more supplies than you need as redundancy. Or being prepared for a barter economy.

However, I do agree with others here. I keep a low profile. I don't advertise the fact that I have supplies. I want the decision to help someone to be mine, not the mob outside. :-)

Eat your food in a dark, quiet corner and help them light a fire or build a poncho shelter somewhere else. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

I think that the 3 day idea should be considered a starting point. I believe that the Red Cross now says that you should start at 3 days and then build up to week. 3 days is also a good way to get the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER. ( that term fits so well, I had to steal it) involved. Remember the un-prepared are not only un-prepared, they can be clueless as well. We keep our preperations low key and have planned for those who are welcome and we some set aside for anyone else that show up on the doorstep.

Bugman37:

You should also get some of that medication Michael Jackson "does not" use to make yourself look pale and emaciated. The benefit of that would be if anyone came to your door during the emergency, you would look so pathetic they would probably bring rations to you out of pity.

Also, get a large covered barrel for potty duty. You don't want the neighbors listening to their water pipes and using triangulation to figure out who has enough supplies that they have to use the bathroom regularly.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

I think Groo has the right idea, sharing is benificial to your long term survival. And food for the first few days down here wasn't a problem, with long term power outages people are eating well in a lot of neighborhoods just to keep food from going bad. So instead of eating C rations you could be eating grilled steak.

I never really thought of it as bartering but i have some things that i intended to share. I have a chainsaw and two generators, that makes me kind of popular. By letting my neighbor borrow one generator he gets to go out and find an open gas station and wait in line, yes i had enough gas on hand for a couple of days but we still have no power and it is not expected to be restored for a couple of more days. We also work out our schedules so that someone is around to tend the generators and keep an eye on things. I don't loan out my chainsaw but i will use it to help out others, if you are clearing trees and limbs it helps to have someone cutting and a couple of others clearing the just cut material out of your way. Just be sure they understand the safety precautions of working near someone with a chain saw. So working together can be benificial to riding out the aftermath of the storm.

My personal belief is that you should know your neighbors before something happens, that way you have an idea of who will help out, who you should help out, and who you should watch out for.

Ethical question? You have a nosy retired little old lady neighbor who isn't really going to be much help in the aftermath of a disaster, would you help her out? She can be a bit of a bother alway wanting to know what is going on in the neighborhood, she is old and is going to die soon anyway, right? She might also be the reason you have your supplies at hand, she is the one who is most likely to call the authorities when a panel van is in your driveway because she knows that you are away on vacation and your house doesn't need any repairs. Is she deserving of your help now? Knowing your neighbors beforehand means that yes you might wind up sharing but it also means that they are less likely to try and take what you have, just a thought.

id keep an eye on the old lady and help her out somewhat.

sure shes nosey but if she likes you she might keep her mouth shut when you need it, and an exrta eye and ear out like you said.

plus yeah she will probably die sooner then most, and if your in good with her you may luck out and get a hot deal on her place.

never know what you might need the place for (or under the place for that matter).

Everyone should have a job in a disaster. The little old nosey neighbor might be your greatest asset. Let her know exactly what is going on in your neighborhood, what is lacking, and you might find she's the one that will get on the phone, start "complaining" and getting things moved your way.

I'd help her. I'd actually probably be more inclined to take her "under my wing" before a lot of other people so long as I did not significantly endanger my wife or child in the process (because they must be my first priority). There's a big difference in my opinion between people who could prepare and take care of themselves but choose not to, and people that can't take care of themselves due to physical and/or mental deficiencies (not counting stupidity as a mental deficiency <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />). I would see the little old lady as being the latter and would therefore help her. The fact that she is old and closer than most to a natural death is completely irrelevant to me as I would think she has as much right and desire to live as anyone else. That's my 2 pesos.

After Hurrican Juan went through Nova Scotia, at least two of the people who had portable generators set up a rotating schedule to power their neighbours' freezers. They calculated that powering the freezers for 3 hours out of every 12 would prevent the food from spoiling. One of them calculated that he could run three freezers simultaneously, so he was able to keep 11 neighbours' food from spoiling (plus his own).

I also read a Reader's Digest story about a young couple who scrimped and saved to buy a small roadside cafeteria. The night before their "Grand Opening", the area was devastated by a hurricane. By some fluke, they still had power after the storm passed, but were prohibited by law from selling any food. Their solution was to start giving the food away to anyone who could make it to the restaurant. Once word got out that there was a restaurant giving away free food, pretty soon the place was standing room only. Then a woman who had experience as a waitress made the woman sit down while she took over taking orders; others spontaneously started bussing tables, grabbing mops and cleaning the floors, etc. Then people started showing up with truckloads of meat, saying it would just spoil if it didn't get cooked and served.

They didn't make any money that night, but I'll bet they got a lot of repeat business.

Myself, I'd figure that once the emergency was over, I'd still be living next door to those people and act neighbourly. What goes around comes around.

Brian:

Ditto with me with the same reasoning.

Good human beings are good human beings.

Bountyhunter