One of the contributing factors to the suffering Hurricane Katrina caused in New Orleans, was the fact that about one-third of the adults did not own a car.

An even higher proportion of residents in Washington, D.C., where I live, do not own cars. Many of my neighbors walk, bike or Metro to their jobs and have chosen to not spend money on a car. Some made the "green" choice not to own a car. Several rely on car-sharing services such as "Zipcar" for major errands. Or will rent a car if they want to roadtrip somewhere. Meanwhile, I have always paid to own a personal vehicle.

Were a category 4 or 5 hurricane aiming for the Chesapeake Bay I'd be loading up my SUV (gas tank always kept above half) with gear for me and my dog -- and heading toward the mountains with food, camping gear, etc. (In 1989, Hurricane Hugo was feared to be such a threat and the federal government closed as a precaution to keep traffic down).

DC is, of course, also the major trophy for terrorists.

Anyone here given thought to what you'd do if you were presented with the choice of transporting carless neighbors or your own survival gear and provisions?

Some of us choose to be prepared. Others don't.

In such a scenario, it has occured to me that it would be helpful to have someone riding shotgun, with a shotgun. In normal times, carjacking is commonplace here.

Don't know what I'd do. My instinct usually is to help people. But I would resent having to leave supplies behind because my neighbors chose not to buy and maintain their own vehicle.