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Posted

Recently in the US a flow of a significant portion of a major highway was suddenly halted. Thousands of people were stranded for nearly an entire day. Like 19 hours!! 
Would you be prepared? 

My boss carries a "bug out bag" along with a fully charged USB power pack, a flashlight with lithium batteries for no leaks and cold air stability, spare clothes including socks and waterproof shoes, a blanket, a warm coat, non perishable food like pop tarts and canned spagetti, water, a small am/fm radio, portable air compressor, a first aid kit, a small tool kit, reflective triangles, tire plug kit, ice scraper, and a few other things. She does a lot of travelling hundreds of miles at a time. 

My car's trunk is loaded with car care products like car wash, wax, California car brush, microfiber cloths, and other items since it's a putt around town car that never ventures on the interstate or more than a couple miles from home. But I really should have it ready for an emergency. My work truck on the other hand is good to go aside from an engine crane to pluck out the motor. 

One thing that bit a bunch of people on that interstate incident was running out of fuel during a blast of arctic air. No way to charge a phone to call 911 if needed, no way to stay warm, no food to eat as trees had fallen across the roadway between exit ramps. 
 

Just something to think about. 

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Posted

I certainly understand your concern. One year before I started working at a normal job, the great blizzard of '78 hit Connecticut and surrounding states. Many people were left stranded as they attempted to drive home from work. I was going to college at the time so I did not have to drive anywhere. Shortly after that, my future employer, Uniroyal World Headquarters crafted a plan whereas employees would be sent home upon a weather advisory that forecast heavy snow.
During my first year of employment, a snowstorm was found to be heading our way so we were all told to go home, just after noon. While driving my 1973 Mazda RX3 on the highway, I attempted to change lanes at 70 MPH (Hey, I was very young at the time!) when my car started spinning - right on down an embankment. I had to wait quite a while for a tow truck to pull my car out. Luckily I had plenty of fuel in the tank. 

 Today I worry far less, as it doesn't snow in most areas of Southern California. 😏

Posted

Does Southern Cali have earthquakes or is that just the Bay area? I remember a world series game they called battle of the bay where the ground was quivering pretty good and it seems like some folks got stranded when bridges collapsed or something. 

We keep a few things in the Mrs car in case the motor or tranny konk out. It's a Ford so we prepare……

Posted

The San Andreas fault is not that far away but we very rarely feel any quakes. It carves our state in two. San Diego, Los Angeles and Big Sur are on the Pacific Plate. San Francisco, Sacramento and the Sierra Nevada are on the North American Plate. The two plates crisscross with dozens of active and passive earthquake faults. Sometimes you can feel a slight tremor while on the second floor (or higher) but not on the first floor. Every one of our cars has a battery jumper cable and a tire jack.

Posted

I read somewhere that San Fransico is built on top of a layer of clay, which acts like jello when the earth quivers. Hmm, that about as safe a place as that famous city built on pete moss 18 feet below sea level……uh, make that 20 now. lol. 

I used to keep a big ole jumper box in mine but anytime I needed it the dang thing had self discharged. Phooey on that.

It sets next to my excersize bike now and I use it as a dumbell to do arm curls……

Posted

 I believe it is always prudent to carry certain items in a car just in case.
Although cars are inherently more reliable nowadays there is the 'oh my what just happened' scenario and even if you are caught short, it is then you are most grateful for the little things (like water, toilet roll, first aid kit).

Apart from the bottled water I always have in my cars, I have never needed the other items I carry around but if I took them out then according to the Law of Sod then this is when I will need them most 😞

 

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