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Loose Canons
A Lenny Skutnik Sputnik Moment
The rousing finish to President Obama's State of the Union speech proclaimed America as the nation that does "big things." And we do, or at least we used to.
We invented the light bulb, the airplane, and the telephone. We perfected the car and while the Brits were manufacturing the MGB (which was fun to drive on the infrequent moments it wasn't sitting by the side of the road broken down), we were making the Corvette and the Mustang. In the half-century of the Cold War, we put a man on the moon and people such as the late great Kelly Johnson -- creator of the supersecret Lockheed "Skunk Works" -- made us believe that enormous technological breakthroughs were our birthright.
So why is it that our capital city can't even deal with minor snow storms?
I'm not talking about last year's "snowmageddon." Last Wednesday, Washington was paralyzed by a storm which, for the East Coast, was a routine winter event. About six inches of snow fell beginning in the early afternoon. By 4 p.m., the region was entirely gridlocked. Hundreds spent up to thirteen hours stranded on the otherwise scenic George Washington Parkway in suburban Virginia. About seventy Metrobuses broke down, turning nearby Maryland suburbs into honking nightmares. A half-dozen jackknifed tractor-trailers brought the 64-mile Washington Beltway to a halt.
And, three days later, thousands of Maryland and Virginia residents were still without electricity, so they hunkered down around their gas fireplaces and ate sushi.
At least they weren't stuck in the New Orleans Superdome for three days without water, food or functioning bathrooms. Overflowing commuters reportedly functioned as necessary among the stuck cars.
It's not enough to blame the D.C. government. Anyone who has lived here for more than two weeks knows that the only thing the D.C. government does competently is hand out parking tickets. And it's not enough to blame the dysfunctional multi-jurisdictional region for the failure of the Maryland, D.C., and Virginia to cooperate, which they don't and won't as long as none are willing to share responsibilities. In truth, this is another reminder about the vulnerability of Washington to "man-caused disasters," Secretary Janet Incompetano's euphemism for terrorist attacks.
To be fair, Our Lady of Homeland Security has a problem that isn't exactly new. On January 14, 1982 an Air Florida airliner grazed the 14th Street Bridge in a snowstorm and crashed into the Potomac. What few remember is that there was a Metro subway accident at the same time, and traffic was so tied up that many of us took one look at the streets and decided to walk to a local bar rather than drive home.
On the morning of 9-11, when the Pentagon was burning, across the river in D.C. panicked commuters had clogged the streets and the subway to a standstill. I sat in my office, about two blocks from the White House, waiting for the fourth aircraft to crash into the president's house. There was no alternative other than trying to walk through the traffic to get home, then about seven miles away because I was as unprepared as the government.
Disaster preparedness is a serious business, and it's time we became serious about it. That, of course, requires states, cities and private citizens to do it themselves because our Department of Homeland Security is institutionally incapable of doing what is necessary. (See, e.g., border security.)
Americans aren't -- and shouldn't be -- a regimented people. We're not going to take numbers and line up in order to march out of a disaster area chanting "danger is safety" or whatever other Orwellian phrase the DOHS dolts prescribe. And, in cases such as 9-11 where one city has been hit and another expects to be, panic will ensue. So what can be done?
First are the first-responders. Our police and firemen will always respond heroically, but can they do so effectively? The Department of Homeland Security has spent hundreds of millions of dollars studying this issue in states, cities, and towns across the nation, but there is little to show for the expense other than a lot of paperwork that no one reads far less acts upon.
The answer to that part of the problem is found in the interstate compact mechanism conveniently provided in Article 1, Section 10 of the Constitution. A few states already have agreements by which they share police, fire, and rescue assets in emergencies. Those agreements should commit the states to sufficient expense and planning to deal with disasters effectively for at least 24 hours without waiting for whatever massive help the federal government may provide later.
More states and cities should have such agreements, and those who already have them should review and revise them to better effect disaster preparedness. If Virginia lacked the equipment to clear the George Washington Parkway of stuck cars, nearby Maryland should have pitched in (and if, as I suspect, both defaulted to the U.S. Park Police, which has jurisdiction over that road, both should prepare to intervene whenever the Park Police doesn't clear the road quickly enough to prevent an inconvenience from turning into a 13-hour life-threatening disaster).
Second, people have to do more to help themselves. This isn't a "Sputnik moment": call it a "Lenny Skutnik moment."
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Appleby| 1.31.11 @ 7:00AM
The real problem as pointed out in New York City after the Christmas Blizzard, is unions. Their contracts and their mindset tells them not to let a good crisis go to waste -- use it as a vehicle to treat your ununionized brethren like playing pieces on the cosmic Gotcha Board, in quest of More (see Samuel Gompers, or look him up if you are under 40).
The second cause is the Binkie. Millions of people who should have been paying attention long before the situation reached Gridlock were busy texting, or convinced that there was an App that would save them. In the days before the SmartPhone, people were not dialing, but doing.
And the third problem is the impulse to get in your car and go somewhere regardless of whether or not this actually makes any sense. 14 people were killed in the Buffalo Blizzard of 77 -- ALL of them because they suffocated in their cars. They were safely indoors (the blizzard started at 11:00 am on a weekday) and the ones who died were at work; however, they piled into their cars and went tearing off to get their children, who were safe at school, and were buried on the Niagara Parkway and other four lane highways and died stupid, needless deaths.
The same lemming-like behaviour is leading idiots to move into 300 square foot boxes atop massive high-rise buildings on the lakeshore in a city whose infrastructure is 50 years old and fails every time it gets either very hot or very cold -- meaning that they are increasingly likely to be trapped on the 66th floor without heat, air circulation, water, or any way down but the stairs. Oh, and the phones and binkies if the system is still up, will be jammed, and nobody will come to save them. And they are mainly too stupid and helpless to save themselves.
Booger| 1.31.11 @ 10:05AM
If you cannot carry a weapon "legally" a tire tool or an ice scraper can be a weapon. A can of high-velocity wasp spray (10 foot range) is more devastating to an attacker's face than pepper spray, and not "legally" a weapon (until used as such). In the meantime, vote for people in your district who respect your right to bear arms. They're the same ones who will help prepare local agencies to actually deal with an emergency.
Too Many Tims| 1.31.11 @ 1:03PM
A nine iron in your car is good too, also a bucket of balls. In the event you actually defend yourself with said nine iron, you can show the police your bucket of balls as evidence of your harmless intent. " I was planning on going to the range".
JMM| 1.31.11 @ 10:18AM
A well concealed small pistol in your go-bag will likely never be found and could be a lifesaver.
egoist| 1.31.11 @ 9:31PM
I can't imagine bring a pistol onto the work parking lot, let alone inside the building. It'd be certain termination.
Ken in Tyler| 1.31.11 @ 10:48AM
The veneer of civilization in our country has grown so thin, the messy droppings will sooner or later hit the rapidly rotating blades and those who have lived in unsustainable places will not like the outcome. I'd rather live in a tent here in rural Texas than in one of our large cities with a six-figure income.
WRTolkas| 1.31.11 @ 10:55AM
I read this and laughed. I am, my family is, my close friends are American Colonial Era re-enactors. We just finished a winter re-enactment. My wife had a great time. Why do I laugh? Because we take whatever the weather throws at us in stride. We've camped through gales, tornadoes, blizzards, you name the weather except hurricanes. Not many of them in Michigan. We learn survival, we have the basic tools, food, and the willingness to use them. Ate beaver stew last Saturday; tastes like beef. Also, we are armed to the teeth. OK, it maybe a flintlock; however, I can make gunpowder, the mountains are full of flints, and because my Tulle is a smooth-bore whatever I ram down the barrel will be shot out. If you want to learn to live simply and survive, join a re-enactment group. You will be surprised to learn you can trap, hunt, preserve food, blacksmith, make shelters, and sew warm clothing. I'll return to that lifestyle someday.
And to you governcrats in D.C. let me tell you a little secret known only to us people who live in the flyover country. You ready? We can live and live quite comfortably without you.
Best regards and stay warm,
WRTolkas
Tim the Enchanter| 1.31.11 @ 1:45PM
Would have been more amusing if you would have said "tastes like chicken". I thought everything that wasn't beef or pork tastes like chicken.
Louis Jenkins| 1.31.11 @ 12:26PM
Wow, an end to the world as we know it article in the middle of calm, collected writings. I'm not going to add or detract from it, as it does have some good advice. I too, re-enact on occassion, and it helps with preparedness. Don't be mislead, however, the golden hord will be out there, and every step you take may be your last without pre-planning, and most important of all, using your head. So Jed, your article is great. Maybe you should do another.
Ken (Old Texican)| 1.31.11 @ 12:33PM
Jed,
evacuate NOW!
skedaddle| 1.31.11 @ 1:00PM
Good article. A wind-up flashlight is best so you don't rely on batteries. Those small hand-warmer things they sell almost everywhere can be very helpful if you're stuck in an unheated car or making a long, cold trek home. Warmth is extremely important if you typically have a young child in the car with you.
JimP| 1.31.11 @ 1:24PM
I have great respect for Mr. Babbin. I have a somewhat different take on this recent storm. Northern Virginia's road network is not efficient at moving traffic even in ideal weather. DC is similar to Manhattan. Going in and out of DC from VA requires crossing bridges. A bridge is a natural choke point. Throw in the overpopulated VA suburbs of DC, that pols and developers let run wild without building adequate roads first, and you get a bottleneck combined with a clusterfark. Also add the atrocious DC metro drivers who are clueless about driving in snow and who panic even when the roads are merely damp from rain: = Exponential clusterfark. (Note: these aren't Southern drivers either. Very few Southerners live in the DC Metro area. Apparently the Northerners are sending their imcompetent boobs to DC to become bureaucrats. Makes sense they'd want to be rid of bad drivers). Lastly, once the roads are in gridlock there is no way any agency, anywhere can ride to the rescue. That's what gridlock means. Maryland's roads are better suited to mass exodus from DC, but still not adequate to the volume. DC itself is hamstrung by L'Enfants original street design. Real cool for the 18th C. but not for cars and several million people. IMO, DC's traffic situation is unsolvable and is a prime example of why government should be cut to the bone. Hey, if they didn't see and plan for the traffic mess they can't do anything right-ever. Having suffered through numerous DC area storms in the past myself, I laughed when I heard people were stuck on the roads for 12 hours and more. Serves them right in a way. I agree with Ken (Old Texican) GET OUT, JED, WHILE YOU CAN. Maybe you can telecommute to work.
Ned| 1.31.11 @ 1:55PM
If you want incompetent boobs behind the wheel, come to Seattle. We have the perfect stew of stupidity... a large smattering of Californians who don't even know what that white stuff is ("Ooo, pretty!")... numerous hills... severly limited routes with geographical choke points in every direction... utterly incompetent government (the mayor's route to work is always cleared, but little else)... all topped off with snow that is infrequent enough that nobody is prepared... last year's fiasco was typical, but set a new low-water mark, when I observed a car (a front wheel drive Honda) abandoned in the CENTER LANE of I-5 southbound, right in the middle of downtown. It was stopped on a flat stretch of freeway, and had been there long enough that it was just a big hump of snow... no flashers, no lights, no driver nearby, no tow truck to remove it... just a panicked moron who got out and walked away. Once I got past that fool I drove at 35 mph all the rest of the way home, since everyone else was still stuck in the jam behind the Honda...
Ned| 1.31.11 @ 2:10PM
this is Portland footage, but the same foolishness applies there as here...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EaksWCnHaDM
KTinLA| 1.31.11 @ 6:00PM
The merest drizzle gridlocks Southern California - what am I saying? gridlock is our status quo - but actually we do disasters fairly well in California, if you don't count the state government. Every town and city fire and police department has cooperative agreements with nearby towns, we fight brushfires like nobody's business, we can handle earthquakes pretty well and our emergency preparedness folks drill regularly. The point about having a go kit is well taken. I have two quake kits, one in the garage and another in a kitchen cabinet, which include camp stoves, plenty of charcoal for the BBQ, and lots of water. The FEMA website has a guide to preparing a family emergency plan... too bad nobody ever reads it.
Paul A'Barge| 1.31.11 @ 6:43PM
Snowpocalypse. Not Snowmageddon.
joe in houston| 1.31.11 @ 7:28PM
i would also include a can of jellied alcohol or some candles for warmth
Kingofthenet| 1.31.11 @ 7:58PM
This is a good idea, i would if you live in a large city that might be paralyzed a BIKE, say a good mountain one, so you can go 'offroad' and cut thru uneven ground.My mom lives in a suburb about 35 miles from my location in Jersey City, worse case it's a four hour ride. Oh and i thing GPS is safe, i don't see terrorists taking out satellites in Geo Sync orbit.
MarkD| 1.31.11 @ 8:48PM
Come to Syracuse. It snows all the time. We know how to drive in it. There aren't enough people left upstate to create a traffic jam. The summer is great - both months of it.
Oh, if a blizzard is in the forecast, go home before it is forecast to arrive. Even we have problems with three feet of snow in 24 hours.
Swen Swenson| 1.31.11 @ 11:44PM
Excellent advice! Just a couple of additions: First, the hiking boots are a very good idea, many disasters may require that you walk when the roads are clogged. So make sure your first aid kit contains some moleskin. When was the last time you schlepped 10 miles? Moleskin will save you, just be sure to apply it at the first sign of chaffing, don't wait until you have a blister.
Second, a Swiss Army knife is essential. You don't need one with every tool under the sun, just make sure it has scissors -- for cutting the moleskin -- a knife, can and bottle openers, tweezers, and a corkscrew. After all, the point isn't merely to survive, but to survive in style and you wouldn't want to be reduced to drinking cheap wine.
SC Mike| 2.1.11 @ 1:00AM
Lotsa good suggestions. I sometimes work for several-week periods in VA and can’t understand egoist’s comment. I have a backpack go bag with a poncho, first aid kit, flashlights, lighters, batteries, a.38 spl revolver, a .380 semiautomatic, and non-essentials. I also have water, a blanket, and other stuff in the trunk of my car, along with a .45 Colt / .410 in the pouch behind the passenger’s seat. (While my employer rightly frowns on firearms in the building, the parking lot is another matter. Heck, the NRA range is two miles away and I like to go there at lunch, especially before a big meeting.)
After going thru a six-hour trudge back to lodgings in DC some years ago, I took the tack of either leaving really early or really late. Both work as long as you have a sense of the traffic patterns and where and when to cross the durn bridges.
Keith_Indy| 2.1.11 @ 9:25AM
Out here on the fringe of tornado alley, most of us stay prepared year round. Let's see, besides tornado's, there's always blizzards, wind storms (had an 80 MPH wind gust hit us this year,) sever thunderstorms, ice storms (like we are having today.)
So, go to www.ready.gov and you'll get all the tips you need for the bare minimum. Oh, and that website, they built it up after 9/11.
People need to take responsibility for their own lives and safety, not just in emergencies, but ALL THE TIME.
Ole_Sarge| 2.1.11 @ 12:07PM
Ah... the days of being hunkered down in the commode post, er, command post and watching the officials spinning. No actually there would be about three or four people. A cop, a Fire Department guy, someone from Air Field management and usually the Commander or his deputy from the Civil Engineering Squadron.
Germany 1996 - Major Snowstorm before Christmas, preceded by an Ice Storm.
KMC (Kaiserslautern military Community) a series of several large and small U.S. military installations around Kaiserslautern Germany.
Massive snowstorm with intermittent ice, had the major roads on the installations cleared, assisted the local German crews (getting from one site to another) on main roads, on the first day. Second day, they had all the base road ways and many parking lots cleared, as well as the main runway and some of the the aircraft parking ramps on Ramstein Air Base.
This was MORE road way than many communities around the District, and in 3 days, despite mountains of snow, all facilities were fully functioning, including some on hill tops, away from the main base.
Oh, it was all done by military personnel, some of whom had other "day jobs" but were trained in how to plow snow. It was done 24 hours a day, in shifts, and started before the storms even ended.
The equipment was older, and did "act up" but crews were ready to repair as things occurred.
Why can't local governments, or bases in the U.S.A. do it this 15 years later???
Ole_Sarge| 2.1.11 @ 12:22PM
Oh, I forgot a couple things. We had a plan for how to deal with the event, that including what equipment did what, and where the people to operate the equipment came from, how they were trained ahead of time and where were people to go for shelter, food or to find a bed at the end of their shifts.
This included just who is Emergency Essential Personnel. Note, it was not the commanders or other high ranking officers usually. It was that airman one striper that stood sentry duties, and that NCO that drove the snow plow, or that captain over at the base clinic that was the medical officer on duty.
And about twice a season we would "pretend" it was happening, and "play games" moving big pieces of equipment and having loudspeaker announcements.
I've done some "volunteer" stuff in my local communities and NO ONE HAS THE TIME to train and practice, or that's the excuse given. It is NOT a priority and until Emergency Preparedness is a priority..., Well folks, follow the Boy Scout and Girl Scout Motto "Be Prepared."