The Bug Out - A short story

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the morning of 9 11 01

I called some friends in NYC and told them to go buy water and food now, some asked me why!
Then I went and did the same, the streets were quiet- evrybody was watchin TV, the next day same...there was a bum on the side walk really agitated, yelling about "how it's all in NY any way" he tried to corner me he was bugging out as he was used to the regular SF north beach crowds to keep him in cigs and cheap wine & spare change. "you got any change man" he asked me, it was way more of a demand. I said no and tried to dodge him & he blocked my path (he was twice my size, a tall black ex con used to intimidating san francisco chumps) "man gimme a ciggerette" ....I lost my patience, I'm a native New Yorker and had been watching my friends die ...I used to be a NY bike messenger and saw a biker struggle with his bike out of the dust. I Had been in the towers working many times myself.... I yelled get the (expletive deleted) out of my way now! he was kinda surprised and tried to glare at me to somehow intimidate me...I grabbed the handle of my revolver in my pocket..."Or what" he said ...I said "or die" looking him square in the eye....he sat down and mumbled "man, I would just kill for a ciggerette"...I went and got more water and batteries, the stores were still empty of people , plenty of supplies..I got a call from my boss, they had a delivery to Calistoga . when I got off my motocycle and had lunch, nobody in the expensive anti starbucks coffe shop was talking about the attack, or even concerned . Calistoga could care less. I had my coffee, read the newspaper and tried not get angry at a bunch of brain dead uber liberals.
 
BZZZZzzzzzTTTTTTtttttttt (Wrong Answer)

bruss01 said:
Because of the ending, the greeks would class this as a "tragedy" (sad ending) rather than a "comedy" (happy ending).
Click to expand...
What are they teaching in the skools nowadays?

Comedy: Protagonist is confronted with a "conflict" of some sort. Resolves the "conflict" successfully.

Tragedy: Protagonist is confronted with a "conflict" of some sort. Does not resolve the "conflict" successfully.

This is clearly a tragedy because the protagonist was faced with a conflict and (despite the failings of others and bad luck) failed to deal with the conflict himself.

Pe (didactic) et
 
...I highly recommend adding a copy of Dean Ing's collection, "The Chernobyl Syndrome" to your reading list if you're looking into tools and techniques for "interesting times." He's very practical and covers the more-common sorts of trouble in addition to TEOTWAWKI.

Alas, gave up the best one or two-person bug-our vehicle awhile back, as it was just too rusty: a Suzuki Samuri. Though small (and tippy if improperly handled), they are agile and light, and can keep up with all but the very best off-road vehicles. The gas milage is also impressive. You can't get them any more thanks to the nannies. :sigh: :banghead:

--Herself
 
Strategy

My GF knows when my mind goes on red alert she is to obey without question (for the duration of the event).

She actually proposed that i take her to the range tomorrow and teach her about my particular gun(s).

Good story even if the ending didn't come up roses.
 
Great story, until the end, still good ending , just not teh way i though it was or should, but that's the way things go. makes me want to load my vehicles up now!!!
 
Trash, absolute trash..... Everyone knows that a .45 Sig is faster, in the right hands will outshoot a few AKs. Otherwise we would all be carrying AKs....right? :D . Was thinking that at the end, the Dad would awaken from his dream, only to find the same events occurring for real, and then doing stuff the right way the second time. That way the end is happy :) . Was fun anyway.
 
Damn good read! Throughout the entire story I was sure that I was going to tell my wife to read it...but after reading the ending....I know she will be mad at me if she does read it. So I just had to tell her the jist of the story....great eye opener though. I'll have to check out this "lights out" story people are talking about.

Quinten
 
I loved how it ended because it makes you go back & break every piece of the story apart & try to figure out what went wrong. If it had a happy ended you just wouldn't be as critical.

What a tragedy to waste a 3 hour headstart!

I thought the bugout scenario was so realistic. All the stuff that went wrong will go wrong. Remember all the people evacuating out of Houston? Bus catching on fire & killing all the old people - hundreds of people running out of gas... interstate a parking lot.

One thing that struck me as odd was the fact that he was so clueless on the food situation. I just do not understand why so many guys think it's a woman's job to do all the grocery shopping & cooking? They are missing out on so much - like tasting the food as it's cooking, making what you like, when you like, etc. Having said that even if he didn't like to cook he should have been constantly monitoring the food stores. Self reliance has got to include more than having a bunch of guns - your food supply is just as important.

I love 5 gallon buckets! It would take me less than 5 minutes to load up our van & 4-wheel drive pickup. I'm already planning on splitting the rice, flour, etc. evenly between the vehicles in case one of them dies on us.
 
After the bombs go off its survival of the fittest.

Do not ask for help, commandeer the vehicle and render the former owners safe. If it comes down to you and I, its more important that I live than you. I'm selfish that way.

Your mind has to be in 'I WILL SURVIVE' mode. Civility and good neighbor's do not exist in lawless times.

After the bombs go off all the BS stops. I become the only thing in the world to the people I am protecting. They do as I say or suffer consequences. Being locked in the vehicle is a better place than on the line when the person (or child) can quickly become a liabilty for everones survival. We all groan when in the movie the timid person is expected to pull thier weight. They never do and survival is comprimised.

After the bombs go off creature comforts do not exist. Screw gas, radios, coleman stoves and lanterns. All that stuff is useless if you are dead. Clothes can be washed or looted. Rabbits and squirrels are tasty treats, and deer still abound. How many of the city folks are going to be competitng for natures resources? NOT A DAMNED ONE. Guns, ammo knives and fire starting impliments (flints, steel, matches, lighter) are what you need, besides the clothes on your back... which should be your long term survival clothes... boots, long pants/shirt, jacket hat, gloves etc. MAYBE a toothbrush and comb... but thats it.

Sure the kids will cry about thier x-boxes and PC's... they are kids and they value such things. But an x-box is usleless without a t.v. and power. Kids can QUICKLY become accustomed to life without them.

You can buy what you need when you get where yuo are going. And if the S has HTF and there is no infrasturcture to support financial transactions steal what you need.

You need to SURVIVE. That is most important.
 
All I can say is WOW!:what: That's a great story. Sounds real to me. I just think that after all that planning & leaving out a gun for each of them, the daughter would be armed with a handgun instead of just leaving it in the truck. I'd have been holding the AK with all my strength. I also would NEVER take help in a situation like that unless I knew the people REAL well. Humans are like jackals. In a nuclear attack, I'd be in red alert always.


EDIT: Is that all or will there be more to the story?
 
Hey Yellowlab, do me a favor. Post a pic of yourself so the good people here will know who to shoot first in a survival situation. After all, you'll be sure to have useful things, and murder is A-ok "when TSHTF" right?
And if the S has HTF and there is no infrasturcture to support financial transactions steal what you need.
Click to expand...
You do make a valid point tho. As long as viewpoints such as that outlined here exist, we must always be vigilant. The lazy grasshopper deserves to survive, even if he's gotta murder the ant.

PS what do you describe as a SHTF scenario? When you've lost your job and the bank is gonna repo your house? Slippery slopes, not just wrong of the anti-gunners anymore!
 
Well when the nukes go off.. its all about taking care of your own.

Cause all the bad people will suddenly realize the errors of thier ways and help you.. not hurt you.... they will not take what they need at your expense.

Not like I'm saying mow down every biped you cross... but 911 is definately NOT gonna respond, and safe is better than sorry.

Would I help a stuck traveller? BIG IF. Depends on my exposure to the situation. If all it requires is the tow hook from a wench.... OK, that's doable.. but they all stay in thier vehicle and 1 person hooks up the tow line. Do I help dig them out of the mud? No.

Its not about making friends.. its about SURVIVAL.
 
Moral of the story: Have an AK-47. Good thing I have my Mak-90. Otherwise it would be difficult to live day to day. Moral #2: Have spare magazines.
 
Good read, just too close to real for comfort. Joe has a real problem that is too real in real life. Y2K we got ready, 9-11 we returned to a state of readiness. Today its a fact of life.
 
A lesson in UN preparedness

Makes for an excellent short story where the characters were indifferent to being prepared and, despite some effort at the last minute, paid heavily.

The family dies, Joe of a heart attack, and the daughter likely gets gangraped and killed by the "wolves." One of millions of sad stories in SHTF situations for the unprepared.

Prompted me to update my BOB and other preps.

Great story by the way. I found one spelling error around the last page.
 
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