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Assumption that you can just rely on neighbours in emergency

9K views 79 replies 37 participants last post by  paraquack 
#1 ·
I find this attitude scary. A couple of my neighbours are prepared but I'm pretty sure no one else is... all they did was complain that emergency services were too slow and that their fav pizza delivery couldn't get through after ice storm last year.

"Hennessy only lost power for about two minutes, but says she would have to rely on friends and neighbours in the event of a major emergency."

New Brunswick storm shines light on need for emergency preparedness kits - New Brunswick | Globalnews.ca
 
#4 ·
Relying on others as your main plan is always a recipe for disaster, you know what 'they' say - "do it yourself or hear about it for a decade or 2 after"

People can hardly contain themselves or take care of themselves during snow storms or hailstorms around me, God forbid you cannot get your double latte and pancakes delivered and you cannot get on Netflix

Even something simple like a burner or 2, 3-days of rationed meals, headlamps/flashlights, spare batteries, crank emergency band radio, basic first aid kit w/ some OTC/emergency presciptions stashed away, small sewing kit and a few space blankets or tarps with changes of socks, underwear, and some baby powder and either stashed water or means to purify water can go a long way.

A week or so ago Columbus got probably 2 or 3 inches of snow, hardly anything, and I spent the better part of the day yanking idiots in their rice burners out of the snow and doing a grocery run for my neighbors since I am one of 3 people in the entire complex with a truck, I do not mind helping others but if SHTF that neighborly action gets shitcanned

...I know I am preaching to the choir
 
#5 ·
I've had a few people comment about this," if things get bad, I will just come to your house", my response is, " unless your family, you would probably get lead poisoning ", if it got bad and we would have to dispatch a few, we would leave them where they lay as a warning, not saying we wouldn't be overrun, but we would do our best, don't like the thought, but it could very well be a reality.
 
#20 ·
Same here & actually just happened again a few minutes ago. I have most of my superpails, ones I don't make up myself, delivered to my business. So folks here know I prepare. Just had an employee come up to me & state she knows where she is going if there is a crisis. My reply was, if all you bring with you is a hungry mouth, she would find out how well armed I am.
 
#6 ·
Last winter I brought a box of food to an elderly neighbour when the electrical wires were blocking the road, she told another neighbour (in her 30's) who of'course showed up at my door asking for beans and a cup of rice. (I told her NO)
I don't mind helping seniors but it has to stop somewhere. This elderly neighbour is not poor and can stock-up by ordering groceries online.. but she didn't this Winter. I checked her cupboards while dropping by with her dog, she has enough for a day or two at the most, my "lecture" last year flew out the window.
 
#69 ·
TG unfortunately it is hard for us to overcome our nature to want to help others at times. this is what we have been taught as kids. What occurs however as a result sometimes is we "enable" them to continue with their improvident natures. A fine example of that is our welfare system. People are rewarded for behaviors that only further drag us down as a society. For some the more we give the more they expect. Don't get me wrong there are individuals that need and deserve our help yet there are others who enjoy sitting back and letting others toil for them.
 
#7 ·
Depending on the nature of the emergency they will be looking to me. Winter storms past has proven there are some of us the will fan out and help where needed.
 
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#10 ·
We're always checking up on a few seniors on our street but they keep on telling other neighbours that we helped with food, and never learn from previous emergencies, it sucks. They are kind of wealthy, I don't understand why they won't help themselves and just assume that others will step-in every time. When emergency does happen (ice storms every year with fallen wires), we know they're once again totally unprepared and stuck with going over there with food and dog food again.
 
#16 ·
You know, this is funny, but it's true. Back in the day stupid people did not survive. Nowadays, not only do they survive, but our coddling society puts them in positions of power because they follow orders and are too stupid to think for themselves. If a true SHTF situation does ever happen, these idiots will be scary for awhile running around with a giant sense of entitlement, but it won't take long for them to die once society is no longer supporting their general lack of life skills. In an odd way, us survival types will be natural selection in action. Personally I have a good idea what I'll do to the stupid people when I'm "selecting". Sounds harsh, but life really is harsh, many just don't realize it because they are supported by a society that encourages weakness.
 
#14 ·
#11 ·
Assume your neighbors will, or can, help in any situation at your own peril.
 
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#13 ·
If it's a bad snowstorm and the power were to go out, neighbors with no heat and with children would be welcome because we have wood heat and can cook, hopefully they can bring some food with them, would be very careful in letting anyone know what we have. Every calamity would dictate a different response...
 
#17 ·
We recently moved, and it took forever because we did not let friends help us. The reason we did not want help was we did not want people knowing what we had in terms of extra/prepping. I did not want people trying to help with boxes and making comments about the boxes and then figuring out what we have. Every year it is the same thing, snow hits the ground and people are posting online and begging others to bring them wood, food, or fuel-- they don't even keep enough for a few days.

We have not met many of the new neighbors, but smile and wave when we pass them but everyone is on a need to know basis and right now they don't need to know.
 
#18 ·
We recently moved, and it took forever because we did not let friends help us. The reason we did not want help was we did not want people knowing what we had in terms of extra/prepping. I did not want people trying to help with boxes and making comments about the boxes and then figuring out what we have. Every year it is the same thing, snow hits the ground and people are posting online and begging others to bring them wood, food, or fuel-- they don't even keep enough for a few days.

We have not met many of the new neighbors, but smile and wave when we pass them but everyone is on a need to know basis and right now they don't need to know.
Good for you and congrats on the move! We'll start making decisions regarding our next move soon.
 
#21 ·
I'm stuck where I am, for now. I have to deal with it.

My main mission is my family. My elderly parents are across the street, and they are the neighbors for whom I plan extra preps. Two of the neighboring houses shelter families of idiots. Booze, cigarettes and parties are priority, and they earn less than I.

Only one other household in the neighborhood prepare for anything. The husband drives a truck, and is obviously gone most of the week. They are natural allies.

I'm sorry. I can't prep for everyone, and am not inclined to assist those who have access to the same news I do, but prefer to ignore threats in favor of the trailer-trash lifestyle.
 
#23 ·
Only one other household in the neighborhood prepare for anything. The husband drives a truck, and is obviously gone most of the week. They are natural allies.

I'm sorry. I can't prep for everyone, and am not inclined to assist those who have access to the same news I do, but prefer to ignore threats in favor of the trailer-trash lifestyle.
No one can prep for everyone, but sometimes it makes sense to prep for your neighbors... depending on your situation & location. Some of my rural neighbors have skills & assets that would be more than useful... especially the farmers with small cattle operations. I'm prepared to provide food & other resources for these type folks so as to help build a small community where these neighbors become, as you state, natural allies.
 
#22 ·
Funny thread. We do not prep - as in don't stockpile a ton of food or weapons or the like. Yes we have a place in the country with a renewable supply of the basics we need to survive and a stockpile of goods to last til the next growing season.

We also have neighbors and they range from two hundred plus acre working farms to small property owners on an acre or two. Just two & six miles away are two small communities (250 - 1000 residents). Those close by are not what one would consider your typical prepper. Most have wood stoves, and gardens - and we live in a fairly wooded area.

Our neighbors are not close, but when the road was blocked by downed trees a year or two ago, we all pitched in to clear it - yeah before VDOT arrived.

Your neighbors are your neighbors. You will have to live with them thru all kinds of circumstances. Good or bad. If you can't figure out a way to live with them then you'll be faced with the aweful task of dealing with them in a confrontational manner. If they out number you and yours, you can guess what the outcome will be.
 
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#27 ·
I have said this before I am with a small group of people we plan, prep, drill, meet up , talk about things that may happen . So other them , my daughter and her husband and my grandson are very welcome to my house if need be , everyone else is " SOL " .
 
#30 ·
We live in a rural area. Most everyone is self sufficient.
Our next door neighbor is our age and a recent widow, her we would help.
 
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#34 ·
You are doing something great IMO. And maybe she can coach those that she told about your food stores.
 
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#38 ·
I have one neighbor who is a real piece of work. She is single, she is retired now. Her son-in-law has quit coming over to cut her grass for her, sometimes she does a little, usually she has a crew do it. She used to be mean as hell and would yell at my kids if a ball ended up in her yard. She bought this house with her new second husband and just a couple years later he had a stroke. she divorced him because as she said, "I'm not taking care of no invalid".

She's been making nicey-nice lately asking if I'd keep an eye on her house and yard at night but, I stay as far away from her as possible. I hate the thought of a next door neighbor starving to death but she probably would. Never see her having any company. She would certainly come knocking. About the only thing I want to offer her is a ride to somewhere else. I'd have to get one of my son-in-laws to do it because none of my kids will have anything to do her. It would be worth it to get her out of the neighborhood.

The rest of my neighborhood is also useless. The only one I'd consider is also the only minority family here, he's good folk and is probably stuck prepping for his whole family.

Yeah, I want to move too but cannot afford to right now and my mother is one block away.
 
#41 ·
I have one neighbor who is a real piece of work. She is single, she is retired now. Her son-in-law has quit coming over to cut her grass for her, sometimes she does a little, usually she has a crew do it. She used to be mean as hell and would yell at my kids if a ball ended up in her yard. She bought this house with her new second husband and just a couple years later he had a stroke. she divorced him because as she said, "I'm not taking care of no invalid".

She's been making nicey-nice lately asking if I'd keep an eye on her house and yard at night but, I stay as far away from her as possible. I hate the thought of a next door neighbor starving to death but she probably would. Never see her having any company. She would certainly come knocking. About the only thing I want to offer her is a ride to somewhere else. I'd have to get one of my son-in-laws to do it because none of my kids will have anything to do her. It would be worth it to get her out of the neighborhood.

The rest of my neighborhood is also useless. The only one I'd consider is also the only minority family here, he's good folk and is probably stuck prepping for his whole family.

Yeah, I want to move too but cannot afford to right now and my mother is one block away.
What a witch!!

When my mother-in-law got alzeimers, my father-in-law and my hubby when he was a teen did everything for her, including changing her, bathing, feeding, everything... I can't even imagine abandoning a loved one :(
 
#39 ·
No ones business that you prep. I have an 18 year old I am constantly telling to shut his pie hole because he doesn't get it. 3 men can keep a secret if two are dead.

I feel a need to evaluate each emergency and neighbor on their own merits. Those who are foolish enough not to have anything, perhaps can get a wake up call via non voluntary fasting. A day is not going to kill anyone. Reality can be the best instructor. I view it as being kinder for their own benefit. Otherwise it's like feeding the bears in the park. They quit providing for themselves and attack when you no longer can share.
 
#42 ·
No ones business that you prep. I have an 18 year old I am constantly telling to shut his pie hole because he doesn't get it. 3 men can keep a secret if two are dead.

I feel a need to evaluate each emergency and neighbor on their own merits. Those who are foolish enough not to have anything, perhaps can get a wake up call via non voluntary fasting. A day is not going to kill anyone. Reality can be the best instructor. I view it as being kinder for their own benefit. Otherwise it's like feeding the bears in the park. They quit providing for themselves and attack when you no longer can share.
Agreed, I just feel sick to my stomach if a senior is all alone and not taken care of..
 
#44 ·
Living outside of the city things are different. Here families have ties that go back generations. Even if you do not hang out together. We are use to not having police protection, and are always the last to see snow plows and other services we pay for. Because of that we tend to look out for others.
1978 we had one heck of a snow storm it shut down everything. Some of us got together and use our tractors and farm snow blowers to clear roads so the milk trucks could get in. We then plowed everyone out long before the government got here. When power was out we hauled a large tractor power generator a round to power milking equipment . 2000 was another but not as bad. Then few years back the 500 year EPA flood. FEMA forgot to show up. They did send out flyers asking you to buy flood insurance. We took care of ourselves.
SHTF for any reason I expect there will be corporation between people out here.
 
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