Tuesday, June 14, 2005

Priceless

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake hit off the California coast earlier this evening, and naturally a tsunami warning was issued as a precaution. Different from a “tsunami watch,” the “warning” indicates that action should be taken to evacuate any low -lying coastal areas immediately. We all saw the devastating aftermath of the tsunami that hit Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Thailand, and other locations in that vicinity earlier this year. Even places as far away from the epicenter such as the coasts of India and Africa were battered by the powerful tsunami surge. Thousands upon thousands of lives were lost – adults and children were literally plucked up from the sandy beaches, with the ease one might pluck up a tiny stone, and they were hurled out to sea in a matter of seconds. The visions caught on tape by chance were for sure frightening. The aftermath was almost unbelievable.

So how do our West Coast friends respond to the warning? Do they grab their kids, throw them in the Suburban, and make a beeline for higher ground? Surely they know from the past that tsunamis do hit the West Coast too.

No, my friends. Instead, they grab their lawn chairs, throw them in the back of the pick up truck, and head down to the sand to watch the tsunami hit. I kid you not. This is the kind of idiocy that happens here.

Unbelievable.

3 comments:

PJD said...

That is called "adding chlorine to the gene pool." By the way, people surf during hurricanes, too. I wonder if anyone has tried parasailing through a tornado yet.

Don't worry about those folks. Just like in the old National Geographic videos, when the lions would take the slow and the sick, nature is simply helping rid humanity of the terminably stupid.

bluesugarpoet said...

Ahh, yes...and for those idiots who survive, there is always another "reality TV" show in the works. Also, there's nothing like watching yet another skater getting bonked in the beans on one of those "It was CRAZY, but I did it anyway and got it on VIDEO" shows because "it looked easy."

Jane D. said...

"Bonked in the beans"?? "BONKED IN THE BEANS"?? Never heard that one before. This could definitely become part of my regular usage (well, as often as anyone I know gets racked...err...I mean...bonked in the beans.)