A Black Hole of Happiness

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I heard, but have not read, of people in cars falling down into the river then swimming to safety. Have you seen that confirmed?

After 9/11 some people here were talking about our connections to Canada and how they would make good targets. there is a tunnel under the Detroit river and a bridge over it. One guy said he'll start taking the bridge because if you're in the tunnel and a bomb goes off, you have no way out, you'll drown for sure. He felt he had a chance on the bridge because he'd hit the water but have a chance to swim away. I figured if your car fell that far and hit water the impact would knock you out and maybe kill you, so I didn't agree with him.

did people really swim out of cars that fell into the river?

How would cutting off a few of the bazillion connections to Canada be a worthy target?

Driving over bridges scares me more than driving through tunnels. This makes me exactly the opposite of my BFF, who is fine with bridges but hates hates hates underwater tunnels. I don't worry about collapse, I worry about falling off the edge. Yes, I am irrational.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
How would cutting off a few of the bazillion connections to Canada be a worthy target?

It would chill Coltrane's god-given right to go to windsor and see 19 year old French Canadians dancing naked.

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by Sparklehorse
It made me LOL! to imagine (the hypothetical) you careening down the highway with no brakes and also reaching into the glove compartment to get out a book, looking something up in the index, thumbing through the pages, and so on. (I hope it goes without saying that this does not mean that I wish you any bodily harm.)

Well, I guess now Thurgreed could use his iPhone to get the same info. Though I'm vaguely remembering that the iPhone has problems with some Flash sites. Some of it is online now. Including the most relevant "How to Escape from a Sinking Car".

Extreme Survival

How to Escape from a Sinking Car

1. As soon as you hit the water, open your window. This is your best chance of escape, because opening the door will be very difficult given the outside water pressure. (To be safe, you should drive with the windows and doors slightly open whenever you are near water or driving on ice.) Opening the window allows water to come in and equalize the pressure. Once the water pressure inside and outside the car is equal, you’ll be able to open the door.

2. If your power windows won’t work or you cannot roll your windows down all the way, attempt to break the glass with your foot, shoulder, or a heavy object such as an antitheft steering wheel lock.

3. Get out. Do not worry about leaving anything behind unless it is another person. Vehicles with engines in front will sink at a steep angle. If the water is fifteen feet or deeper, the vehicle may end up on its roof, upside down. For this reason, you must get out as soon as possible, while the car is still afloat. Depending on the vehicle, floating time will range from a few seconds to a few minutes. The more airtight the car, the longer it floats. Air in the car will be quickly forced out through the trunk and cab. An air bubble is unlikely to remain once the car hits bottom. Get out as early as possible.

4. If you are unable to open the window or break it, you have one final option. Remain calm and do not panic. Wait until the car begins filling with water. When the water reaches your head, take a deep breath and hold it. Now the pressure should be equalized inside and outside, and you should be able to open the door and swim to the surface.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
Well, I guess now Thurgreed could use his iPhone to get the same info. Though I'm vaguely remembering that the iPhone has problems with some Flash sites. Some of it is online now. Including the most relevant "How to Escape from a Sinking Car".

Any tips for hastening death when it seems inevitable? Breathe out completely, open your mouth, and then breathe in?

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
Any tips for hastening death when it seems inevitable? Breathe out completely, open your mouth, and then breathe in?

if in the Pacific Ocean, find and eat a blow fish. In the Mississippi, maybe grab a water moccasin?

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
How would cutting off a few of the bazillion connections to Canada be a worthy target?

Uh, it's terrorism. Killing people creates terror.

FWIW, I'm less fearful of tunnel collapse than fire in a tunnel, as seems to happen quite often in Europe. A lot of tunnels are holes through big rocks, which tend not to collapse any more than do caves. On the other hand, there's not much way out through solid rock.

ETA: Just so you all know, RP and I have nothing to worry about on bridges. DC Bridges are safe, and have been inspected.

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
Uh, it's terrorism. Killing people creates terror.

FWIW, I'm less fearful of tunnel collapse than fire in a tunnel, as seems to happen quite often in Europe. A lot of tunnels are holes through big rocks, which tend not to collapse any more than do caves. On the other hand, there's not much way out through solid rock.

ETA: Just so you all know, RP and I have nothing to worry about on bridges. DC Bridges are safe, and have been inspected.

How many people are going to be in those tunnels? Sheez.

Underwater tunnels are the scariest kind. All that water pressure. Driving to VA beach with her was, um, something. I think that is where there are bridges leading to underwater tunnels leading to bridges, no?

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Hank Chinaski
I can walk to the Zoo and a golf course, but I bet I get zero for that. this test is urban-centric biased.

How often do you walk to the zoo and the golf course. After you've answered, please answer again without lying.

TM

[ltl/fb]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
How often do you walk to the zoo and the golf course. After you've answered, please answer again without lying.

TM

Their classifications are suspect -- Lily et Cie was listed as a grocery store, I believe, and it's a vintage clothing place.

Translation: I want my Ralphs back! Even though the word-representation for the sound of vomiting is a terrible name for a grocery store!

[ThurgreedMarshall]

Originally posted by Replaced_Texan
I have never been in more trouble with my parents than the time that I managed to get the car into neutral while parked on a hill, started rolling it, jumped out of the moving vehicle when I realized I couldn't stop it and (this is the part my parents were most unimpressed with) left my sisters in the moving car. My defense is I couldn't get one of them out of the car seat and the other one was too chicken to jump. My brother also made the jump. I think I must have been six or seven, and he was five or six.

They must be worried that your driving skills have declined since.

TM

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
Walk Score: 97 out of 100

In yo' face!
TM

58 -- not bad for the suburbs. But its not that good in real life. They rather unrealistically assume folks with cars will instead choose to walk a couple of miles along 6 lane roads (not all with sidewalks) and over freeways.

S_A_M

[Secret_Agent_Man]

Originally posted by Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)
BTW, can't any child over 1 extricate him/herself from a seat faster than any parent?

Nope. The bottom buckle on a 5 point harness remains a real challenge for many until about 4 or so. (requires significant pinch pressure.)

[Replaced_Texan]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
They must be worried that your driving skills have declined since.

TM

Since then, no one has ever had to jump out of a vehicle that I am operating.

And compared to my sister (the one who lost her wardrobe in a car fire, not the one that went to BMW performance school), I should be getting awards annually from insurance companies.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally posted by ThurgreedMarshall
How often do you walk to the zoo and the golf course. After you've answered, please answer again without lying.

TM

golf course- zero times to golf. but if I cross country skied I would walk there on snow days as it opens for skiers. also, once when a Japanese client was visiting I impressed him by walking the block to the fence along the course.

zoo- when my kids were little, we would walk along a street about 3 blocks away where you can see into the zoo where there were elephants and camels. other than not much.

those are at least worth the points you get for the 7th and 8th bars.

[Mmmm, Burger (C.J.)]

Originally posted by ltl/fb
How many people are going to be in those tunnels? Sheez.

Underwater tunnels are the scariest kind. All that water pressure. Driving to VA beach with her was, um, something. I think that is where there are bridges leading to underwater tunnels leading to bridges, no?

In a 10 mile tunnel? With cars continuing to pour in but others stuck in the middle? Yeah, probably only a few cars.

Not a fan of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel?