Sydney Residents 'Must Carry Survival Bags'

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 7-18-2007 | Mark Chipperfield

[blam]

Sydney residents 'must carry survival bags'

By Mark Chipperfield in Sydney
Last Updated: 2:12am BST 18/07/2007

The easy-going residents of Australia's biggest city are being urged to carry personal "survival bags" to help them cope with a future terrorist attack or natural disaster.

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, says citizens should pack a "Go Bag" containing such essentials as toilet paper, running shoes, spare keys, a torch, disposable gloves, adhesive tape, a transistor radio and sun cream before they leave home each day.

Miss Moore, who has yet to pack her own Go Bag, says it is her duty to warn Sydney's four million residents of the potential dangers that await them.

"Living through the hailstorm [in 1999], I realized how unprepared we were for a catastrophe of that sort," she said.

The city council is distributing 200,000 booklets advising Sydneysiders on how to cope with a terrorist attack, earthquake, flood or other natural disaster. The booklet suggests that people find an "emergency buddy", develop a personal emergency plan and create a contact number on their mobile phones in case they are injured and unable to talk to rescuers.

A council website suggests that in the event of a bombing, earthquake or flood residents should carry their cats in "a cotton pillow case".

The public education campaign, which has been co-funded by the Australian government, has been greeted with skepticism by most Sydneysiders - even from the deputy mayor Chris Harris. "It's purely sensationalist," he said.

"Where are we supposed to go with our Go Bags? With our current public transport system, the roads would be clogged within minutes."

Sydney has already been warned to be on high alert when world leaders arrive in September to attend the 2007 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. The latest announcement has only heightened the sense of fear surrounding that event.

[Grizzled Bear]

...containing such essentials as toilet paper, running shoes, spare keys, a torch, disposable gloves, adhesive tape, a transistor radio and sun cream before they leave home each day.

---

Wow! You could have fun with all of that stuff without ever leaving the house!

[metmom]

Well, you could wear the running shoes....

Good Lord.

[metmom]

The Lord Mayor of Sydney, Clover Moore, says citizens should pack a "Go Bag" containing such essentials as toilet paper, running shoes, spare keys, a torch, disposable gloves, adhesive tape, a transistor radio and sun cream before they leave home each day.

She sure has different ideas about essentials than I do.....

[dfwgator]

McGyver could turn that stuff into a small electric generator.

[Grizzled Bear]

A council website suggests that in the event of a bombing, earthquake or flood residents should carry their cats in “a cotton pillow case”.

---

The council only included that suggestion to prove they really do have a sense of humor...

[Calpernia]

ping

[nhoward14]

UK English to US English translation:

torch = flashlight

[Man50D]

No water?

[LibFreeOrDie]

"...in the event of a bombing, earthquake or flood residents should carry their cats in "a cotton pillow case"

Oh, yeah, that'll work real well! You're trying to flee from disaster (wearing those running shoes you packed in your Go Bag), while you're clinging to wiggling sacks of cats...(What if you've got more than one cat? Throw 'em all in one pillow case? Riiiiight!)

[LibWhacker]

Sure, a survival bag to help you survive a terrorist attack, but that doesn’t contain a gun, is a useless bag.

[Hegemony Cricket]

"...deputy mayor Chris Harris. "It's purely sensationalist," he said."

Echoes of John "It's Only A Bumper Sticker" Edwards...

[Grizzled Bear]

UK English to US English translation:

torch = flashlight

---

May I pack an actual torch in my “Must Carry Survival Bag” if I really, really want to?

[SandRat]

WOW! You haven’t had to do that since WWII.

[nhoward14]

Only if you carry a pitchfork at the same time.

[Hegemony Cricket]

Survival - so easy, even a caveman could do it!

[vladimir998]

I have a survival pack in my car. It has just about everything except water.

[bannie]

a torch a TORCH???

[bannie]

Guns and as much ammo as you can carry. If possible, keep plenty in your locker at work.

[KarlInOhio]

shoot, a fellah could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff....

[Revolting cat!]

All you ever need, dude!

[bannie]

torch = flashlight

I should have read first.

[Grizzled Bear]

Only if you carry a pitchfork at the same time.

---

Well of course! You need both when you have the monster trapped in the Church Tower!

[Revolting cat!]

A TORCH?

[doc1019]

Expel all Muslims, and the need for carrying these “survival bags” would disappear (America take heed).

[Unknowing]

The backup gun(s); the primary is always with you, right?

And please don’t forget the 250 rounds of ammunition; the 25-mile-range walkie-talkie(s); $350 - $1,000 cash in mostly 5’s and 1’s; 2 rolls of quarters; improved first-aid kit; thyroid anti-radiation tablets; carton(s) of cigarettes; pint(s) of scotch or Rebel Yell bourbon; water bag and container; very good knife; space blanket, et cetera, et cetera.

[bannie]

I was wondering where to keep my can of gasoline to soak the head of the torch in...and I was worried about burning up the pillow cases! The poor cats!

;-)

[Oztrich Boy]

Urban Dictionary: bag of cats

[Revolting cat!]

I suspect they mean this on your iPod!

[singlemomofone]

Oh, yeah, that’ll work real well! You’re trying to flee from disaster (wearing those running shoes you packed in your Go Bag), while you’re clinging to wiggling sacks of cats...(What if you’ve got more than one cat? Throw ‘em all in one pillow case? Riiiiight!)
________________

Hey...it worked for those folks that were going to St. Ives... :)))

[Calvin Locke]

Survival kit contents check. In them you'll find: one forty-five caliber automatic; two boxes of ammunition; four days' concentrated emergency rations; one drug issue containing antibiotics, morphine, vitamin pills, pep pills, sleeping pills, tranquilizer pills; one miniature combination Russian phrase book and Bible; one hundred dollars in rubles; one hundred dollars in gold; nine packs of chewing gum; one issue of prophylactics; three lipsticks; three pair of nylon stockings. Shoot, a fella' could have a pretty good weekend in Vegas with all that stuff.

- Major T. J. "King" Kong

[blam]

I'll be taking my torch...for sure.

[bannie]

so...we can take our iPods too???

Whew!
Good thinking, then: THAT’s where I’ll keep the torch!

[theBuckwheat]

The article contained some suggestions for the Go Bag, but I wonder what the anti-suggestions list includes? Would I be going to far to guess the first forbidden item (in the minds of these elites) would be NO SELF DEFENSE EQUIPMENT and above all NO WEAPONS?

[KarlInOhio]

A council website suggests that in the event of a bombing, earthquake or flood residents should carry their cats in "a cotton pillow case".

Do NOT keep your cat in a polyester pillow case. I case of leaking gas, the static discharge from a cat in a polyester pillow case could ignight the gas and kill hundreds.

[Byron_the_Aussie]

The race for Lord Mayor : Does Clover Moore deserve another term? No. The city needs a change of direction - 66%

[Oztrich Boy]

When duck tape isn't enough

[Byron_the_Aussie]

by the end of the day the Lord Mayor Clover Moore was being dubbed a Scrooge, who was taking "cultural correctness" to an extraordinary level

[metmom]

Bloke for flashlight, I believe.

[theBuckwheat]

>>
$350 - $1,000 cash in mostly 5’s and 1’s; 2 rolls of quarters
<<

In a Real Emergency, it may be better to also have a small number of 1/10th and 1/4 th ounce gold pieces. Gold is far better palm grease than paper money anyday.

[lonestar]

Poor dogs!

[Grizzled Bear]

...the static discharge from a cat in a polyester pillow case could ignight the gas and kill hundreds.

---

What if the cat is the one “leaking” the gas? We recently adopted a kitten. When he relaxes and is purring...all I can say is...DAMN!

[Revolting cat!]

Dude, when the Armageddon is near, a pack of these would come in handy!

[metmom]

Not such a strange thread but the posts are lots of fun....

Well, maybe it IS a strange thread now that I think about it....

[KarlInOhio]

ignight->ignite.

it's getting too late at nite

[Unknowing]

Covered, I didn’t want to mention that. “Taxi to airport now this gold” is a universal language, baby.

[bannie]

I’ve been getting EDUCATED!

:-)

[bannie]

I’ve been getting EDUCATED!

:-)

[The_Reader_David]

In ‘Strine (or British English, for that matter) a torch is a flashlight. (In full, ‘an electric torch’).

[Gideon T. Reader]

Correct!
What’s in your Go-BAG?

Mine is a Jumbo Versa-pak from Maxpedition.
Two bottles of Purell
Toilet paper
Tooth brush and bottle of Listerine(pint)
Browning Hi-power and four mags
Extra 9mm ammo
Spare sunglasses/spare reading glasses
Floppy hat
disposable rubber gloves
Two liters water
Leatherman Tool
Swiss Army knife on lanyard
Randall #1 & sheath w/stone
300 feet para cord
Emerg fishing kit
Four Tourniquets
Three packs Blood Stop
Bottle Betadine and mini Trauma treat kit
Burn ointment
Asptin/Aleve/any pain pills available with laminated Rx.
Prescription meds with laminated Rx
Surefire Combat light and spare batts
Chem lights X4
Flashing Red diode & spare batt
Portable Radio one set spare AA bats=X6
Rain poncho packet
Hi-cal snacks or go Bars.
Cell phone & Auto charger w/a/c adapter

This is my daily take from the house to my vehicle and travels with me. Other goodies in my trunk that extend my viability for Two adults to **survive** for a week.
Vehicle has: 10 gal potable water
10 gal of Diesel fuel
Canned food for two for week or more if careful
Carbine/mags and 250 rounds 5.56 ammo.
.22 Mossberg rifle & 500 rounds .22LR ammo
Field jackets/pants and socks
Blankets
Jumper/charger unit
Solar light and portable Coleman stove w/fuel canister

I believe I am fairly prepared.
Anyone with anything other or suggestions?