Posted on 09/02/2005 9:15:38 AM PDT by Jalapeno
The first busload of New Orleans refugees to reach the Reliant Astrodome overnight was a group of people who commandeered a school bus in the city ravaged by Hurricane Katrina and drove to Houston looking for shelter.
Jabbar Gibson, 20, said police in New Orleans told him and others to take the school bus and try to get out of the flooded city.
Gibson drove the bus from the flooded Crescent City, picking up stranded people, some of them infants, along the way. Some of those on board had been in the Superdome, among those who were supposed to be evacuated to Houston on more than 400 buses Wednesday and today. They couldn't wait.
The group of mostly teenagers and young adults pooled what little money they had to buy diapers for the babies and fuel for the bus.
After arriving at the Astrodome at about 10:30 p.m., however, they initially were refused entry by Reliant officials who said the aging landmark was reserved for the 23,000 people being evacuated from the Louisiana Superdome.
"Now, we don't have nowhere to go," Gibson said. "We heard the Astrodome was open for people from New Orleans. We ain't ate right, we ain't slept right. They don't want to give us no help. They don't want to let us in."
Milling about the Reliant entrance, Sheila Nathan, 38, told her teary-eyed toddler that she was too tired to hold him.
"I'm trying to make it a fairy tale so they won't panic," said Nathan, who had four grandchildren in tow. "I have to be strong for them."
After about 20 minutes of confusion and consternation, Red Cross officials announced that the group of about 50 to 70 evacuees would be allowed into the Astrodome.
All were grateful to be out of the devastation and misery that had overtaken their hometown.
"I feel good to get out of New Orleans," said Demetrius Henderson, who got off the bus with his wife and three children. Many of those around him alternated between excited, cranky and nervous, clutching suitcases or plastic garbage bags of clothes.
They looked as bedraggled as their grueling ride would suggest: 13 hours on the commandeered bus driven by a 20-year-old man. Watching bodies float by as they tried to escape the drowning city. Picking up people along the way. Three stops for fuel. Chugging into Reliant Park, only to be told initially that they could not spend the night.
Every bit worth it.
"We took the bus and got out of the city. We were trying to get out of the city," James Hickerson said.
Several passengers on the bus said they took the matter into their own hands earlier Wednesday because they felt rescuers and New Orleans authorities were too slow in offering help.
"They are not worried about us," said Makivia Horton, 22, who is five months pregnant.
That's right. I wish I could be there to help. It's the kind of thing that's very satisfying and makes you feel alive. Helping others is exactly what God wants us to do. Is there anywhere I can send underwear, socks, shoes, etc? Please let me know.
God bless you for helping these folks. I have a lot of still very good clothes, jeans, etc., that I would like to get to these people. I heard the new zip code given for the astrodome this AM on tv (77230). I am washing these things as I write because I decided to send them straight to the Astroderm. Since you have been there, is this a good idea or no? Surely, they need whatever they can get.
Regardless, during an emergency we are well within our right to do whatever it takes to protect ourselves.
Government workers are not required to help us during an emergency. We must be proactive in some cases. This was such a case.
My sister was a mother at 15, a grandmother at 35. She was a great grandmother about 15 years after that. Now her grandchildren are having babies out of wedlock. Such a shame.
And she has a toddler of her own? Sheesh.
Can you tell us where to send clothing?
Government workers are not required to help anyone during an emergency.
These poor folks are faithful to family members. They stick together. Of course a lot of fathers have abandoned their families, but the mothers are the ones who usually keep things together. They're to be admired instead of castigated.
There's nothing wrong with having babies.
Tell us how you did that, Hank. I want to do the same that's why I wanted to move out of our apartment into a real house.
He took mothers and children. Reread please.
So do I and I believe revival will come to LA and Mississippi because of it. Christians will rise to their finest hour and show them the love of God, which many have never seen before. I think of this generation as the best of times and the worst of times.
Nope. Mutual from me.
I like these folks! They had gumption and initiative. They are now safe and dry because they didn't wait for the gub'mint to help them.
God helps those who help themselves!!
I second that. Jabbar knows how to take the initiative and get the job done.
A clothing collection would be a great service project for my daughter's Girl Scout troop, if we had the name of someone or an organization to whom to send them when they're collected.
God helps those who help themselves.
Great story and good thinking by the NO police.
How they talk isn't really the point, is it? They are people who need help.
Not at all, but too many who have babies can't take care of them when they're so young themselves. Their mothers end up doing it. Sometimes these kids don't have a chance, and it gets passed down from generation to generation. Fortunately, my sister's kids turned out pretty well, considering she abandoned most of them when they were young and their father/stepfather raised them.
Did you know that Crazy Cindy and her gang of unhinged moonbats are protesting in Houston today? If you see her, you have my permission to slap her silly.
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