[tfecw]

"If you need a ride, try to go with a neighbor, friend, or relative. "


This is the part that sort of gets me. We constantly hear about the people without cars who rely on public transportation. Before the storm hit you have every lane in every highway filled with cars leaving the city. Why not get a ride? Have them drop you off pretty much anyplace out of the evacuation zone. Maybe I'm being a tad idealistic (I do that from time to time) but I personally would have a hard time turning down someone who was asking for a ride, assuming i had room.
Just drop them off at pretty much any church or homeless shelter or red cross center, etc.

[najida]

What about SCHOOL buses!
The transit buses,
all the State, Railroad vehicles, ambulances etc...
Even the DOA trucks, fercryinoutloud!

Don't get me started.

ACK!

Just Damn

[BigBobber]

We constantly hear about the people without cars who rely on public transportation.

You raise a great point. The libs tell us to get out of our cars and use public transit. Yet in this crisis public transit appeared to be totally inadequate to evacuate the city.

[gracie1]

Yeah, that whole thing got me too. People have become so conditioned to expecting the authorities to do all of the thinking and planning, no wants to think or plan for themselves. What ever happened to pooling your resources, making an assessment of needs and strengths in your neighborhood/apartment block/whatever.

Who has cash for gas money and supplies?

Who has cars and how many can each one hold?

Who are the sick, elderly, and disabled that need extra consideration?

Supply each vehicle with needed supplies and pack it with people to evacuate out.

That being said, the city still has no excuse for not realizing that there would be some people who still would need assistance. That those school buses weren't deployed to evacuate people is inexcusable.

[onehipdad]

I heard one crying woman who said she begged people leaving a hotel, whose vehicles were packed with suitcases - if true I hope the drivers never ever forget what decisions they made..

[Sloth]

There is no excuse for able-bodied people not walking/hitching out of town.

[AmusedBystander]

but I personally would have a hard time turning down someone who was asking for a ride, assuming i had room.

Apparently, you have never been to New Orleans. It's a rough city on a good day.