Posted on 09/02/2005 12:58:04 AM PDT by BenLurkin
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - First the federal government took the buses they had hired to evacuate them. Then their hotels turned them out onto the desolate streets.
They trudged for blocks to walk over a bridge, but officers wouldn't let them cross - and fired a few warning shots over their heads to convince them.
And the night was coming down.
Despairing, dozens of trapped tourists huddled on a downtown street corner and waited for dark.
"I grew up in an upper-middle class family. Street life is foreign to me," said Larry Mitzel, 53, of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. "I'm not sure I'm going to get out of here alive."
The fate of tourists in dozens of hotels here was caught up in the days of chaos and confusion that came after Hurricane Katrina's 145 mph winds.
Many smaller hotels shut down. The largest housed hundreds and hundreds of guests and took in refugees from the storm. How many remained Thursday was unclear.
Tourists and hotel managers alike condemned government officials for ignoring them.
"The tourists are an afterthought here," said Bill Hedrick of Houston, who came to town on business and was trapped with his wife and elderly mother-in-law.
"We're appalled," said Jill Johnson, 53, of Saskatoon. "This city is built on tourism and we're their last priority."
Peter Ambros, general manager of the Astor Crowne Plaza in the French Quarter, said, "Guests who bring business to the hotels are treated 10 times worse than the people at the Superdome."
He helped arrange the hiring of 10 buses to evacuate 500 guests from his and a nearby hotel - at a cost of $25,000.
Then the Federal Emergency Management Agency commandeered the buses and police told the guests to go to the nearby convention center, where a crowd left without food, water or security was growing angry.
Instead, the tourists - dragging their rolling luggage through broken glass, smashed bricks and trash - tried to cross a huge bridge blocks away.
They were turned back when another group trying to cross began to threaten the officers, said Whit Herndon, 32, of Jonesboro, Ark.
As night approached, the tourists stuck close together on a corner of the downtown waterfront and within sight of a police gathering point.
Officers brought them food and water and promised buses would come for them. Most prepared to sleep, sheltered by a concrete overhang.
The tourists put on a game face and prepared to sleep.
Ann Robertson, a 50-year-old vocational counselor from Nashville, Tenn., looked on the bright side. They had food, there was safety in numbers - but then she looked at the sky.
"I don't know," she said, "I never slept on the street before."
I think, regardless of party, any politician even remotely associated with this mess is going to have a hard time justifying his reelection. This may be an election where people ignore party affiliation and just pull the lever for whoever's running against the incumbent.
Care to explain this?
Everyone Failed.
No one issued an evac order on Aug 17th. I don't recall the President issuing an evac order at all - that was the governor and the mayor.
But the answer to your question is, because they flew into NO, they couldn't get flights out of NO, and they couldn't get rental cars or reservations on any other form of transportation.
Very true, but this basic principle of hospitality is at odds with the general entitlement mentality that runs NO. The guests should have made a more sober and realistic assessment of their circumstances and evacuated prior to the storm. Unfortunately, their lapse of judgement placed them in this predicament.
Most notably the citizen's themselves. I have seen little or nothing to show me that these citizens were prepared for a hurricane. I have seen little or nothing to show me that these citizens are trying to help themselves or each other.
I have seen nothing but citizens relying on "them" or "the government" for their very survival.
A sad picture of the state of America.
What you are seeing on TV is what you would see in a third world country.
And these people paid 25,000 for a bus to get themselves out of the area and the government stole their way out putting them at risk.
And yet they were orderly and did not go violent like the animals inside the city.
Sorry but those people who are doing the looting, raping and killing should be shot on site. And get those Canadians the hell out of hell on earth.
Amen to the first part of your post. The second part is off. Crass behavior on our part generally causes disdain or mockery, but only rarely hate. Foreigners hate America because either 1) we are stronger and more successful than they are (envy) or 2) they are tyrants of one stripe or another (communists, socialists, islamists) and we are their natural enemy.
Most of these people had no access to a vehicle. I am not excusing their behavior but you must remember that 40% of the population are illiterate.
One of the more vile posts I have ever seen on FR.
I am truely sorry if this offended anyone! However, I feel that these people really DO need to quit complaining that they aren't given priority for getting out and to let the aid workers do thier jobs - if the people in NO right now would STOP the violence and let the rescuers get them out in an orderly fashion - this could be resolved "quickly".
Again, if that was offensive - my apologies - if desired, I will even request that it be removed (and any references to it).
Post 52 - CNN's Anderson Cooper Losing It -- LIVE!!!
Again, apologies for any offense...
My apologies for being harsh. Sigh.
It is so sad to watch all of what has happened. :-(
Again, my apologies to you.
Sincerely,
RA
RA,
I too am saddend and sickened by what I am seeing and hearing - maybe that was why my comment was so strong.
I bear no grudge.
And, no need for an apology - you may have been right!
AAE
"When you have guests in your house, you take care of them."
Thank you. Perfectly stated.
With all due respect, these people are guests in our country, and should be a top priority.
Obviously these people have never heard of checking the weather. Here's a piece of advice. If a hurricane is in the Gulf - DON'T TAKE YOUR VACATION THERE!
You mean that maybe, some tourists were traped in New Orleans and are not the lazy, stupid, thrill seekers that some here are protraying them to be. Hmmm, who'da thunk it.
Bump!
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