Posted on 09/23/2005 5:08:41 AM PDT by InvisibleChurch
DEATHS: Bus carrying Hurricane Rita evacuees has exploded on Interstate 45 near Dallas...
How can you people live and have steady nerves? Right now I'm biting my nails with worry. It appears everyone is stuck in traffic, no place to go and burning buses now. I finding fault with the media for just showing the snaring traffic. We don't need hysteria, panic, doom and gloom. We need cheerleaders. Why not show images of people who made their destination? It will be a moral booster during this difficult time. Can the media be any use except for bad news?
I've done work on those types of coaches. They typically use air brakes that require compressed air to release, otherwise they slam shut and lock. I don't believe the coach could move at all if the brakes were set.
To your name... If you drive a conventional school bus you probably have this system. If you drive a short-bus or cutaway you probably have the traditional E-brake found on van chassis.
Reminds me of Apollo 1--a spark in a pure oxygen environment. The astronauts died in less than a minute.
Turn off your 'SOS/MSM' stations and stream one of the station from Texas onto your computer......I think you'll see a different side of this story!
Streaming Video: (coverage may be intermittent)
KPRC-TV/DT Houston - KPRC-TV/DT Houston - http://mfile.akamai.com/12944/live/reflector:38616.asx
KPLC-TV Lake Charles KPLC Streaming
KHOU-TV/DT Houston: mms://beloint.wm.llnwd.net/beloint_khou
WWLTV NOLA
Even as sad as this is, it is even more frustrating to watch because as they were trying to clear this from the road, the miles and miles of traffic of evacuees backed up behind them. From the helicopter view, the southbound lanes on the other side were empty. They have yet to be opened to northbound evacuees. ARGH!
The media are making a big issue out of the traffic jams, as if you can evacuate 4 million people and not have horrific trtaffic jams. Even ordinary rush hour traffic has traffic jams, and it would be folly to expect this kind of an evacuation not to have huge traffic jams. That's why they started 3 days before the storm.
Those nursing home folks
on trial for murder will use
this in their court case . . .
(Bad things happen if
you stay, bad thing happen if
you try to get out . . .)
My husband and I were wondering the same thing. I wish for once they'd show where the people at the head of these lines of traffic are! Where is it that these folks are finally able to go the speed limit? It's killing me sitting here worrying about all these people stuck in traffic. I cannot fathom their frustration at having been there now for OVER 24 hours!!
What bothers me is seeing all of those southbound lanes still open and empty after 24 hours. Just like where that bus fire happened. By now, those lanes should be being used. It's been a full day of traffic jams. I understand traffic jams. I went to work in them every day for a very long time.
And I also understand that it was hard for them to predict that a LOT of people didn't have to evacuate (because of mandatory evacs) decided to anyways voluntarily because of their recent memories of Katrina. So that has caused a lot of probably extra traffic.
But, for goodness sake, ALL southbound lanes, need to go north by now.
"I cannot fathom their frustration at having been there now for OVER 24 hours!!"
We went home for Christmas one year from NC to MO. It usually took us 11 hours. Everyone left at the same time trying to get ahead of an ice storm headed our way. We didn't make it! Took us 22 hours to get home with a 2 month old baby in the car. There's something I'm not likely to repeat!
I hope all these people are keeping their spirits up! It's hard to remain positive and kind to each other under such stressful conditions. May God be with them!!!
I would put my money on smokers. You wouldn't get sparks from DOT brakes. You can burn the pads, but they don't spark like those on a train.
The media just sucks sometimes!!!
The demented Islamic enemy would the the sick types to heap additional terror into one of the largest storm related American evacuations.
I wouldn't want to repeat that either!
My husband was in Jacksonville during Floyd (before it came up the coast to NC) and he had to evacuate along I-10. It was stop and go all the way to Tallahassee where he went to his sister's house.
He said the people around him actually made it fun. They stopped along the road, got out, talked, made friends, etc..Tried to find ways to pass the time.
Normally he's not a patient guy. I'm glad he a good group of people to hang out with. And gas for his car. I feel so bad for the people in Texas.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.