Why Do Others Expect YOU To Prep For THEM??????? (acres, fresh water, barn)

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

It must be awful living with such anxiety and paranoia. Que Sera Sera.

It's probably fairly similar to living with a bad case of normalcy bias.

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by Nite Ryder

There are no easy answers, but one of the problems is so many people think there are no problems, that their life or life style will always be the same as it is today.

Yes, exactly. And then when things don't go according to their fantasy life that they have all laid out for themselves, they blow a head gasket and go postal. If not for folks like that, those of us who prepare for rainy days wouldn't really have to worry about much of anything in a bad situation, other than a rogue government, which is fairly easy to work around in the absence of chaos. They're evil, no doubt, but at the same time, fairly stupid and sluggish.

[animalcrazy]

Originally Posted by ChrisC

It's probably fairly similar to living with a bad case of normalcy bias.

Maybe, but you can drive yourself crazy with "What if" I find it easier to live with what is.

[Countrysue]

Post Katrina, I am surrounded by preppers. Like most of my neighbors, I will go over my supplies tomorrow (the first day of hurricane season) and start buying what I need. Like most of my neighbors, I will keep quiet about what I have. I learned from Katrina that there will always be people who think their need entitles them to your supplies. The best way to handle this is just to keep quiet about what you have. Most of my supplies are stored out of sight.

I will also be eating down my freezer and filling the empty space with bottles of water. If there is a hurricane, and we lose power, the frozen bottles of water will keep the remaining food in my freezer safe until we can eat it. Of course, when it's hot, and there is no A/C, that frozen bottle of water is wonder to drink from! Ice melt soaked washclothes feel wonderful when wrapped around neck and wrists.

The only thing left to decide if whether the 'group' will come to my house, or if I will go to one of theirs. Our bugout plans are not yet complete, but we will have everything decided by the end of June.

Got to get a new 'Monopoly' game. All the other games and zigsaw puzzles are fine. Whoops! Also got to get new crayons. The old ones have been nibbled on. Post Katrina, 'manual' games are considered a necessity for any emergency.

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Originally Posted by animalcrazy

Maybe, but you can drive yourself crazy with "What if" I find it easier to live with what is.

That's fine. If you live where there is a hurricane, tornado, volcano, earthquake, tsunami, just sit tight and someone will get the power back on eventually. Usually no more than 10-14 days. There won't be any markets or restaurants or running water, or any way to heat your house, but as long as you are OK to live with what is, you will be happy.

Just don't go around knocking on your neighbors' doors, asking them to provide from you, or one of the paranoid preppers might shoot you dead.

[CSD610]

Originally Posted by WhipperSnapper 88

So I just got done having an interesting conversation with a neighbor { who also happens to be a realtive } about the looming hypothetical apocolypse. The complete arrogance of this person was quite astounding. The conversation quickly shifted to guns. Now, I suppose my first and biggest mistake was letting this person or any other know that I own my fair share of them. They on the other hand, own maybe one or two, and they are relatively low powered, I think one is a .22....... Anyway, somehow the conversation drifted toward defending the home against moraders. This guy actually had the GULL to make the statement that if such a situation were to arise, he would expect me to give him my AR so that he could defend ME and his kids. Heres how it went

ME: " well, I only have one rifle that would be useful for any kind of combat situation

HIM: "yeah, and you know who would be using that one right?"

ME: uhhhhhh...... me

HIM: "you would be handing that over to me since I can shoot better and at further distances"

ME: "you would have to kill me to take it from me"

HIM: "I would do what I had to do in order to defend my family and if you would hold out on me your just a greedy bastard since I can defend you better than you can"

ME: " Well I guess at that point you would go from being a freind and a partner to being my enemy now wouldn't you"

Needless to say, tempers got pretty flared. The discussion went from a silly hypothetical to something that turned very serious in a matter of seconds. We went on to discuss how predators will prey on those who were prepared while THEY weren't. I told him he would pretty much be that predator. He said he can't afford to prepare because of all the sacrifice he makes for his children financialy and blah blah blah.

This was just one more wake up call that those who live like the lazy grass hopper will most certainly expect the prepared ant who hunted and gathered all summer to carry them through the winter should the S ever HTF.

I'd let him take my gun, then I'd pull my 9 and take it back.

One things for sure, if the S ever does HTF, I'll be DAMNED if ANYONE is taking my supplies or my gun, let alone my best gun, while I sit on the sidelines.

You guys ever had this happen to you where someone expects you to prepare for them or expects you to hand over supplies and/or weapons?

You fellas need to find new hobbys, new topics or new friends. A tempers got flared discussion over an unknown "what if"....really?

[ChrisC]

Originally Posted by oregonwoodsmoke

That's fine. If you live where there is a hurricane, tornado, volcano, earthquake, tsunami, just sit tight and someone will get the power back on eventually. Usually no more than 10-14 days. There won't be any markets or restaurants or running water, or any way to heat your house, but as long as you are OK to live with what is, you will be happy.

Just don't go around knocking on your neighbors' doors, asking them to provide from you, or one of the paranoid preppers might shoot you dead.

The thing that bothers me about the "living with what is" crowd is not so much that they choose to live that way (I'm all for liberty), but that they choose not to accept the potential consequences of their choice should the outcome of their choice not go the way they think it will. They simply become burdens for those who knew better. IMO, that is not acceptable.

The old "you've made your bed, now sleep in it" saying comes to mind. Unfortunately, those folks will not sleep in their bed when "what is" doesn't turn out so well. They will throw a rod and go ape****. That's where the problem comes in.

Live any way you wish... but accept the potential outcomes of your choices, don't blame anyone else for the choices you've made, and don't try to make others pay for your choices. At that point, your "what is" philosophy is perfectly acceptable.

[MTSilvertip]

In my country, wildfire, blizzards, floods, heavy snowfall or rains can knock out power and transportation at any time and if it is -40 or so, if you rely on electric heat you will be a popsicle before the power comes back on if you don't plan ahead a little.

Having gardens and raising our livestock means that most of us have a freezer full of meat and vegetables, many people in my area can as well, so instead of 2 weeks worth of food, most of us have several months worth just because that is how we live not because of any prepping.

Most homes here have 2 or 3 sources of heat so you may have electric or natural gas as the primary, wood as the backup and a propane heater as a third just as an example.

Lots of streams and rivers around where I live, so water is available, you may have to purify it, but it is there.

Too many of these folks who "live with what is" have never faced adversity, so don't belive it could ever happen to them. When something does, then you have the football stadium in New Orleans situation.

Not everybody that thinks of what might happen are nuts or fringe, simply the same kind of folks who have a second IRA as well as their 401 K retirement plan.
They don't want to take a chance on what might happen, they like to have some security.

Failing to plan is planning to fail.

If you don't want to have some extra food or blankets or cash stashed in your home, fine, just don't expect me to provide for you from my supplies just because you think I should.

[MissNM]

Originally Posted by Themanwithnoname

Guys:

While the odds of a short term disruption are high enough to be considered inevitable in a young/middle aged adult's lifetime, the odds are somewhere north of 99.999% that there will NOT be a 'disruption' in excess of 30 days (Like Katrina, you may not be able to go to your favorite restaurant, but you will be able to drive down the street and get something to eat.) And akin to winning the lottery for something lasting over 90 days.


All you rambo's and people building Hadrians wall... had better consider what's going to happen AFTER the disruption is over.

EXACTLY my sentiment.

But planning is just like carrying an umbrella. You rather have it and not use it, then need it and not have it.

[Yellow Jacket]

I have an arsenal and no one knows it except my partner. She knows how to get to it and defend herself as well. In fact, I should be more wary of ticking her off.