Setting yourself apart from the rest....

[dazthechippy]

Hi folks,

i was watching some program on telly the other night about the water companies. It featured a broken water main impacting i think 50 or so houses. When the water was turned back on there was a bacterial impact which meant tap water had to be boiled until the water company sorted that bit - no probs with that...

However, whilst the pipe was being mended and there was no water the utility company supplied bottled water and bowsers - all looked very efficient until they interviewed a couple of residents who said stuff like (it's all very inconvenient, i cant do this /that/the other, and I pay my water rates etc.).

Anyway it made me think that most people really have no idea about self reliancy and have no contingency plan in case things go south even for a short while and really rely on being spoon fed by the powers that be (I couldn't even see them popping to the shops to buy water if they needed it during this event).

Although my preps are limited I felt a little superior for at least knowing that I've been thinking ahead about things and having the bones of a plan in my head (I am acting on it gradually). Anyway, i certainly got the impression that other people would think it's just their right to rob you of whatever preps you have if they knew about them.

So - loads of lessons learned there in a 10 second TV clip..

[pseudonym]

Well said.

I have already decided that if the same thing happens near me, I will still collect the "free stuff" not to draw attention to myself and when dark drop it at my elder neighbours door and "knock down ginger" styleee

I also have several boxes made up ready to dish out to those I think need them.

[lonewolf]

no your quite right, the ordinary non prepper dosent have a clue about being self reliant even to buying a few bottles of water from the supermarket. I'm not sure I would want to drink from a bowser even after boiling it as I believe(have been told) its full of germs and anyway the kids would think it great fun to pee in it anyway.

[Quercus-robur]

Good thread topic dazthechippy. It makes me think of how much more self-reliant we were before the rise of the supermarkets when more was grown, bought and sold locally and more of us grew at least a portion of what we consumed, especially after the 'Dig for Victory' campaign of WW2.

I believe that as the oil runs out, or simply becomes too expensive it will force us back towards a more locally based lifestyle with more people becoming more self-reliant once again. I just hope that this is a gradually shift and not a sudden crash as a result of some SHTF event.

Qr

[Hamradioop]

More than 12,000 homes and businesses in part of Somerset are without water after an 18-inch (46cm) main burst.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-27238680


some deity does not like Somerset

[jansman]

Good subject. Between Christmas and New yr, there was a major mains shutdown, which affected a dozen villages. Severn Trent were dishing out bottles and the supermarkets sold out. The water was intermittent for 4 days, and we were warned to boil it until further notice. However many ignored this, and locally there was an outbreak of the two-bob-bits. There were people on local media bemoaning their situation, with the usual," wouldn't you think 'they' would do something for us?" type comments.
This was a situation I was glad to be ahead of, and certainly not difficult to prepare for.

[lonewolf]

typical sheeple attitude, always expecting something to be done for them rather than doing it for themselves.

[Patchman878]

My area, the Somerset Levels, went through 3 months of major flooding. We found the community spirit appeared from nowhere. Supplies were donated from all over the country. Locals like myself, were working 7-8 hours a day, 7 days a week, sandbagging, moving supplies etc. we had very little 'official' help until near the end. The Government only got involved after the media shamed them into it. So, the people pulled together, but the authorities were glacial in moving to help. We called it 'the wild west', because we all did what needed to be done. No risk assessments, no forms to fill out, we just did it.

People can be motivated to act together in a common cause. But, as stated before in this thread, they do not plan ahead for such events. If we had no donated supplies many people would have been in great trouble. The conclusion is that the vast majority do rely on official help being there quickly - dream on!

My prepping came in very handy and worked out quite well. We were not actually flooded, but we were cut off from supplies on and off for 3 weeks, so it was a useful little test.

[Galen]

G'day you lot,

Don't worry too much about collected water Lonewolf, many towns in Australia are still on 'tank-water' - this means water is collected from the roof when it rains and then stored in a large tank (2-3000 gallons) - we wash, cook, flush and drink it without any problems, unless a blasted possum gets into the tank and drowns (then it gets a bit flavoursome)

If it works in dry Oz, then just about every home here would be self sufficient in water - but the water companies don't like people finding out things like that.

It's a cruel world.

[DustyDog]

I think just by the fact we are preppers and the fact that we think ahead, we are apart from the majority of the population, even if you are a prepper in a small way, i mean just by having a few bottles of water in store and some, lets say tinned food it helps set you apart from those who do not think.