nephalim
Psychic Vampire
How many people here were in the blackout? I don't think many...you can't imagine what it's like being in manhattan and all of a sudden *boom* NOTHING works! The lights go out, all the stores close and millions of people are forced out into the streets. Then the streetlights go out and with the massive amounts of people on the streets cars go into gridlock. The subways stop moving. Well, it was alot more immediate than that. Without power the subways are pitch black, and people stuck on trains are forced to climb to safety, in fact people were forced to climb through tunnels from the middle of the river and climb up onto bridges. You could forget about using your Cell Phone, not even the land lines were working after an hour or so. I had to get home, to queens, which turned out to be about a 4 hour walk. The pedestrian traffic was so intense that at points people stopped moving. Good semaritans were directing traffic, but cars didn't get anywhere for several hours. I honestly didn't think i'd make it, but I did. I'd have to say that at least one cool thing happened - you can't imagine what it's like to look at the New York City skyline and see nothing but pitch black buildings and for the first time ever (since 1977 at least) - a sky full of stars.
It's amazing how many things are reliant on electricity, you really do take it for granted. Our whole food system is reliant on electricity, you can't cook or keep food without it. I imagine several million tons of ruined food will be going out with tomorrow's garbage. At least here in NYC water was flowing, and I hear that raw sewage was dumped into the East River (which then found it's way to the ocean where people where swimming,) but in Cincinnati there was no water to the entire city - and anyone with well water wasn't getting any either. I feel bad for the people who couldn't walk home like myself, but walking for 4 hours wasn't fun i'll tell you that much. The worst part i'd have to say was the total lack of proper communication - the information age turned into the 17th century in 8.5 seconds.
It's amazing how many things are reliant on electricity, you really do take it for granted. Our whole food system is reliant on electricity, you can't cook or keep food without it. I imagine several million tons of ruined food will be going out with tomorrow's garbage. At least here in NYC water was flowing, and I hear that raw sewage was dumped into the East River (which then found it's way to the ocean where people where swimming,) but in Cincinnati there was no water to the entire city - and anyone with well water wasn't getting any either. I feel bad for the people who couldn't walk home like myself, but walking for 4 hours wasn't fun i'll tell you that much. The worst part i'd have to say was the total lack of proper communication - the information age turned into the 17th century in 8.5 seconds.