Life after people

[wavinwayne]

A few weeks ago, I watched a program on (IIRC) National Geographic about "life after people". At the time, I didn't give it much thought. For some odd reason yesterday, I got to thinking about this in detail, but in a scenario where everyone else is gone except me. No mutant survivors or anything like that. Just ME, nature, and wildlife, but no more humans. A scenario in which everyone else either vanished immediately or everyone died without time to shut down power plants, etc. Just POOF, everybody gone but me.

The more I thought about it, the thought of being completely alone really freaked me out. I'm not sure I would want to survive. Would you?

I know this is all really pointless, since it won't ever happen. BUT, if it did, and YOU were the ONLY person left on Earth, what would you do?

 

[Steve S]

I will let you know when it happens.

 

[Kestas]

Probably starve. I don't have the skills needed to survive in the wild... just as dogs have evolved from wolves, and are now dependant on humans for survival, and can't survive alone.

 

[eljefino]

I would focus on a routine, like walking to florida for the winter and maine for the summer. Take one route one time and a slightly different one the next.

Plenty of canned spam in the supermarkets.

Why not drive? Watch/read "The Stand" by Stephen King. Cars blocking everywhere.

 

[Footpounds]

I would obviously miss my loved ones but I'd LOVE having the run of the place! I just wish there could be a few dogs that survived to give me a little company.

 

[Pablo]

Didn't they make a movie about that?

I watched the NG show....kinda dragged....but interesting.

I would have a lot of ammo. And I'd head for warmer climates.....travelling would be interesting.....

 

[eljefino]

There'll be more dogs and cats than you can deal with. Reccomend a sidearm and sleeping in cars.

 

[Schmoe]

That's funny. I had too thought about that after seeing that same show. I'd figure after getting over the loss of my family, I'd find the nicest freakin' semi with one of those apartment style units in the back and load it up with a couple of generators, food, gas, welding gear, tools, etc. etc. and hit the road and map out all the liquor stores and homebrew stores to make my own beer. I'd stay north in the summer and hit the beaches in the winter. I'd probably have to hit a "speciality" store and get one of those inflatable wife to keep me "company." Hey, a guys got to do what a guys gotta do. Of course, I'd have an assortment of weapons.

 

[MarkC]

Just have to mnake sure you didn't get hurt. Small mistakes turn into big ones when you're alone in the big world.

 

[drivewaytech]

I guess I could spend time posting and responding to myself on BITOG until I made an outrageous claim with no evidence or data to back it up. At that point I would boycott the forum and move on to something else.

 

[Bambam]

Originally Posted By: drivewaytech
I guess I could spend time posting and responding to myself on BITOG until I made an outrageous claim with no evidence or data to back it up. At that point I would boycott the forum and move on to something else.

 

[wavinwayne]

In reality, if everyone else diappeared, you could forget about driving and electricity (except from a generator). Even then, you could only use powered equipment until your fuel supply ran out. No power = the gas station pumps wouldn't work, etc.

The more I think about it, the creepier it is. At least it's not really going to happen....

 

[Benzadmiral]

If the power was still on, I'd be in heaven. I'd work my way over to Santa Fe, NM, and grab a house.

Remember, though, that humans in the mass are hard to kill. In King's "The Stand," 99.4% of all humans succumbed to the superflu; .6% were immune. There will probably always be a few survivors. Of course, if I'm in Santa Fe and the nearest female is in Singapore, our chances of meeting would be slim.

The neatest twist on this I've ever read is a short story by William F. Nolan (co-writer of "Logan's Run") called "The Small World of Lewis Stillman." Stillman is apparently the only survivor of an attack by aliens who have utterly destroyed mankind. There's just Stillman, who survived through a fluke, and "them," crafty ruthless beings he has to evade almost every day.

At the end of the story, we find out who "they" are. They're the children who survived the alien attack; the aliens killed everyone over the age of six, but left the children alive. With no adults to guide them, the children grow into packs of feral monsters. . . .

 

[Footpounds]

Originally Posted By: wavinwayne
The more I think about it, the creepier it is. At least it's not really going to happen....


Or IS it? Hmmmmmm

 

[9296D21B14]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
With no adults to guide them, the children grow into packs of feral monsters. . . .


I really wish you people would leave New Orleans out of this.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Originally Posted By: 9296D21B14
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
With no adults to guide them, the children grow into packs of feral monsters. . . .


I really wish you people would leave New Orleans out of this.

Actually the story was set in Los Angeles. If I recall rightly, Stillman evaded the little monsters by using the storm drain system to move around. But we've got plenty of ferals here, too!

 

[Kestas]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
... Of course, if I'm in Santa Fe and the nearest female is in Singapore, our chances of meeting would be slim....

Guy question: If you knew she was in Singapore, would you chance an ocean journey to be with her?

 

[wavinwayne]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
... Of course, if I'm in Santa Fe and the nearest female is in Singapore, our chances of meeting would be slim....

Guy question: If you knew she was in Singapore, would you chance an ocean journey to be with her?


I wouldn't.

 

[Pablo]

Originally Posted By: Kestas
Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
... Of course, if I'm in Santa Fe and the nearest female is in Singapore, our chances of meeting would be slim....

Guy question: If you knew she was in Singapore, would you chance an ocean journey to be with her?


Absoluuuuutootely!! In fact as soon as I read Kestas' post I was already working out how to fuel the ship by myself!!!

 

[Julian]

Originally Posted By: Schmoe
That's funny. I had too thought about that after seeing that same show. I'd figure after getting over the loss of my family, I'd find the nicest freakin' semi with one of those apartment style units in the back and load it up with a couple of generators, food, gas, welding gear, tools, etc. etc. and hit the road and map out all the liquor stores and homebrew stores to make my own beer. I'd stay north in the summer and hit the beaches in the winter. I'd probably have to hit a "speciality" store and get one of those inflatable wife to keep me "company." Hey, a guys got to do what a guys gotta do. Of course, I'd have an assortment of weapons.
You need a train! Just load a semi or two on while you're at it! LOL!