illumik

From the comfort of my San Jose office, I was reminded that we live in earthquake country when my phone call to Burbank abruptly ended as the ground shook beneath them.

That made me think about an email recently circulated that I forwarded around myself: Doug Copp’s “Triangle of Life” survival method. This method says in the event of a major earthquake, your best chance of survival is to lie down next to a large object like a couch or a car instead of underneath desks or staying in your vehicle.

Reason? The weight of collapsing structures is enough to crush a desk, thus crushing those underneath. The “safer” alternative is to lie next to a “large, bulky object.” If that object is crushed, you could survive in the void created next to the object… the “Triangle of Life.”

This is controversial. Many websites negate Copp’s claims (just Google “triangle of life” to find the articles). Copp stated,

Everyone who simply ducks and covers when buildings collapse is crushed to death - every time without exception.

Some see this tactic as life-threatenening; That the traditional “drop, cover and hold on” tactic will save you and that Copp’s method might only be useful in a pancake-style collapse, which we don’t see in developed countries like the U.S.

We come to my point. Just like anything in life, how you should react to a situation will depend on its context. If I’m in a light-framed, wooden structure with a glass ceiling, you can bet your ass I’m going to duck, cover and hold on. But, if I’m in a building in an underdeveloped country wtih large concrete slabs above and below and see flimsy tables and large, concrete planters, I’m headin’ for the planters and will lie next to them. Hell, if I’m next to a window and I’m only one floor up, I might just jump out of the window.

Be mindful of where you are and what escape routes you have. Not just for an earthquake, but for a fire, flood or bar room brawl. Note alternative routes. Again, based on the the situation, the fire exit might not be the safest way out.

Update: Here’s FEMA’s earthquake preparedness guide: www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_during.shtm. It’s one of the better guides I’ve seen; concise yet comprehensive.

I read a quote today…

Wise people think without talking; fools talk without thinking.

I find myself thinking a great deal. I feel there’s a lot to think about. However, I also find that I don’t talk when I should. That’s just my nature. And I admit it makes me feel “foolish” when I want to say something, but don’t.

Is there such a thing as a wise fool?