A few days ago, me and the family went to watch San Andreas because they were giving away free passes. Throughout the movie, they provided some pretty sound advice on disaster survival, which I think is pretty good of them. A+ on that front. But apart from the tips they gave out, I'm here to point out the more subtle bits that showed you the best way to survive.
1. Know How to Swim
There was a time when I did not know how to swim. And I did not want to learn. Mainly because swimming classes at the local pool were at 8AM and I did not want to get up that early to go sit in icy cold water and die of hypothermia.
But now that I do know how to swim, I've got to say that it's one of those skills I'm glad I have. Like riding a bike. Or being able to whip up raw cookie dough in 10 minutes.
So learn how to swim, no matter how unpleasant it might seem. Just take that bull by the horns and you'll be thankful you knew how, cause none of the characters in San Andreas would have survived if they didn't know how to swim.
2. Always Wear Sensible Shoes
I'm dedicating this tip to Clarissa, who was once caught in a dilemma between (very-uncomfortable) stilettos and kick-ass boots.
Not all boots are created equal. Some will serve you better on an uneven path, and others will make you look like a Charlie's Angel. But believe me when I say it is hella difficult to run at full speed in spike-heeled, knee-high boots. Regardless of how easy Lucy Liu made it look.
So go for the ones with thick soles and steel toes, so when you have to kick away debris to save your trapped family, it'd be easier.
3. Keep a Cool Head
I'm not entirely sure how accurate this factoid is, but when you're panicking, your IQ drops by half. So when you're in a nasty situation, try your utmost best to be as calm as possible. I understand when the adrenaline's pumping and you feel like vomiting out of nervousness, it's hard to think straight. So take a deep breath and assess the situation, cause if you don't, you might make things worse for everyone.
4. Travel With At Least One Other Person
Unless you're some sort of amazing survival expert with the ability to live in the woods with nothing but a knife, then it's pretty much a good idea to travel with one other person. Apart from giving important morale support in the most difficult times, they can watch your back and help you get through some problems that you didn't realize were even there. Also, if you get hurt, they can be there to help out.
So yes, employ the buddy system.
5. Hold Hands in Crowds
There was one bit in the whole movie that had me a little bit skeptical. When they were escaping the falling buildings and whatnot, they were holding hands as they ran. When you're in a crowd, holding your hands to stick together is a great strategy to employ, so by all means, interlock your limbs. But if you're trying to escape a horrible fate of being squashed by a collapsing building, might I recommend not holding hands.
I get it that holding hands would mean a feeling of solidarity, like an "if you die, I'll die too" kind of deal. But if you really want to optimize speed, and therefore survival, just run like the wind and focus on getting back together later.
I assure you. You're faster if you're not dragging a person behind you, and you have a better chance of surviving.
So there's my list of tiny things to remember if you're to survive a disaster! Be it a small hurricane or a Hollywood-worthy apocalypse, just try to stay calm and think through the problems and you'll be a-okay.
No comments:
Post a Comment