"Melburnians urged to have Go Bags ready in case of evacuation"

Link: TheAge.com.au

Melbourne residents are being urged to have a bag of essential items - including a torch, soup and tissues - prepared in case of evacuation. Releasing a new CBD emergency plan today, Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said carrying a Go Bag made sense for workers and visitors to the city.

When TPTB make subtle hints like this, you know TSHTF pretty soon. All Melbournians should have a ready bugoutbag just in case. If our MAYOR is telling us that we need BOB's, then you know something's gonna go down.

That's a pretty useful suggestion and also damn scary...

What's it like in Melbourne at the moment? Civil unrest, swin flu? Is there anything you can point to that might be going on to cause this?

Scary times.

"Items people should consider putting in their Go Bag include a small radio, torch, soup, basic first aid, any personal medicine, bottle of water, muesli bar, pack of batteries, jellybeans and tissues, the council said."



..."can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
you better run, you better take cover."

reply to post by nrky

Maybe, maybe not. Over here in the coastal areas of the US we've been hearing that since the hurricanes began getting stronger a few years ago.

On the other hand I've been watching the RSOE feeds the past few days and they have been bizarre. Either there are an abnormal number of volcanoes erupting or there is something wrong with their feeds. Maybe they anticipate a potential natural disaster?

reply to post by jokei


Melbourne isn't really under any threat of the natural kind. there has been alot of unrest with the Indian student population and apparent racial violence, also some gangland/mob killings. I have friends and family there and none of them have spoken about it or shown any concern though. Unless the Indian community have been making threats of somekind I see no other real threat in that part of the world.
Melbourne is a hugely mulicultural city, probably representing people from just about every corner of the globe and has been for many years. There has never really been any racial tension in the past.

If the mayor of my city was telling citizens to have a BOB ready just in case i'd be pretty sure something big was about to happen.

I have a question for anybody that knows. Why jellybeans ?

Originally posted by chise61
If the mayor of my city was telling citizens to have a BOB ready just in case i'd be pretty sure something big was about to happen.

I have a question for anybody that knows. Why jellybeans ?

I was going to ask that same question. In my mind I came up with an answer that makes sense in a way...sort of.

Take It From Me!

There's nothing going on in Melbourne at all! I'm in there everyday and all I see are a combination of busy and carefree people just going about their day in a normal, everyday fashion. The crowds on the streets have not depleted in any way and I've only seen one Asian student wearing a mask... but you see that kind of thing all the time.

Anyone suggesting anything else is sensationalizing!

IRM

reply to post by chise61


I think cuz jellybeans are high in glucose, and pack a punch for energy within a small volume; hence good if you get sick, or are running low on food.

But, my question would be...where would everyone go? Evacuate to where? Isn't the whole purpose of if there is an outbreak of some kind, it is best to lockdown, and STOP the flow of people until it's contained?

If swine flu breaks out, then everyone panics and travels to country towns or Sydney or somewhere, there's going to be people who take it with them and it spreads.

Just rang a friend in Footscray and she said that she has no idea what this could be about. She did mention the recent flashpoint of tension regarding the Indian students but that has now died down.

Even regarding Swine Flu, she said that it's no more a big deal than regular flu that often gets media attention during the Winter months.

She did say though how strange it was and that she'd do some checking around to find out more info for me.

Originally posted by CINY8
"Items people should consider putting in their Go Bag include a small radio, torch, soup, basic first aid, any personal medicine, bottle of water, muesli bar, pack of batteries, jellybeans and tissues, the council said."



..."can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
you better run, you better take cover."

Radio and a torch? Why not a flashlight? What about a tinderbox and some iron rations too? We can all meet at the inn and go check out the ruins and slay the dragon lol.

Anyways seriously why a torch? If so then yo uneed matches i assume too.

reply to post by fizzy1


I think they call a flashlight a torch.

The box of tissues indicates sickness. Not your usual emergency supply for a hurricane, nuclear war, or zombie invasion.

The jelly beans may be carried over stupidity from preparedness exercises where they bag jellybeans as if they were medications.
That would be typical of bureaucrats who don't know why they are doing something, they just keep doing what they did in the exercise, even if it is completely irrelevant and even counterproductive. Don't count on the medication being distributed if that is the case, expect jellybeans instead.
Ignorance is infinite and never in short supply.

Emergency Preparedness ExercisesMedical Reserve Corps volunteers package "medication" (actually jelly beans) during a Loudoun County emergency preparedness exercise. ...
www.loudoun.gov/Default.aspx?tabid=734 - Cached - Similar

[edit on 17-6-2009 by Cyberbian]

This is no big deal and frankly Im surprised that its made the news.

The notion of a GO bag was first brought out a couple years ago in the wake of 911, so I dont know why they are bringing mention of it up again.

Anyway, yes, melbourne is a very multicultural city, and those that say there arent any racial tensions are walking around with blinds over their eyes.

There has been racial tension here for years, especially with certain ethnic groups not assimilating, living and overtaking certain suburbs as their own, and trying to make this place like the himeland that they left.

The only thing that hasnt happened here yet is the spark needed to start massive racial riots.

Melbournians are smart and wary, we're not that crazy to fire up over trivial matters, it would take something big to get us going.

anyway, to those that ask where would we go incase of something? Thise that have somewhere to go or know where to go wouldnt tell for their safe spot would get crowded.

You should always analyse your environment for a just in case scenario.

Where would I go to withdraw money as soon as possible before it runs out, where would I get food from before it runs out, where would I run for safety if under attack....and thats just for the city folk.

melbourne is full of basements/bunkers/ old military bunkers under the city.......even the storm water drains under the city have huge crevaces within them that could shelter small groups of people safely.....

you have to look for these places yourself, others wont tell you about them.

I don't get this. Where are they going to "go"? Everyone has pigmanbird flu you are ordered to leave the city now! And uh.. go to the other city and either catch it or spread it there,,, yeah... cool!

reply to post by contemplator


You miss the entire point, you all gather really close together and share jellybeans you have sneezed on. This is to ensure that everyone who survives has had the opportunity to develop a resistance to the disease which killed the rest. The fact that you are all out in the desert far from any conveniences makes the change in custodianship of your property that much easer without having to clean up any unsanitary conditions.

Politicians have slowly been saying this around the world for a while.
They get given these things by their public relations people, who pick it up from the internet from looking for what is popular.
It gives them attention and exposure to concerns that are popular.
One of them in Sydney was saying it not to long ago.
They are just promoting themselves to look like they care.

Originally posted by Cyberbian
reply to post by fizzy1

 

I think they call a flashlight a torch.

[edit on 17-6-2009 by Cyberbian]

Wow i didnt know that but i am sure your right that makes alot more sense than a torch. Kinda sounds like us here in Texas being told to have a hurricane box ready. They have a list of survival items we need such as batteries, water for 3 days, canned food etc etc.

Originally posted by fizzy1

Radio and a torch? Why not a flashlight? What about a tinderbox and some iron rations too? We can all meet at the inn and go check out the ruins and slay the dragon lol.

Funny stuff but *head vs. desk* because you were serious(esque)

In regards to tissue, they may be meaning toilet tissue rather then the facial variety.

I loved Melbourne when I backpacked Australia, I wish I could say the same for some of the other big cities I roamed.