Electricity out = social unrest

[keylay31]

We're always hearing and talking about how screwed people are in major metro areas would be if some catastrophe like no electricity or empty store shelves in the 21st century. This would lead to massive social unrest and crime. At least in theory. And I believe it...

So how do you explain what's happened on the east coast for the past week? It seems things have been pretty orderly, even in this heat. I expect if it hadn't been, I would have read about it on drudge. I'm not saying that I'm disappointed, perhaps I'm just surprised and relieved. It doesnt mean it cant happen, but i would have thought if anywhere, the dc area would hve been prime location for this. Perhaps people can be orderly? Thoughts?

[hatidua]

Maybe the bulk of people in the affected area didn't get the memo on how they are supposed to behave in a power outage as defined by zombiedoomsday.com?

[blacklabel]

With the outage not being nationwide and there being an end in sight, I can understand why people are keeping their wits about them. An indefinite power outage would bring the bad out a lot faster I think.

[Wulf202]

Do you remember when new york was without power for 3 days a few years ago? No unrest

[ChunkyMonkey]

As long as water and food distribution network are up, people behave. Take out electricity completely out to the point where there is no way to pump fuel and so on, then you'll see the same looting and chaos as in Katrina. That one started to go bad lesser than a week.

[SA Friday]

Everyone behaves themselves for the most part until desperation sets in. Three days without electricity isn't enough. It has to be the right combination of factors for a long enough time.

[ChadAmberg]

Orderly? I've heard from a friend in Columbus Ohio they've had 20 murders since it started. And if he was a little quicker he probably would have had to shoot the guys trying to break into his apartment while he was in there sleeping.

[kidicarus13]

Orderly? I've heard from a friend in Columbus Ohio they've had 20 murders since it started. And if he was a little quicker he probably would have had to shoot the guys trying to break into his apartment while he was in there sleeping.

It would be all over the front page of the Columbud Dispatch if it were true and it's not so I highly doubt it.

[KevDen2005]

Everyone behaves themselves for the most part until desperation sets in. Three days without electricity isn't enough. It has to be the right combination of factors for a long enough time.

I agree, it is extremely frustrating but people were out working to fix the infrastructure.

But I am also glad to see people held out longer...they act like 6 days is a really long time and in this heat it can certainly seem like it.

[Alpine]

One thing that keeps people home, good or bad, is severe weather. If it's too hot or too cold, people just stay home.

Once people get hungry and thirsty, then you start to have problems.