Blackout Kits

Blackout Kits

Thanks to Glenn Reynolds who has used his MSNBC column to link to my emergency kit advice I posted after last year's blackout. Not sure if I ever collected that advice in a nice little round-up and my on-vacation internet connection this week is a little shaky, so I'll do just a quickie here.

Among the key lessons I learned were that you want at least $50 in cash in your kit -- hopefully all in dollar bills. If the power goes, so goes your ATM access. You can't have too many batteries. You'll need some food you really want to eat. Old energy bars are functional, yet yucky. Don't waste your money on hand-cranked flashlights. Your cable, phone and internet connection could be out for days. Find out if you need special software to get a dial up connection if your cable internet connection goes dry.

I also now have a tiny battery-powered TV, and an LED light on my keychain. Not that you have to go this far, but my Treo 600 cell phone -- with camera, internet, e-mail and chat functions -- feels like it's going to give me many more communication options than when I unexpectedly found out a year ago that every phone in my apartment required electricity to function.
- posted by Amy @ 8/20/2004 10:15:00 AM

 
York-style Security

York-style Security

Traveling in England -- especially since Sept. 11 -- feels weird because of the lack of security. Can't tell you the number of historic sites we've visited (including one of the Queen's homes) and trains and subways we've taken without seeing so much as a private security guard.

That changed slightly when we arrived in York on Tuesday. We weren't allowed to leave the train platform and enter the rail station unless we could produce the ticket for the train we'd just exited. Several cops milling around nervously as transit employees explained the new policy. Once we got into the station, we saw signs about some posh horse race in town that required extra security. And thank you, that was the only shred of security we saw in York until we returned to the train station the next day. I have no idea what their security game plan was, but it sure looked silly by New York standards.
- posted by Amy @ 8/19/2004 02:45:00 AM