Getting the Heck out of Dodge: Dealing With and Surviving a Riot.
Ask any expert: society is fragile. It doesn’t take much for it to collapse and when it does, it’s not pretty. Law and order go out the window while bricks and trashcans go through windows. Civility is replaced by rage. Humanity is replaced by something else…something feral. There is no reasoning at this point, there is only survival. When the riots broke out up in Ferguson, I started to wonder what I would do if it happened here. How would I handle it? Where would I go? I’ve been researching for the last few days and I’ve noticed some major trends in advice.
First off, the best bit of advice is to avoid being near a riot before it even starts. Don’t let anyone tell you that a riot just pops up out of nowhere. You’ll never be walking to your car after shopping at the mall when a riot just jumps out of the bushes and says “booga booga I’m a riot!” There are always signs leading up to one even though it may only be a couple hours worth of leadup as opposed to days like in Ferguson. It may be a protest going on and on or a crowd at a sports game getting a bit unruly. If you keep your head on a swivel, like you always should, the signs are there loooong before one actually happens. It’s like building clouds on a summer day. You look at the sky and it goes from blue to cloudy to anvil clouds to darkened skies and eventually the storm is unleashed. Sometimes, even though it gets dark and nasty looking, the rain that follows isn’t as bad as it looked. Sometimes the clouds will disappear before any rain falls. Other times it’s a borderline hurricane with lightning, hail and tornadoes. Learn to watch for those metaphorical clouds. It doesn’t always guarantee a riot but I wouldn’t go swimming if the sky looks that dark that’s for sure.
So let’s say that, for whatever reason, you find yourself with a riot on your hands. There’s a couple different situations you could find yourself in and, though they’re handled essentially the same way, there’s a few slight differences in how they should be handled.
The ideal situation is one where you live safely outside of town and the riot is just between you and your home. In that case, take the long way home. Don’t try to even shortcut near the riot or just give it a slightly wide berth. Circle as far away from it as feasibly possible. Even if it takes 2 or 3 hours to get home, it’s worth the extra miles on your car.
Second worst situation is if you live safely outside of town but you’re in the middle of the riot when it breaks out. This is where things get a bit dicey. Your goal is, first and foremost, survive and stay safe. Secondly, you should try to get out of the middle of things. This can be a lot more difficult than it would seem. In most cases, the police will try to set up a perimeter to contain the violence. Even if you have nothing to do with the riot, you’re probably not going to get through. The police aren’t going to listen to your pleas any more than the rioters will. You’re either going to have to find another way out or weather the storm however you can. The bright side is that the police will be focused on where the heaviest rioting is. Head in the opposite direction and you may find a way out. You may be going quite a long way on foot so I hope you’re wearing comfortable shoes.
The worst situation is if your home is right in the middle of the riots. Here, you don’t have a sanctuary to go to and you’re probably not going to have any way out either. You’re likely going to need to hole up and fortify. The biggest reason this is the worst is because you’re most likely to be completely separated from your family for a long time in this situation, at least more so than in the other scenarios. Your kid may be at school, your husband or wife may be at work. They will be stuck there because there is no safe place waiting for them at home. The school certainly isn’t going to drop your kid off in the middle of the craziness. Make arrangements for a friend or family member who doesn’t live in the middle of things to pick up your kid(s) and take them somewhere safe. If the spouse is at work, make sure they stay there or again, someplace safe. It’s going to eat at you not to have everyone there where you know what’s going on but if they’re someplace safe they need to stay there. That’s more important than being together in this case.
Now, there are some consistent bit of advice across the board that you should follow. The biggest rule of them all is:
Stay Calm – It’s very easy to get freaked out because, frankly, everyone around you is freaking out. No one is going to listen to reason so don’t bother. Just keep your head about you and keep thinking and analyzing your situation and surroundings. If you’re with your family, keep them close and keep them calm as well. Don’t get separated. Lock arms or carry them if you have to.
Don’t Draw Attention to Yourself – Calmly (but briskly) walk to a safe place. Try to blend in as best as you can. No one is looking at you. Look for a less crowded area and make a beeline for it. Rioters tend to group together so get on the edge of that group and get away.
Stay Out of It – Smashing cars and stealing flat screen TV’s make look like fun but don’t give it a try. If you want to stay safe, don’t join in. Even if you sympathize with the rioters, your primary concern should be yourself and your family.
Being Selfish is Being Smart – This one hurts to say but now is not the time to be a hero. If you see someone getting assaulted or what have you, ignore it. I know it would gnaw at my conscience for a long time afterwards if I did that but my family is more important and I can’t protect them if I’m injured or dead. My family is my biggest concern and, even if it means leaving a stranger in trouble, I will do what I have to in order to get to them and protect them. Stepping in to help someone will draw far too much attention to yourself. I feel rotten for even typing this, mind you, but we have to do what we have to do.
Watch Your Feet – Keeping upright and walking is of utmost importance. If you trip and fall amidst the crowd, you will get trampled. If you do fall, go fetal and protect your head with your arms and hope for the best. The ideal situation, believe it or not, is if a bunch of people trip and fall on you. This will cause the crowd to instinctively avoid the pile of people and it could result in some breathing room for you to get back on your feet and moving again.
Backstreet’s Back, Alright – If they’re rioting in the streets, which they always are, they stick to main roads. Places where you’d normally get stuck in traffic is where they’ll be rioting. Now’s the time to see the less visited places of your town/city. The alleyways and back roads will be significantly less crowded so head to those. Knowing the layout of the city, it goes without saying, it vitally important. How well do you know your city? Probably not as well as you should. Why not explore it more this weekend to get a handle on its layout beyond the main roads you always take?
Have Gun Will Travel Should Stay Hidden – If you’re one of the millions of CCW holders in the country, you’ve got a good advantage in most cases. A riot, believe it or not, is not a good place to have your gun out. Remember: you’re not dealing with rational people at this point. In most cases, a criminal will flee at the sight of a firearm. In riots, if there’s enough people around, they’ll charge right for you. Trust me, you don’t have enough bullets. The ideal situation is to get away from the crowd as quickly as possible. Once you’re safely away from the main riots, you may still encounter people taking advantage of the lawlessness. Then and only then should you consider drawing if there is no other choice. A group of 3 or 4 people are more likely to flee than a group of 30 or 40 rioters.
Have a Rally Point – If you’re all separated before the riot starts or, worst case scenario you’re separated in the middle of it, have a point to meet at. It could be your home which might be safely outside the violence, a relative’s house or even a landmark or park that you know is in a safe area. It’s best to have a main one and a couple of alternatives. Make sure you all know how to get to them before everything goes to crap because the middle of a riot is not the best time to be looking at a map.
In riots, much like in life, the cool and rational minds prevail. Stay alert and stay alive. Those with a plan have a natural advantage. Have a plan and stick to it.
Image Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
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