Zombie Cliche Lookout: Transportation
In an apocalyptic zombie scenario, people will quickly begin to miss many of the conveniences that we enjoy today. I want to draw a distinction here between items that are necessary for peoples’ survival, such as the medicine we hit on previously, and the little things that we’ve been spoiled on over our comfortable lives. I think we’d be surprised about all the little things we take for granted. A microwave to quickly heat up a meal, access to instant communication via telephone and internet, air conditioning to keep us cool on uncomfortable days. Most of us live in the absolute lap of luxury, especially compared to what the average person enjoyed even a couple hundred years ago.
Now some of these luxuries could pull double duty as essential survival gear in the right circumstances. Reliable transportation, for instance, helps us cross large distances quickly and conveniently. It could also, for instance, keep people safe from any zombies between point A and B.
About this Episode:
Cheryl jokes again to lighten the mood here, but the all know the score. Without a vehicle, getting to Tara’s and then out to Murphy’s cabin would be incredibly time consuming and dangerous. The trip would likely take a whole day if they were able to walk beginning to end, but odds are they would need to stop to rest and avoid wandering zombies.
Discussion Question: Enjoying the Little Things
Keeping on theme for our discussion question, what’s one very inessential thing that you would really miss if you had to give it up? To be clear here, I don’t mean anything that has potential survival uses, just comfort, convenience, and entertainment items. Your GPS wouldn’t count since it has loads of potential survival uses, but your deck of Magic cards certainly would.
Thought about this one for a while and came up with charcoal. Electric stoves will be out and gas won’t last that long even if you want to risk the gas lines not being damaged. Guess you will be grilling a lot more now. Fine I can handle that but wood fires are a lot of work and charcoal is convenient. You could make your own but that is even more work.
Oh man, nice one! This could become really big once you have to start boiling all your water.
I don’t have a specific item in mind. It’s more like activities. Running with my father, playing basketball with friends, watching Disney’s movie with my daughter…
Yet if I had to pick 1 thing, I guess I’ll go with those small bricks we all love so much!
Sounds like you’d miss small, casual moments with loved ones. That’s a pretty important one, since it helps us strengthen relationships and break down stress.
Typo alerts: “incredible time consuming” incredible–>incredibly 😀
“stop a to rest” remove “a” 😉
Fixed both. Thanks!
Regarding today’s episode: I thought their being in the log cabin in the middle of nowhere implied that they had to have a car? After all, they got to it in one, so what’s the deal with the sudden switcheroo, especially considering it doesn’t fit past plot points? 😀
Sam hasn’t been there, so he doesn’t realize that requirement.
I have a Discussion Question of sorts, and it’s a fairly good one: Let’s say your community of people in a zombie apocalypse has evolved to the point where you’re after specialized jobs for particular purposes. Your initial band of survivors that founded this community was good, but lacks in key elements needed to progress to more specialized industry that you’ll need for surviving the zombie apocalypse. You also need a way to relearn lost skills and knowledge. How would you go about planning acquisitions for what you lack? 😀
Oh man, that’s a good one. I’ll use it for Wednesday’s comic.
Board games.
Xia: legends of a drift system, Imperial assault and all the expansion packs that came with it…
Fun stuff but far to heavy to justify carrying when I could keep supplies instead.
I’m such a creature of comfort, I don’t even know where to begin…
I guess video games, as they are my longest-lived hobby. Though I’m not sure how much I would want to fire up Fallout X to headshot ghouls and raiders if I’m having to worry about shooting zombies and actual raiders.