All Families and Households Should Discuss Evacuation Plans in the Event of a Catastrophy.

Hurrince Katrina caught a lot of people having no plans for evacuation. Many who had no transportation depended on government assistance and ended up waiting. Some family members were seperated and even if they are safely in evacuation shelters, they still don’t know where their spouse or children are. Have discussions about who to contact. Talk with neighbors about their emergency plans. Perhaps the life you save will be your own, or perhaps it will be the life of someone else. Also, if you are a two vehicle family, if you get seperated, sometimes the first thought is to return to your home. That could be disastrous. Have a discussion with your family members and decide whether or not it is smart to take an every person for themselves approach, and then meet in a safe area. A serious ten minute discussion now could prevent major problems later. 

Hand Signals when Riding in a Group

If you are heading out on a ride with several people, you should review your basic signals with each other, such as hand signals. If you see someone pointing to the road up ahead, it usually means watch for an obstacle, debris, or bump. Before you headed out you should’ve considered your gas, but sometimes you forget. If someone points to their gas tank, pass the message to the road captain so you can pull over at the next gas station. I have heard patting the top of your helmet means pull over, but some people use that to signify something different. That’s why it is good to review. Pointing to your mouth usually means, let’s get some chow. Thirsty? Pretend you’re tipping one. In large groups, the person at the rear should be one of the more experienced riders, with a clear line of view to the leader. The leader should check to the rear periodically. I’ve been on rides where the leader had no concern about people falling back out of view and not catching up. Personally, I don’t think that’s too cool. If someone is having problems, such as a flat tire, you should find out what the problem is, even if it means finding a SAFE place to pull over.