The Thin veneer of civilisation

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Rugby Gooner
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Joined: Sun Jan 16, 2011 8:25 pm
Location: Rugby

The Thin veneer of civilisation

Post by Rugby Gooner »

What a thin veneer it is.
This afternoon there was a total power cut that effected 2 thirds of Rugby,including mobile phone masts.It lasted about half an hour.
Within 10 minutes or so,two neighbours rang my doorbell asking if I knew what was happening,and what should we do.
I re-assured them that I had a big bag of Mature Cheddar and Red Onion crisps,a Bread knife,and a copy of the SAS Survival Manual,so if the Zombie Apocalypse had started,we had a fighting chance of surviving,and perpetuating Mankind. :lol:
Seriously,20 minutes without electricity,and there was almost panic! :shock:

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OneBardGooner
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Location: Close To The Edge

Re: The Thin veneer of civilisation

Post by OneBardGooner »

I used to be a Volunteer Teacher for Outward Bound Courses for Young People ; Usually from Council estates and Other Deprived Areas & Backgrounds.

Part of the process would be to collect All Mobile Phones from them before setting out, which was usually a 2 - 3 hour coach trip out to the Brecon Beacons from where the Day Proper would begin.

Within 2 hours there would be a significant number of the group (Young people) 16yrs - 18yrs...asking for their phones AND having Serious Withdrawal Symptoms... to the point where they would start threatening members of our team/staff, had we not been out in the middle of (relative) nowhere they would have stormed off in a huff.

We actually had a number of occasions when both male & female participants would throw themselves on the floor in a 'hissy fit / sulk' "Unless we gave them their phone"


The weirdest one was we would say "No Talking for the Next 30 Minutes" - and for those who don't know - Out in the middle of the Black Mountains - where we would often encounter SAS soldiers on a 30 mile yomp etc...It is Incredibly Silent except for the sound of footsteps...and some really could not handle 'Silence', and would try and find any excuse to talk or maybe a verbal sound...

We used to do one particular exercise where they all had to sit 'in the silence' for 20 minutes and see if they could hear their heart beat and the blood coursing through their body - It REALLY used to freak some of the so-called tough ones out..


The Positives were that 75 - 80% would return asking 'When they could do it again?' and that was the beginning of their (new found) introduction to Mother Nature and the wilds, especially for some who had NEVER been outside of their concrete/city environment...


So. RG I can well believe that some were already planning to do so 'Looting' of Food shops etc... :lol:

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