| Author |
Message |
Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Intermediate Member
Username: Ferraristuff
Post Number: 1106
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, September 28, 2003 - 6:37 pm: | |
As I wrote before, it all depends on what you're used to...
Put an eskimo in 100 degrees and just watch...
I am not used to these kinds of temperatures either and each time that I travel to the SE of the USA in the summer, I suffer heavily from it.
When you're used to lower temperatures, you have a different "speed" of doing the things that you do and believe it or not, it is not as easy to "slow down" as you think.
Jack |
philip (Fanatic1)
Member
Username: Fanatic1
Post Number: 477
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, September 26, 2003 - 6:35 am: | |
Ski Bum..........that's because in cars in 80-90degree heat, the inside of the car can get to be 900 - 1200 degrees..............the 80 or 90 doesn't hurt anybody |
IamA (Ski_bum)
Junior Member
Username: Ski_bum
Post Number: 176
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 26, 2003 - 3:09 am: | |
Children and pets have died after being left in cars even when the temps are in the 80-90's. |
Ben Cannon (Artherd)
Member
Username: Artherd
Post Number: 958
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 9:43 pm: | |
That's insane. 100degree heat isn't deadly... Hell, you don't have to do anything special.
One can sit outside, all day, in 90-100F and be just fine. with merely water.
The cold is another matter, it can kill just by exposure.
It gets to 100 every few days where my parents live. They don't have air conditioning, and we didn't need it in 18 years growing up. |
Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Intermediate Member
Username: Ferraristuff
Post Number: 1088
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 8:50 pm: | |
Hi Jeff,
At the risk of hijacking this thread...
it is bad enough that it has happend (people dying from extreme heat, people dying from extreme cold AND the huricane victims).
I myself also do take a stab at the French from time to time, the same way I do at the Dutch, the Americans etc as nobody is perfect (and that DEFENITELY includes myself!).
I am just getting a little tired of the "lets call the French pansies as they had the guts to NOT bend over but to stand up to the allmighty nation of the world".
France might have lost credibility with it with the USA but in turn, the USA is losing a lot of credibility in the whole world by all this and that is not necessary.
My final words on the subject here (in order not to hijack it any futher).
Best regards,
Jack |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 540
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 8:36 pm: | |
Hmmmm....I see your point Jack. Yes, I do recall unexpected bitterly cold and snowy winters causing death rates above normal in the midwest, it's true you just cannot be prepared for everything and anything. And about letting people build in areas known for storm damage, etc. You have to remember, the U.S. court system granted an irate woman nearly $200,000 for being stupid enough to spill hot (how hot is too hot?) McDonald's coffee in her lap! Our legal system is a mess and will remain so unless we adopt the system used by the rest of the world where "loser pays". The all mighty dollar is at the root of 90% of the evils in America. And about France, they have contributed many things to the world. Where did the statue of Liberty come from after all? The spotlight of persecution will sway off of them in time. But I too am guilty of taking a stab at them now and then. Ooops, sorry to get off an a tangent. Thanks for listening. |
Jack Habits (Ferraristuff)
Intermediate Member
Username: Ferraristuff
Post Number: 1081
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 6:13 pm: | |
Especially for Dave:
>>>France: a 3rd world country trying too hard to prove to everyone that it is a 1st world country...and the harder they try, the more their actions & words diverge.
It's turning into a hobby, isn't it, Dave?
Let me elaborate a bit.
France and a couple of other countries (including the one where I live, The Netherlands) were COMPLETELY taken by surprise by the excessive heat. This is not a "normal weather condition" over here as it was the hottest summer in 50 years or so.
As David McGuire pointed out, it's the same as when New Mexico would be covered under 3 ft. of snow in the middle of July.
I am sure that a GREAT number of people would die from the cold as you are simply not prepared for that.
So, being taken by surprise is bad but you can't help it, otherwise it wouldn't be a surprise.
What I think is worse, is KNOWING that you are in a " natural weather danger zone", still decide to go and live there, build a house in that danger zone, get your ass whipped by the "danger" time and time again, people get killed, buildings get destroyed etc. And all this YEAR after YEAR after YEAR.
Sounds rather stupid and masochistic to me...
Some of the people living in that country try to condemn other countries, that were taken by surprise by extreme weather as "foolish".
Sounds even more stupid and defenitely arrogant to me...
And... how "first world" is that if "being taken by surprise" is 3rd world?
Something like "5th world" or so?
So, my question:
why does your "self-proclaimed-first-world-country" even ALLOW their citizens to live in hurricane prone areas when, as Jim Schad pointed out, the government would IMMEDIATELY jump in and protect it's citizens by spending 10 BILLION $ on A/C in case of extreme heat?
Doesn't make sense to me...
I hope that this puts all you comments on France into perspective as the comments are slowly starting to grow a beard...
Jack |
Gordo A. (Gordo)
Junior Member
Username: Gordo
Post Number: 168
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 4:24 pm: | |
Most of those that died were old/infirm and as I understand it were in and around Paris. Few places have airconditioning (like here in the UK) and as was pointed out most had headed off for 2-4 weeks to the South... No relatives around to check on them I presume. The saddest thing is that many of these people were found more than a week after they died. The French Health Minister lost his job over trying to play down the numbers (he actually originally said there was no noticeable rise in deaths) but the morgues were overflowing. A terrible tale considering the French health service is outstanding. |
James Lee (Aventino)
Junior Member
Username: Aventino
Post Number: 108
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 4:21 pm: | |
Thomas, I think Dave (M) did remarkably well to keep his love for the French to two lines. |
Jeff Green (Carguy)
Member
Username: Carguy
Post Number: 539
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 3:39 pm: | |
I'm sure physical fitness plays a big part of the problem. Although I'm over 40 I try to excercise and I run 3 to 5 miles every other day, or even daily if I feel up to it. I run afternoons in the summer heat and humidity here in Michigan. Yes it's tough, and I get funny looks and comments (.....now be nice!) from people who can't make a decision without AC. After my workouts, suddenly the heat isn't so intolerable. And in the factory where I work I see others looking like they are near death because that can't stand the heat. A lot can be tolerated if you have the proper state of mind. If you think it's unbearable then it probably will be. Some of the "slightly" overweight people (mostly ladies) comment on how I barely sweat while they are leaving puddles on the floor. I do believe it's a combination of physical and mental fitness that allow a person to tolerate heat, stress, or whatever. It seems that most people in America don't want to exert themselves, and it certianly shows. Sorry for ranting.....thank you for listening. |
Rob Lay (Rob328gts)
Board Administrator
Username: Rob328gts
Post Number: 6405
Registered: 12-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 2:54 pm: | |
Only a small percentage of that number have died in Iraq with 120 degree temps, no A/C, bombs, AK-47 fire, and full armor attire.
I really feel bad for the children, sick, and elderly that suffered through this. I can understand a little as the summer I stayed in Boston I realized that only upper income families have central A/C. That "blew" my mind coming from Kansas and Texas.
The rest of the French are just pansies! Survival of the fittest. |
thomas daniels (Castex)
Junior Member
Username: Castex
Post Number: 100
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 1:02 pm: | |
Yes, I was wondering when you'd start up with all of that. |
Dave (Maranelloman)
Advanced Member
Username: Maranelloman
Post Number: 2884
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 12:48 pm: | |
France: a 3rd world country trying too hard to prove to everyone that it is a 1st world country...and the harder they try, the more their actions & words diverge. |
thomas daniels (Castex)
Junior Member
Username: Castex
Post Number: 99
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 12:38 pm: | |
I think part of the problem might be that absolutely everyone who's able nips off down to the coast for their summer holiday on exactly the same day. Including the doctors... |
Jim Schad (Jim_schad)
Intermediate Member
Username: Jim_schad
Post Number: 1891
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 11:27 am: | |
can you imagine something like this in the US? It would be all over the media and some politician would propose a bill that nobody is without an A/C unit...at taxpayer cost.
With 250MM folks at 2.3 per houshold that is 108MM. Now say 20% of them needed A/C units at what??? $500 each. So that is 21.7MM times $500 is $10.8BB to save 0.00006% of the population.
Now THAT is the way the USA would handle this minor issue. |
David Mcguire (Matkat)
Junior Member
Username: Matkat
Post Number: 77
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 11:26 am: | |
I work in France/switzerland and I can tell you it has been the hottest ever and even now it has been hot this week temps have been over 90� maybe not as hot as places in the U.S. but put another way if it was snowing in Flotrida& Arizona for months on end how many people would die of the cold,kind of makes you realise when put like that.
Best regards
Dave McGuire |
Anka (Mechanka)
Junior Member
Username: Mechanka
Post Number: 74
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 11:20 am: | |
Well, one explanation for this could be that for the most part the French are not used to this kind of heat - they usually have milder summers with out the humidity.
Philip, people in the countries that you have mentioned are used to hot/humid weather (even in the south of Italy the elderly handle heat well -it's always hot there). Nevertheless, it is a tragedy that so many people (mostly elderly) died.
|
philip (Fanatic1)
Member
Username: Fanatic1
Post Number: 474
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 10:55 am: | |
Yeah, it is horrible.....but I don't understand it either....it wasn't THAT hot 95 - 100......I mean in Florida, South Carolina, Alabama, Arizona, New Mexico....it's that hot most of the year.......how did 15000 people die? Horrible, but I was puzzled. |
Mr. Doody (Doody)
Intermediate Member
Username: Doody
Post Number: 1787
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2003 - 10:53 am: | |
http://us.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/europe/09/25/france.heatdeaths.ap/index.html
i don't really understand how this could happen. 15,000 people? from heat?
did this happen other european countries but not get reported in the mass media? belgium? spain? luxembourg?
why was it so particularly horrible in france? it sure seems incomprehensible. this is a first-world country we're talking about.
can any of you european folks comment? this is so horrible :-(
doody. |