You Live In Nyc A Disaster Hits. Do You Get In Your Car Or Go On Foot?

Let's assume a major disaster hits NYC and the entire city is in a panic to get out. Would you get in your car to drive off or would you take off by foot?

 

No point in either!
A powered hang glider from a high rooftop might be your best option!
Anything at ground level will be deadly!

 

@Arkane that's an interesting point.
Well, the thought is we are all on ground level and you are trying to survive. Even though you may be the small percent, would you try by car or by foot.
I added your comment to the poll

 

How many millions of people will be trying to get out via so few exits!
How many can pass those exits per day? will the government impose checks
severly reducing the flow? you bet they will!
8.5MILLION
21 ACCESS POINTS
100 people per minute per access point/6,00per hour/ 144,000 per day
x21 points =3million per day
So three days solid to vacate the island

Now add the every man for themselves that is America and heaps of testosterone and guns!
One would be lucky very lucky to get out on foot or vehicle!

Waiting several weeks would be a good idea, just to let the level of batshit crazy stuff to come of the boil !

 

I have never bin to new York so I don't know it (and I don't plan to do either) but a taking a look at a map if I was stuck there when shtf I would leave by boat less restrictions like road blocks abandoned vehicle more than likely less people and when clear of land more options to head to safety

 

Problems with boats is if you got on you need to get it to the shore first! then you need to launch it and then you need to survive the trip and have a destination!
A canoe just would not cut it! as some currents will be faster than one can paddle!
And whatever is making fleeing a must option may screw up the waters!

A much simpler solution is a ramp launched ultralight! store it on the roof launch from there! cant carry much but 60-100kmph no stoplights no obstructions and no people!
30m flight time and you are out! land most anywhere!

 

I voted hang glider. What a neat idea! Could be a problem, however. If the event causing such a mass panic should be a terrorist act, might not the police and/or Fed Agents imagine you one of the bad guys! They may order you down. They could shoot you down. There you hang above them ... ooooooohh! what a most tenuous position you've placed yourself!

Had a boat been one of the choices, I'd have picked boat. I'm surprised we've not had terrorist attacks by boat or submarine (tiny, non-ferrous, North Korea makes them) -- and I'm surprised terrorists have not used mortars as have Japanese terrorists.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Red_Army
"May 1986: the Red Army fired mortar rounds at the embassies of Japan, Canada and the United States in Jakarta, Indonesia.[20]"

https://books.google.com/books?id=p...=onepage&q=Japanese terrorists mortar&f=false

In certain areas, in choke-points such as bridges and tunnels, people will panic and run, which will cause stampedes leading to crush injuries and many deaths.

If you drive out, it had better not be a major megalopolis. All roads exiting small cities will jam in minutes. You could then ride your bicycle until someone knocks you off of it and steals your bicycle, then you are on foot. People on foot with backpacks will be robbed of their backpacks unless they are willing to shoot into the people robbing them.

Think things might get cruel? In the 60's I knew a fellow who sent a derringer to his son in Vietnam. Gets a letter from his son. Son says the derringer (a .22 mag) made a great "kid gun". Charlie would send kids into U.S. soldiers asking for candy. Charlie had trained the children to then pull the pin on a grenade, throw it, then run away.

Things gonna git sick.

 

Has the police left their posts in this situation? Is the National guard deployed? Is the electric grid down? makes a difference.

 

Seeing as how there is a high population density at NYC, foot would definitely be the best option. Even just driving around on a weekday afternoon in the city I'm from can lead to traffic jams and delays in transportation and at the end of the day, going by foot or bicycle are the fastest options within well populated areas.

 

I live in a rural area but work in the city. This city and the surrounding area at just under 1 million people. I work in a downtown area. I figure I will need to walk. My last job was south of the city. I live to the north. I figured I would have to walk through the city to get home. A route around would be much to far. I also need to cross a river. I have looked at maps many times to be sure I know routes and alternate routes. There is no good way I can see. NYC I suspect would be a bad situation because the people would be in mass. The distances involving all these people would be incredible. It would be wise to at a minimum look at maps. Think of the choke points that would force people to use the same spot. Bridges are choking points. Large bodies of water that force the use of bridges or boats. Any planned evacuation route needs alternates and contingency plans. If I lived in any city of such a large population. I would seek to move. What ever it took.