Originally Posted By mawnck >>I think we do a great job during disasters.<< We're already starting to make fools of ourselves over this one: >>Local response to the disaster in Japan is creating a demand for gas masks and earthquake survival materials here in the San Fernando Valley. "We've sold more gas masks the past two days than in the past year," said Paul Kershaw, manager of the Van Nuys Army & Navy Surplus store at 6179 Van Nuys Blvd. "Some of the people buying gas masks are worried about the potential for nuclear fallout," said Kershaw.<< <a href="http://shermanoaks.patch.com/articles/gas-mask-and-survival-kit-sales-booming-at-local-store" target="_blank">http://shermanoaks.patch.com/a...al-store</a>
Originally Posted By mawnck >>A friend who spent nearly four hours walking home from his central Tokyo office on Friday said that there was not a single broken pane of glass in the buildings along the route even though the quake Tokyo experienced was very strong. Furthermore, the people hurrying home were all walking in an orderly way. He said that even at the convenience stores along the way, people were lining up in front of the cash registers as usual. Many families along the way also offered the use of their restrooms to those who were walking home. My friend was impressed anew by the high standards of Japanese construction technology and the high degree of civility or “norm consciousness.” I myself was stuck in a taxi for five hours in the worst traffic jam I have ever experienced trying to reach home from Tokyo’s Haneda airport. During that excruciating five hours, I never heard anyone use the horn in his or her car. The taxi driver was also nice enough to charge me only for the distance traveled, not for the time it took to reach the destination.<< <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-koos-firsthand-account-of-japans-amazing-post-earthquake-civility-2011-3" target="_blank">http://www.businessinsider.com...y-2011-3</a>
Originally Posted By Mr X No shattered glass or badly damaged buildings or homes is a real testament to the strict Earthquake codes in Japan...they've learned much over the decades about how to do things right, and I am THOROUGHLY convinced that if they hadn't been so fastidious the death toll would've been monumentally higher (horrible though it is, even so!).
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< No shattered glass or badly damaged buildings or homes is a real testament to the strict Earthquake codes in Japan...they've learned much over the decades about how to do things right, and I am THOROUGHLY convinced that if they hadn't been so fastidious the death toll would've been monumentally higher (horrible though it is, even so!). >>> Not only that, but what about the rest of the infrastructure? I'm simply amazed that more or less everything continues to work in the greater Tokyo area. Many of the trains were running the very next morning, meaning that nothing was needed beyond an inspection. Even during that first afternoon and night when millions were stuck away from home, the power and water remained on in most places, allowing people to remain somewhat comfortable given the conditions. Imagine what it would have been like to be stuck in a train station, auditorium, or similar space overnight with no heat, lights, or flushing toilets? It boggles the mind to think just how many fittings, connectors, joints, and so on in the electrical, rail, and plumbing systems were designed and built at extra cost every step of the way with earthquakes in mind. Pretty much all of it had to stay together to allow the city to still have uninterrupted working utilities.
Originally Posted By Mr X What blows my mind, even beyond everything you just said SD, is the fact that Sendai City, too, seems to have weathered the quake so much closer to the epicenter without any major building collapses (at least). The tsunami, sadly, is an entirely different story (I have no idea what you can really do to stop the ocean if it's determined enough to claim your car, your house, your building, or your very life though...the best we can do is develop ever better warning systems and things like "vertical evacuation" which I think is necessary in situations like that).
Originally Posted By tashajilek I feel so terrible for everyone in Japan. I cant even watch much on tv, it makes me tear up and imagine what others are going through. It is silly to care about when TDL will open, i doubt many japanese people will feel like going anyways. To all of those who are in Japan stay safe and keep your spirits high!
Originally Posted By Malin *** "The place is badly damaged..." *** Official Word from the OLC is that at this present moment, there’s no serious damage in facilities and buildings, and no liquefaction phenomenon in the theme parks. *** "...it's going to take at least another week to assess the full damage..." *** The OLC is currently carrying out safety inspections which is standard procedure for events like Earthquakes, esspecially of this magitude. *** This is just a restatement of what folks on the ground in Japan have been saying. *** What you are doing is taking the statement that the Company has issued and rewording it to suit your argument. Which is based on a few online pictures you have seen? Where in the statement does it say the Resort is badly damaged?
Originally Posted By DlandDug >>Where in the statement does it say the Resort is badly damaged?<< The statement from the Company you are citing was issued after I posted. We know that there was liquefaction, and that there was damage. We also knew at that time that they were assessing damage, and that it would take at least a week. (According to their timeline.) Effects of liquefaction at the Tokyo DIsneyland Resort: Entrance to Tokyo Disneyland <a href="http://www2.deepdisney.com/mobile/data3/11/0311/11031111ss.JPG" target="_blank">http://www2.deepdisney.com/mob...11ss.JPG</a> Resort bus station <a href="http://yfrog.com/h4ijooqj" target="_blank">http://yfrog.com/h4ijooqj</a> <a href="http://twitpic.com/48e9o7" target="_blank">http://twitpic.com/48e9o7</a> Parking lot <a href="http://p.ybt.jp/ppxsatoxqq/4d79cb3575f05.jpg" target="_blank">http://p.ybt.jp/ppxsatoxqq/4d7...5f05.jpg</a> According to the local police, liquefaction occurred "around the theme parks." <a href="http://www.mysinchew.com/node/54550" target="_blank">http://www.mysinchew.com/node/54550</a> These are the facts-- you go ahead and draw your conclusions, and I will draw mine. That's all.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "These are the facts-- you go ahead and draw your conclusions, and I will draw mine." Thank you for those examples of minor damage. Once it is repaired, the main obstacle to TDR's reopening is largely infrastructure issues in the region, such as trains, fuel, electricity, etc.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I'm assuming that this is a case where no news is good news, but has anybody heard anything specifically about TOT? When they were building it, they made a really big deal about the additional cost for designing such a tall building on landfill. Since they haven't said anything, I'm assuming that it's fine, but it's just interesting that it was put to the test so soon after it was built.
Originally Posted By leemac <<When they were building it, they made a really big deal about the additional cost for designing such a tall building on landfill.>> Actually it isn't the height - it is the weight - it is an incredibly heavy building for such a small footprint. There has been no major damage to the structure itself.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***Thank you for those examples of minor damage*** You have a funny idea of what constitutes "minor damage". I suppose you'd only be satisfied with collapsed buildings or something, but the FACT is that the city of Urayasu has been declared a disaster area. And beyond those few pictures, I've seen a lot with my own eyes and it is in no way "minor". ***Once it is repaired, the main obstacle to TDR's reopening is largely infrastructure issues in the region, such as trains, fuel, electricity, etc*** First of all, it's the nation, not the region. Secondly, you forgot a few things that are still major issues IN THIS CITY, namely, food and water. Besides, given the fact that we're enduring rolling blackouts and half the nuclear plants in the northern half of Japan are either exploding or else in crisis or else shut down, does it really make a lot of sense to allow a power sucking monster like Tokyo Disney turn on all the pretty lights right now? Dude, seriously. Your flippant attitude is really uncalled for right now. You honestly have no idea the state of things here. Lee, having been here and being "in the know", knows a heck of a lot more than you do and he's pessimistic about any sort of quick re-opening. Having been around since this whole thing began and having spoken to lots of people (including Disney people), I tend to share his pessimism regarding a quick opening of the resort. I remain very optimistic that Japan will get back on her feet soon enough, and cautiously optimistic that they'll find a way to take care of the nuclear situation quickly. If THAT doesn't happen, well then my subject line will probably be an eerie reminder of simpler times when such a claim was simply to get peoples' attention. At this moment, radiation levels in Chiba province remain abnormally high. You ought to add that to your list of "main obstacles" right now. Oh, and liquified sidewalks and broken streets, and the stench of sewage, add that too. It's not just in the pictures you saw, it's everywhere along the reclaimed areas of the city. Shin-Urayasu looks MUCH worse, it was a shock to see it yesterday when I had to venture into the zone for a business meeting.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***the FACT is that the city of Urayasu has been declared a disaster area*** This is something important to keep in mind, too. As I mentioned a few days ago, they are USING the Disney Resort for relief efforts. When people say stuff like "well, WDW opened the day after 9/11" or "they opened up when there had been a hurricane", it's very important to keep in mind that in neither of those cases was the very community the resort is located in enduring a state of emergency. Just sayin.
Originally Posted By WilliamK99 Mr. X, why do you have to make sensionalist topics? It really serves no point... I have sympathy for those in Japan suffering through this crisis but there is no need for you to fan the flames by making crap up and posting it as topics to LP.
Originally Posted By wahooskipper I can appreciate X's sarcasm to drive home the bigger point. Here in South Florida we have had our share of hurricanes and the rest of the country does tend to seem flippant as we are putting up shutters, waiting for the power to return, etc. I also tend to understand the urgency to "return to a realtive state of normal. After hurricanes we make every effort to get our community parks cleaned up and open so that folks who have nothing else to do can get outside and play...which is a healing technique in and of itself. As to the TDR I would say that there shouldn't be an urgency to reopen while there is so much unknown about the current Nuclear threat. Take a look at the Gulf Coast region of the US. They are still in recovery mode 9 months after the oil spill that not only did environmental damage but also did economic damage due to the loss of tourism. Even if they could get the TDR open today, who would be going? There is little gas and little working public transportation according to reports. The aiports are packed with people trying to leave Japan. I feel for the employees of the TDR but they are in no different circumstances than any other workers right now.
Originally Posted By queenbee <I have sympathy for those in Japan suffering through this crisis> You realize Mr. X is in Japan "suffering through this crisis." I'm a school teacher and I can figure out that Mr. X might be experiencing quite a bit of stress right now. I totally understand why he would exaggerate a headline. Big deal. William don't they teach you anything about people's behavior under stressful conditions in the military? When you encounter someone like X, who is in the middle of a difficult situation and not saying what you expect, does the military advise you to tell them to "stop fanning the flames and making crap up." Seems to me X's behavior is quite understandable given the situation. Your behavior however, isn't too impressive.
Originally Posted By mawnck Rushing to William's defense, he hasn't been one of the "troublesome" posters in this thing, and I would suspect he knows a thing or three about stressful situations. Personally, I agree with both of you. X shouldn't make up deliberately false topic titles, and we probably shouldn't be jumping on X's case about such minutae right about now. X, I'm really concerned about you (and about you other LPers in Japan, although I'm not sure which area the rest of you are in). Any plans to bug out yet?
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "And beyond those few pictures, I've seen a lot with my own eyes and it is in no way "minor"." A cracked sidewalk and a toppled bus shelter is minor earthquake damage. Liquefaction is undesirable but it isn't a total loss like those who were misinforming the world on Twitter were saying. Los Angeles County suffered more after the Northridge earthquake as far as direct quake damage is concerned. Tokyo, being a first-world city, weathers earthquakes better than most cities in the world. Tokyo's current problems are largely infrastructure related. As you and I have both said, power is a major concern, which in turn affects transportation. But that has more to do with the nuclear crisis and power rationing rather than the direct result of the quake. If the nuclear crisis did not develop into what it is, requiring blackouts, TDR would probably be reopening sooner rather than later. "does it really make a lot of sense to allow a power sucking monster like Tokyo Disney turn on all the pretty lights right now?" I never said it should. "knows a heck of a lot more than you do and he's pessimistic about any sort of quick re-opening." I am not looking for a quick reopening. My point is that the park should open when local concerns are resolved. "I'm assuming that this is a case where no news is good news, but has anybody heard anything specifically about TOT?" This isn't important right now. You may only care about what Mr. X allows you to care about.
Originally Posted By SpokkerJones "Dude, seriously. Your flippant attitude is really uncalled for right now. You honestly have no idea the state of things here." Your attitude is common among people who, when something bad happens to them, acts as if their suffering is unprecedented, as if nobody else in the world, especially those in which they have a beef with, has ever experienced tragedy. Reminds me of people who, having lost a loved one, tells others, "You have no idea what I'm going through right now!" Well, yes actually, we do. But look, when the big one hits here and my outdated apartment topples over, killing me and my family in the process, you have carte blanche to say whatever you want.
