Tourists Realize They're Afterthought, Band Together

The Associated Press ^ | 09-02-05 0315EDT | Robert Tanner

[Howlin]

Maybe their Louis Vuitton luggage offended them.

[Howlin]

Amen!

[An.American.Expatriate]

how can the buses be taken away from the hotels? they're also shipping people out of New Orleans... what difference does it make? someone please explain rationale of FEMA... :(

It's called coordination and, to some extent, prioritization (and possibly protection as well).

FEMA is charged with the evacuation of the city. Some people may have more of an immediate need to get out than others (hospital patients for example). Lastly, when the "mob" at the Superdome startes seeing that "the wealthy" are being given "priority" (a subjective perception!!) the situation could spiral even further out of control!!

Sorry, but in this situation, the old saying - all are equal - MUST apply.

[ReignOfError]

Tourists had the means to get out.

What means are those? Flights were canceled, rental agencies ran out of cars. Most tourists could get out, and most did, but I don't doubt that some were legitimately stranded.

[Mo1]

BTW ... this article throws Rev Al's rant on Oberman's show right out the window

[Siouxz]

You should have left when you were told to leave... now you can just wait like everybody else. You had money and means so I have little sympathy for you staying when a MANDATORY EVACUATION is called! Idiots.

While I agree that a lot of the tourists are partly to blame for their situation, many are there through no fault of their own. If you remember, a lot of tourists were trapped after the evacuation had been ordered because the airlines had stopped running, and there were no rental cars available. If it was ME, however, I'd have been long gone out of Dodge before that happened.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Some tourists were trapped, legit.

Excuse me?? A tourist, once having heard what was coming, SHOULD HAVE left even BEFORE the evac order - once THAT was issued, there is absolutely no excuse - they had money and means and should have used it. Now they are treated just as everyone else is being treated - rightly so.

[Howlin]

Sure, FEMA's rationale is that its leader is being embarrassed on TV for not knowing the convention center people are there- thus the buses go to the convention center.

Well, since you never bothered to answer, let me tell you the facts: FEMA didn't "know" about the Convention Center because 1) it wasn't a designated shelter and 2) nobody in NO bothered to tell them that people were there.

So all those people you saw on TV whining about not food and water at the Convention Center were blowing smoke because they BROKE IN THERE and should have been evicted.

[MarMema]

There were news reports of tourists who could not get onto a flight out and all the rental cars were taken.
Some tried and didn't make it.

[Siouxz]

You were posting as I was typing!

[IronMan04]

They are better off than the people in the dome.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

I wonder, how many books will be written about this tragedy?

[Paleo Conservative]

Laissez les bon temp roulez!

[Experiment 6-2-6]

I suppose the elderly tourists might have my sympathy, who aren't savy to gets to the bus station and buy a ticket, or catch the amtrack as it goes north.

Maybe I've been too much of an expat to feel sorry for someone who stay in the tourist mode when the infrastructure collapses.

But having seen tourists in their "oh, what a quaint local" approach overseas, I could imagine what the group consists of.

But I still would have done everything to get out, even hiring a taxi..

[Paleo Conservative]

They are better off than the people in the dome.

The people in the dome are better off that the people in the bowl. At least they survived and weren't trapped in their attics.

[IronMan04]

I was in New Orleans Friday afternoon and the storm was only a minor threat. By Friday night it there was strong concern however, it was not until Saturday morning that people that live there were concerned. The tourists partied all night and awoke to bad news. Luckily, by that time I changed my flight from Monday to Saturday afternoon.

That was the Best Decision I have made in my life.

[Howlin]

Somebody's watching over you. Glad you got out.

[singfreedom]

They had to get the troubling turds out of the Super-Dome before they killed, raped, and robbed more people. (Sarcasm/off) They had to get the subhuman slime out before they started to riot. I don't get it. People in the dome had water, shelter, and food. It may not have been the best but it was better than what most of the people had.

For God's sake, these poor tourists were victimized not only by the subhumans, but by FEMA. What jerkof* at FEMA would authorize that! They had certainly better, at least, reimburse the hotel owner. This pis*es me off and I was prepared to give the government the benefit of the doubt, but this is awful. Can you imagine what kind of stories these people will take back to Canada and the states where they live!! It's damned embarrassing. Another group New Orleans won't have to worry about visiting again!!

[IronMan04]

Being trapped in an attic is a nightmare. You must consider that when the water rises you can go to the attic but then you most go to the roof to survive. The problem is that you have to break through the roof and in New Orleans the roofs are made of slate.

[Truthsayer20]

Why didn't these people before the storm hit?