Feds Commandeer Hotel buses

[Tesibria]

http://www.wwltv.com/local/stories/WWLBLOG.ac3fcea.html

12:38 P.M. - (AP): Two French Quarter hotels says federal officials have foiled their plans to hire buses to ferry guests to higher ground.

The general manager of the Astor Hotel at Astor Crowne Plaza says the hotels teamed to hire ten buses to carry some 500 guests.

But Peter Ambros says federal officials commandeered the buses, and told the guests to join thousands of other evacuees at the New Orleans convention center.

One man says he and others had paid $45 a seat for the buses, and that they were "totally stunned" when the buses never arrived. Another woman said the crowd had waited 14 hours for the buses. She says the idea of walking to the convention center scared her because of reports of looting.

The woman says it appears Louisiana officials have forgotten about tourists, and are just intent on getting their own residents out.

[jackster]

1. at least after the tsunami

it appears that as much effort was given to get the tourists out so that they could then concentrate on their own people.

another incompetency revealed.

WHAT A FRICKING SURPRISE!

[Tesibria]

2. hmm - i have mixed feelings

on the one hand (as a tourist) - i'd want to get out.

on the other hand - the tourists have been in MUCH better conditions than those stuck at the convention center, etc. - and - thus in the "triage" setting, they are not the "high priority."

[jackster]

5. that is true - but it appears that there was better logisitical

support during the tsunami than what we're seeing here. This is the wealthiest country in the world. What is happening?????????????

[KyndCulture]

3. Send them to the CONVENTION CENTER???? omg

the center is a death trap...there is no food, no water, there are corpses of the dead lining a wall, there are babies dying..


I anybody else just bawling their eyes out right now...

[Dora]

9. Yes, I am. n/t

[KyndCulture]

4. dupe

[jobycom]

6. Who are they, the Thurston Howells?

Good grief, can they not see what's happening. That whole "I've got money, I'm not supposed to be here, I'm more special than everyone else" attitude doesn't win any support from me. Unless I'm missing an angle to the story as to why they have some greater right to get out of town than the refugees in the Superdome.

[mongo]

11. Let them eat cake N/T

[Spangle]

7. These people should have left. Not stayed. I don't feel sorry

For them. There are people down there who had no choice but stay.

Instead they stayed. The hotel staff who were worried about their own family had to play "host" to these people.

Now they are expecting "special" treatment. This is a situation where money shouldn't get you better/more treatment then others.

[seito]

8. How were they supposed to get out?

No rental cars and no flights

[jobycom]

12. That's wrong on two accounts

First, the people in the hotels are genuinely stranded. Their flights were cancelled when the airport was closed, and all rental cars in New Orleans were gone. Many of these people were at the airport and had to be taken back to the hotel. So they tried to get out, but did not have to resources.

On the other hand, many of those in New Orleans now did have the means to get out and decided not to. They didn't believe the reports, or they felt like the traffic was too extreme, or they didn't want the disruption to their lives. There are a lot of reasons people don't evacuate. I grew up in that region, I've heard all the excuses, and used a few of them. A lot of those people being pulled off rooftops had houses and cars in the drive. They stayed because they wanted to. A lot of DUers, sadly, seem to think that every black person they see is poor, but that's not the case. 80% of New Orleans is flooded. That's a lot of middle class homes, too, and believe it or not, there are a lot of black people who are in the Middle Class.

And yes, there are people who couldn't get out, who may have wanted to, but didn't have cars, or gas, or were physically unable, or maybe even tried but had to turn around because of the near gridlocked evacuation routes. That may even be most of the survivors.

At this point, they are all there, and they are all equal. No one should be down there judging who gets a bus ride out based on how responsible they are for their predicament. That's too hard to judge.

[Spangle]

13. Actualy, I was upset that a guy PAID for a ticket

And that someone arranged it so that he could.

I was hit by several hurricanes last year. I know all the excuses. ALL walks of life uses them. Rich and poor.

And I sure know that not all black folk are poor. But I've seen the NOLA projects. I do know who lives there. I've seen the report from the bridge of those peoples plight on TV. While some might see the situation as racial.. alot of times it just because the folks are poor that they are ignored.

Middle class and rich folk will raise hell, demand answers and sue. THey have connections and can get you fired.

After watching the scope of this mess. I don't think anyone is being left out based upon race/money. I just think the people who are planning and running this thing.. Are "F-ed" up.

[muwriter]

10. Good. Buses needed elsewhere