Reply #3: I was in my car once waiting for school to start..

[nini]

and I thought someone was jumping on my back bumper.. turned around and no one there! Then I noticed the lamp poles starting to sway. But it stopped fairly quickly.

They can feel anything from a soft rolling motion to quick violent shaking. The rolly ones are much easier on the nerves.

No warning signs unless your animals start acting weird, but you don't realize what it is until it happends.

I've only gotten out of bed once in the last 30 years of an earthquake. that was the Northridge quake and I thought it was the 'big one' we're waiting for.