Ultimate Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook

by David Borgenicht

  4 Flap your arms like a falcon.

  Extend your arms completely, and flap them up and down vigorously.

  5 Make loud noises.

  Jump up and down and clap your hands repeatedly. Bang trash-can lids, set off car alarms, scream, or make other loud noises that will scare away the pigeons.

  WARNING!

  Pigeons cluster around partially eaten and discarded food, especially starchy items such as soft pretzels and hot dog rolls. Avoid people sitting on park benches distributing handfuls of popcorn, grain, or seeds.

  Pigeons are highly unlikely to peck at your neck and eyes, but depending on the season, they may try to claim strands of hair for their nest. Defecation is frequent.

  A pigeon peck is not strong enough to break human skin. The primary health hazards associated with pigeons stem from the three illnesses caused by pigeon droppings: histoplasmosis, cryptococcosis, and psittacosis. All attack the respiratory system and pose the greatest danger to anyone with a compromised immune system.

  If you come into contact with pigeon droppings, wash the affected area immediately and as thoroughly as possible. Be on the lookout for fulike symptoms over a 14-day period after the initial contact.

  Use a swimming stroke to move in cement. Keep your eyes and mouth closed.

  HOW TO SURVIVE A FALL INTO A POOL OF WET CEMENT

  1 Keep your body upright.

  The high density of the cement will prevent you from sinking very far down into the pool. If your head is under the cement, use your legs and arms to push yourself above the surface as you would if you were underwater.

  2 Yell for help.

  Shout until the workers pouring the cement have cut off the flow.

  3 Keep your eyes and mouth closed.

  Cement contains lime and other alkaline compounds that will burn skin with prolonged contact. Sensitive tissue, such as the eyes, nasal passages, and mouth, is especially vulnerable. If opening your eyes may put cement in direct contact with your eyeballs, keep at least one eye closed at all times, and open the other only to determine in which direction you should move to get to safety.

  4 Use a freestyle swimming stroke to move toward safety.

  If the cement is wet and deeper than you are tall, keep your head above the surface and push the cement away from you as though you are swimming.

  5 If you are unable to move, instruct bystanders to pour sugar into the cement.

  Sugar slows the chemical reaction that causes cement to harden. Adding sugar to the cement will buy time and make it safer for rescue personnel to extract you.

  6 Remove cement-covered clothing.

  As soon as possible, take off all clothes that contacted cement, including socks, underwear, and hats. Prolonged contact with the skin can result in third-degree burns or skin ulcers, necessitating hospitalization and skin grafts. Cement burns can happen painlessly, so you may not even know you’ve been hurt until severe skin damage has occurred.

  7 Wash thoroughly.

  Vigorously wash the burn with soap and water. Rinse all skin that came in contact with cement for at least 30 minutes.

  8 Seek professional medical attention.

  Cement burns can be worse than they first appear. Visit a doctor to see if additional treatment is required.

  HOW TO ESCAPE A WILD TAXI RIDE

  1 Claim that you have no money.

  Tell the cabbie that you forgot your wallet. The ride should end immediately.

  2 Light a cigarette.

  Tell the cabbie that his driving is making you nervous and light a cigarette (or a cigar, for better results). Smoking in cabs is usually illegal, and your driver may stop the car.

  3 Threaten to vomit.

  Inform the cabbie that his driving is making you sick. There are few things cabbies like less than a passenger who vomits in the backseat. The driver may ask you to exit the cab.

  4 Use your cell phone.

  Make a loud show of pretending to call police (or the local taxi commission) and reporting the driver’s name and license/medallion number. The driver will want to get rid of you as soon as possible.

  How to Walk on Sidewalks

  Getting Through a Large Approaching Group. Aim for the middle. Divide the two most vulnerable people. Do not make eye contact. Do not break stride.

  5 Run.

  If the cab stops at a light, open the door and take off.

  6 Jump.

  If the driver will not stop, wait until the cab approaches a turn or slows for a light. As the driver brakes, open the door on the side of the cab facing the sidewalk. Do not bail out into traffic. Tuck your chin to your chest, cover your head with your hands, and jump out of the car. Roll away from the taxi in a somersault position, protecting your head with your arms. If you have a bag or leather briefcase, hold it on top of your head for added protection. Make sure that your path takes you away from the rear wheels. The cab’s forward momentum will cause you to roll for several yards before coming to a stop.

  UNDERGROUND

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  HOW TO SURVIVE BEING TRAPPED IN A SEWER

  1 Find a light source.

  Sewers are usually pitch-black over long stretches, and navigation will be impossible without some type of light. Use a flashlight, a penlight, an LED from a cell phone or car key, matches, or a lighter to see. If you have no light source, look upward for daylight reaching the sewer main through storm drain inlets, gratings in the street, or the small holes in (or around the rims of) manhole covers. Head to the light source: generally it will lead to a way out or a place where you can communicate with the surface.

  2 Stand straight and tall.

  Bacteria breaking down organic material create hydrogen sulfide (H2S), which is responsible for the “rotten egg” odor in sewers. While the foul smell is distasteful, in small concentrations the gas is not deadly; in high concentrations it can be fatal. Since hydrogen sulfide is slightly heavier than air, it will be in higher concentrations lower in the sewer pipe. Keep your head as high as possible, near the top (or “crown”) of the pipe. Covering your nose and mouth with a handkerchief may provide minimal relief.

  3 Wait until late at night to move.

  Large, combined sewer systems—those that aggregate household wastewater and storm water—generally have their highest flows after breakfast and after dinner, when toilets are flushed and dishes are washed, and during or just after rainstorms. Flows will be lowest, and navigation and movement easiest, in the middle of the night. Wait until 2 or 3 a.m. to begin your escape, unless it is raining and the system is filling with storm runoff. Expect a sewage depth of 12 to 18 inches in the middle of the night, and up to 36 inches during busier periods. The deeper the flow, the greater the forces acting on you will be, making it harder for you to maintain balance.

  4 Check the direction of the flow.

  Sewers move wastewater downhill, using gravity. Smaller-diameter pipes enter the system upstream and connect to larger and larger mains as you move downstream in the system. Locate a larger main (72 or 92 inches in diameter) and establish the directional flow of the sewage.

  5 Move upstream.

  Though it seems counterintuitive, move upstream toward smaller pipes. Larger mains downstream will contain older sewage, which has been broken down by bacteria over a longer period of time. These downstream pipes will have much higher levels of hydrogen sulfide, which may be deadly. Instead, move upstream to areas with fresher sewage and lower concentrations of gas.

  Rats will indicate that the air is safe to breathe.

  6 Watch your step.

  The floor and walls of the sewer will be coated with slime and will be extremely slippery. There may also be a channel in the center of the pipe to accelerate the flow of sanitary sewage. Walking in this channel will be difficult, so keep to the sides of the main.

  7 Observe the behavior of rats and cockroaches.

  Though both rats and cockroaches can swim, they prefer dry land and are likely to be on
ledges above the sewage flow, on walls (for roaches), and in your path. As you walk, check the concentration of rats and especially roaches: both serve as your early-warning system of danger in the sewer. The presence of rats in large numbers can be a good sign. Rats indicate that the air is safe to breathe, even near the bottom of the sewer main. If you notice a sharp increase in the number of rats and roaches, or see them heading past you upstream, dangerous conditions exist downstream—a broken pipe or a full siphon may be causing sewage to back up toward your position. If they begin scurrying past you, be ready to move upstream quickly, away from the problem.

  8 Locate a lateral storm sewer.

  Look for a relatively dry main entering the combined main; this is a storm sewer “lateral” and should be easier to walk in, with lower levels of gas and odor. The lateral pipe may be smaller in diameter (48 inches, perhaps less), so be prepared to kneel or crawl. Look up for an overhead storm sewer grate or inlet. Push it up and to the side; then slide it over and climb out or yell for help.

  WARNING!

  Although sewer gases are generally not combustible in the concentrations found in mains, use an open-fame light source as a last resort.

  In general, rats will shy away from human contact. However, a hungry group of rats (a pack may include 60 members) may attack even a large mammal.

  Rats are very good swimmers and may swim for a mile or more.

  HOW TO SURVIVE A RAT BITE

  1 Wait for the rat to let go.

  Rat bites typically last only a few seconds, and it is preferable to withstand the pain of the bite rather than to attempt to fling the rat away, which will create a messier wound.

  Pinch the upper jaw of the rat with your index finger and thumb.

  Rat Bites

  Rat-bite fever (Streptobacillus moniliformis) can appear up to 10 days after a bite, even after the initial wound has healed. Symptoms include back and joint pain, vomiting, headache, fever, and a rash, usually on the hands and feet.

  The upper incisors of rats are approximately 4 millimeters long and 15 millimeters wide. Their lower incisors are 7 millimeters long and 12 millimeters wide.

  Rabies has never been passed to a human from a rat in the United States. Rats do, however, carry a host of other diseases, including hantavirus, salmonella, and hepatitis E. They can also carry parasites such as maggots, botflies, lice, and ticks. All of these things are more likely to be passed by skin-to-skin contact with the rat than through a bite.

  2 Remove the rat.

  If after several seconds the rat has not let go, pinch the upper jaw of the rat with your index finger and thumb and gently pry its incisors out of your flesh. Place the rat on the ground.

  3 Stanch the bleeding.

  Hold a dry, clean handkerchief or other small piece of cloth against the bite until bleeding subsides, which should only take a few seconds. In the event of persistent bleeding, tear a piece of cloth off of your shirt and tie it tightly around the wound, pulling the piece of cloth closed.

  4 Dress the wound.

  Clean the bite mark, and any other parts of your body that came in contact with the rat, with soap and water. Flush the soap fully out of the wound with water to prevent irritation.

  5 Remove jewelry.

  Take off any rings or other constricting jewelry, as swelling of the extremities may occur.

  6 Bandage the wound.

  Use a bandage or gauze and adhesive strip, applied loosely enough so that air can circulate to the wound.

  To climb out of a well with a narrow opening: Place your back against one wall and your hands and feet against the other. Using even pressure to maintain traction, place your hands below your rear. Take one foot off the wall and place it under your rear. Push up with your hands. Repeat.

  HOW TO SURVIVE FALLING DOWN A WELL

  With a Narrow Opening

  Use the “chimney climbing” technique if the opening is narrow enough to keep your back against one wall and your feet against the opposite side, holding yourself off the ground.

  1 Place your back against one wall and your hands and feet against the other wall.

  Your body will be in an L shape, with your back straight and your legs sticking out—the soles of your feet pressing against the opposite wall. If the well is not completely vertical but is tilted in one direction, place your back on the lower wall.

  2 Use even, steady pressure from your thighs to maintain traction on the feet and friction on your back, and to hold yourself off the ground.

  3 Place the palms of your hands against the wall behind you, below your buttocks.

  4 Take your left foot off the opposite wall and place it under your backside.

  Bend your leg under you so that your right foot is on one wall and your left is on the other.

  5 While pressing your back away from the wall with your hands, push up with your hands and your feet.

  Move only about 6 to 10 inches.

  6 Place your back on the wall again and move your left foot back onto the opposite wall, now a bit higher than your right foot.

  Rest.

  7 Repeat the procedure, beginning with your right foot.

  Alternate feet, slowly working your way to the lip of the well.

  8 When you approach the lip of the well, reach up with your hand overhead and perform a “mantle move.”

  Pull yourself halfway up from a chin-up hang position, then roll (shift) your weight onto your forearms as they clear the lip of the well. Shift your body weight to your hands, and press up. Use your feet against the wall to assist in pulling yourself up out of the well.

  With a Wide Opening

  Use the “spread eagle” or “stemming” technique for an opening that is too wide to use the chimney climbing technique but narrow enough that you can touch opposite walls with your hands.

  1 Place your right hand and right foot on one wall and your left hand and left foot on the opposite wall.

  Your hands should be lower than your shoulders, and your fingers should point down.

  2 Keep the pressure on your feet by assuming a somewhat scissored leg stance, with your body facing slightly to your right.

  3 Brace yourself by pushing out with your hands.

  4 Move one foot quickly up a few inches, followed quickly by the other.

  5 Continue until you reach the top, where you will have to grab something sturdy and swing up over the edge.

  If nothing is available to grab on to, keep going until your upper body is out of the well; then flop over forward and use leverage to climb out.

  HOW TO SURVIVE A FALL ONTO SUBWAY TRACKS

  1 Do not attempt to climb back onto the platform unless you are certain that you have enough time to do so.

  If a train is approaching, you will need to act quickly.

  2 Avoid areas of the ground near the track and the wall that are marked with a strip of tape or with red and white painted stripes.

  Such markings indicate that the train passes extremely close to these areas, and you will not have enough clearance. In areas with these markings, there should be alcoves every few yards. These alcoves are safe to stand in if you can fit within them.

  3 If the tracks are near a wall, check to see if there is enough space to stand between the train and the wall.

  Clearance of 11/2 to 2 feet should be enough. Remove any articles of clothing or bags that could catch on the train. Stand straight, still, and tall facing the train, which will pass just inches in front of you.

  4 If the tracks are located between the platform and another set of tracks, you may be able to move to the other track instead.

  Be mindful of trains approaching on the other side. Cross the third rail (which carries the electric current) by stepping completely over it—do not step on the wooden guard, since it may not hold you.

  5 If a line of columns separates the tracks from other tracks, stand between the columns.

  Remove any articles of clothing or bags that could catch on the train, and stand stra
ight, still, and tall.

  6 Check to see if there is enough space for you to crawl under the lip of the concrete platform and avoid the train.

  Use this only as a last resort—this strategy is not recommended, since all platforms are different.

  WARNING!

  If none of these options are feasible, you have two other more dangerous alternatives:

  Run past the leading end of the platform, beyond where the front car will stop. Since trains running on the track closest to the platform are likely to stop at a station (as opposed to express trains, which usually run on center tracks), you can clear the train by running well past the leading end of the platform and thus the front car. (Note: This method will not work for express trains that only stop at some stations, so you are taking your chances.)

  If there is a depression in the concrete between the rails, lie down into it—there will be enough room for a train to pass over you. (Use this method only in desperation—the train may be dragging something, or there may not be enough clearance.)

  Lie down in the depression between the rails if the train starts moving behind you.

  ROOFTOPS

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  Keep your body as close to the wire as possible.

  HOW TO CROSS BUILDINGS ON A WIRE

  1 Test the wire.

  The wire should be at least one inch thick and fully secured on both sides, preferably bolted or clamped (with steel) to stationary objects. Place your foot on the wire and apply hard downward pressure. The wire should flex slightly. If the wire remains taut, your weight will put too much stress on the side anchors.