Can anyone tell me why our Goverment(British)would need to comendeer an Ice Rink(near Heathrow)for use as a morgue "in case of a disaster" over the Millenium period.(heard on local radio 20thOctober 1999)

-- Mike Collins (mcollins@lcs.uk.com), November 21, 1999

Answers

If things get really bad they could also use the one in front of Rockefeller Center. Just put the stiffs right under the big Christmas tree.

-- Grinch (presents_for_@_the_grim._reaper), November 21, 1999.

To get to the other slide?

-- (normally@ease.notnow), November 21, 1999.

If I remember the original news item a few months ago, the British government was worried that pushing and shoving would send thousands into the Thames (and other more conventional deaths). This has nothing to do with Y2K, but everything to do with the powers to be being unable to predict the behavior of millions of people on Dec. 31, 1999.

Perhaps turning an ice rink into a morgue gives the government spin machine something to do!

-- David Holladay (davidh@brailleplanet.org), November 21, 1999.

There were at least two different news reports. The first concerned definite plans to create a morgue in a London stadium to take care of New Year's celebrants falling into the river. Later, another story was published saying possibly -- not for sure -- an ice rink could be used near the airport to take care of deaths there around rollover.

-- (normally@ease.notnow), November 21, 1999.

When I worked for the Army I used to write such contingency plans.

You have to have thought of such things beforhand otherwise bad decisions will be made under crises conditions.

The local morgues probably can only hold a few dozen. What would you do with 200? They have to be autopsied as their death probably has legal implications. Where will you store them as that slow process unwinds?

In El Paso Texas we located a few refrigerated semi trucks to use as a temporary morgue to store bodies until identified and or autopsied.

You always plan for the worst case then your prepared no matter what happens. The ice rink is an ok idea if you continue to have power. The semi trucks had their own power and could be moved to where needed.

Not plesant thoughts but that is the reality of large gatherings of people. It's good that someone is thinking about these things.

-- LM (latemarch@usa.net), November 21, 1999.

It's similar to the story of Scotland using
barracks as mortuaries.

BARRACKS TURNED INTO MORTUARY FOR MILLENNIUM

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 21, 1999.

Most of this dismal stuff could have been prevented if the governments of our respective countries had squashed the misconception that the turn of the numbers equated with the turn of the millennium.

Who's the dumbest? The citizens, for being so uneducated and misinformed, or the stupid governments for allowing the misconception to continue; and even encouraging it? If the governments have problems with riots right at the time when all heads should be clear to deal with Y2K (whatever the outcome) is asking for it, and I strongly suspect that Comrade Clinton had this planned all along so he could make his big move. Sour grapes, cynical, and jaded...

-- Liz Pavek (lizpavek@hotmail.com), November 21, 1999.