Sigh...

[pecunium]

What's wrong with these pictures?





Nothing, right?

Well, if you go and look at them here and here you will see that the couple in the first picture are just grabbing needed food, where the kid in the second has looted a grocery.

The only differences I can see between them are the color of their skin, and the bag of food the kid has (and the guy has a knapsack, so it's possible they have more than a "bottle of milk, a loaf of bread and come home right away." Absent knowledge of what's in the bag, and of how many people the kid might be taking it too; or of when he might be rescued, I'm willing to cut him the same slack the ones in the top picture get.

The food in those groceries is doomed. The perishables will perish and the semi-durable (canned goods) will probably be unsalvageable by the time they get the waters out of the city for not only are the pumps not capable of more than an inch an hour (as I recall reading) but they put the water into Lake Ponchartrain, which would be, until they repair the levee breaches, a Sysiphean task, since it will just run right back into town, charging anyone with looting; for food, is pointless, but the distinctions made here... sigh.

Comments

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

food, water, medicine, blankets, clothes--that's one thing.

VCRs and jewelry? That's a different thing. Or, as you note, a dozen pairs of jeans.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I do wonder how much insurance fraud this is going to lead to. Shops with, "lost" inventory in moveable goods, people who, "can't find," precious heirlooms (though I know most of the people in New Orleans, as anywhere else don't, carry that sort of insurance, so it's mostly the well to do with the chance to commit such fraud).

TK

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

I don't know that fraud about looting is going to be neccesary for most storeowners. Just "water damage" should be enough.

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

speaking as a property insurance geek, lost inventory due to theft is covered. lost inventory due to water damage probably isn't, because flood is not covered under nearly all standard property policies. only the government underwrites flood insurance; most property insurers sell flood endorsements that cover excess damage over and above what the government will, but they require the existence of a flood insurance policy first.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I'm thinking of jewelry and other things which won't be damaged by water, but could easily be called lost.

TK

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

to be completely pedantic about the whole thing, there is so much sludge, sewage and oil in the water, I think everything will be ruined, even stuff you'd expect could have been salvaged.

[sinboy.livejournal.com]

It's a possibility

[lawgeekgurl.livejournal.com]

yeah, thanks for THAT! I already have that in the back of my head. Plus, lots of these places operate on cash-only basis, and have no records to speak of. Those that did, the records are probably gone. So, there will be a lot of payments made without a lot of questions answered.

[lagilman]

Yeah. Anyone taking perishables? Whatever. Far better than leaving it to rot. Clothing? Okay, I'm not going to say I wouldn't do the same thing if everything I owned was suddenly gone and there was no laundry alternative. If a fresh pair of jeans makes you feel more human, more able to deal, I'm going to look the other way.

Cash from the casinos? Between you and your god. But bribe money won't get you further than charity, at this point.

Electronics? Jewelry? Dude, where you gonna plug it IN? Get over here and take your "looter" tattoo like the scum you are.

[conuly]

Plus the clothing will rot too, so you can use the food argument for that as well.

Electronics - well, that dries out. Same as jewelry. That doesn't rot. No love for that.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

I'll make qualifications on clothing.

Needs of the moment, fine.

Outfitting a new wardrobe, not fine.

TK

[conuly]

Fair by my books - but even if you're outfitting a new wardrobe, it's still more justifiable than picking up something like a new string of pearls.

[fidelioscabinet.livejournal.com]

It's worth considering, when it comes to clothes/shoes, that wearing soaking wet clothes for very long, especially when the water soaking them is filthy, isn't healthy--it can end up causing significant skin damage it you have to move about a lot. Most of the time, this wouldn't matter. But back to that dirty water/lack of sanitation thing--infection is the next step.

[pecunium.livejournal.com]

Me, I'd be looking at hitting a sporting goods store and finding bathing suits, and (because I have no body fat to speak of) a wet suit. I'm worried about hypothermia.

But yes, the conditions in New Orleans are likely to get hellish.

TK

[lintra.livejournal.com]

But here is my thing on the VCRs and jewelry. We have limited resources, and I want them out there rescuing the stranded, not out there arresting or shooting looters. Let them loot it, is what I'm saying. It's illegal, yes, I know, stealing is wrong, but when you've still got an unknown number of people still yelling from rooftops for help, I hope they're not allocating police/guard to arresting looters and protecting shops. That's all I'm saying.

[matociquala.livejournal.com]

They don't seem to be, much, and I agree.