# If the world was but 13 minutes. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 30, 2001, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793 "2001-04-30T02:16:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Silver\_Fire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Silver\_Fire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Fire)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/21 "2001-04-30T14:36:41Z")
I’d call you, Adam. ---
**Author:** ![Zappo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b3f665/32.png) [@Zappo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zappo)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/22 "2001-04-30T14:44:04Z")
I’m with **Ad Noctum** on this one. A case of beer, maybe some good munchies (screw the diet), and a nice view of the festivities. My biggest concern is whether my wife will be there to meet me once I get wherever it is I’d get to after the bomb drops. It’d be nice to see her-it’s been awhile. Yer pal, Zappo ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/23 "2001-04-30T15:03:36Z")
That would depend on where I was at the time - work or home. Work is downtown DC, home is southern Arlington, VA. Either way I’m fried. Work - try to remember where my wife is, call her if I can, say goodbye. Go down to the liquor store, grab a can of Guinness (screw paying for it) and head up to the patio atop the building where I work. Get buzzed, and await the Living End. Quietly. Home - Hug my wife and cry some, probably. See if I could get up the roof of the high-rise so’s I could exit without too much ado. No time for beer, unless I got some stocked in the fridge. Y’all have a nice day now, y’hear? ---
**Author:** ![Jus\_lookin\_Round](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@Jus\_lookin\_Round](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jus_lookin_Round)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/24 "2001-04-30T16:53:29Z")
From where I am: Sit tight, hope the targeting software and technology that was sold to them is as accurate as advertised, and load lots of ammo. The worst is yet to come. Grab me wifey and kiddypoos and head deeper into the deep mountains and hope the radioactive rains don’t get to the high dessert. Spend the rest of ot loving and living. ---
**Author:** ![drollman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f04885/32.png) [@drollman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drollman)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/25 "2001-04-30T20:21:56Z")
I gave the same answer almost 20 years ago: Q: Where do you want to be when the big one is dropped? A: Right underneath it, with a case of cold beer. ---
**Author:** ![beckwall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b487fb/32.png) [@beckwall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beckwall)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/26 "2001-04-30T22:31:43Z")
I’d have a couple of mind-blowing orgasms, which would still leave me with enough time to make a protein smoothie and swallow a few aspirins. ---
**Author:** ![SPOOFE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c5a1d2/32.png) [@SPOOFE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SPOOFE)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/27 "2001-04-30T22:51:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Well if they were gonna steal a fast car I’d be damned sure to steal more than some 4 banger (most 4-cylinders nowadays will do 120 easy). Say he picks a decent 6 cylinder which will probably run to a top speed of 140’ish. That’s give 8 minutes of driving time then s/he’ll be 18.6 miles away. Hell in that situation I’d grab a car with at least a stock v-8 which tops at 160’ish. That’ll put you at 21.3 miles away. Either way if I were that panicked I’d grab a faster car and get a little less radiation from the ordeal. I imagine that you’d waste a lot of time looking for a faster car. Either way, you wouldn’t get far enough away to avoid radiation… and, depending on how long it takes to find a car and get out onto the highway (I was VERY conservative with my estimates… in reality, I doubt you’d be able to get a single mile away). Also, keep in mind that if everyone else is thinking the way you are, you’re looking at the mother of all traffic jams. Either way, there’s no escape. Unless you can get in a helicopter almost immediately that can top 160 MPH. Or, better yet, a jet. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [April 30, 2001, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/28 "2001-04-30T22:59:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JoeyHemlock \* > \*\*Why would the Russians bomb **Brainerd**? If you want to die quick, I’d take a trip to Minneapolis. 🙂 \*\* I don’t know about Brainerd, but Austin, MN had a Russian nuke pointed at it at one time, as did my hometown of Albert Lea. The rationale: Austin was and is the site of many factories and manufacturing plants. Heck, it’s “SPAMtown USA”, because Hormel is based there. Albert Lea is important for the intersection of two interstate highways, as well as having, at least at one time, a good railway system. Besides, the Russians had lots and lots of nukes at one time, and so they could afford to put relatively minor targets in their sights. I wouldn’t be _too_ surprised if it turned out Brainerd had had a nuke pointed at it at some time. In response to the OP: I’d probably strip naked and run around singing, “It’s the end of the world as we know it, and I feel fiiiiiiiine.” ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2001, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793/29 "2001-05-01T02:55:38Z")
Back in high school my teacher was talking about this and said that living here (Honolulu) we wouldn’t have a chance as we are one of the most targeted sites on Earth what with Pearl Harbor and a host of other military bases scattered across this 20 mile island. But anyway, the reason I’m back was to suggest for all of you interested in this subject to go and try to find the indy movie “Last Night.” A fascinating movie where everybody on Earth knows that the world will be ending and at exactly what time. Luckily for them it’s several days away and there is no escape since aparantly there wont even be an earth to stand on, heck it might be the end of the entire universe. Either way it’s a very entertaining. Wish I could talk more about it but I don’t want to spoil it for those who want to see it. Enjoy. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-the-world-was-but-13-minutes/63793.md?page=1)