There seem to be a lot of threads lately on the subject of human extinction and the cataclysmic collapse (or not) of civilzation. The weather maybe? Anyway, while my hands were at work today I was daydreaming about just what I should do if civilization waved goodbye and wouldn’t be back. Specifically I was wondering about the first critical three-day period when it starts to dawn on people that this won’t be just a temporary emergency. What priorities should one set, given the following:[ol][]It’s sudden. Like say an EMP pulse burns out everything electric or electronic throughout the world. You discover that not only are the lights out all through town but the phones don’t work, the water mains don’t have pressure anymore (pumps are out) and even your portable electronics don’t work now. Let’s say you discuss stuff like this on the Straight Dope Message Board frequently 
so you immediately realize OOH $#!+. []You aren’t prepared for the end of the world. Some basic “power might be out for three days” supplies, but nothing like a dedicated survivalist’s hoard.[*]You realize that you have to act fast, now before too many people wake up to just what it all means.[/ol] So what takes precedence in the first hour, the first day, etc.? What I think I’d do would be to crack a cash machine somewhere and find some stores where the owners don’t realize they’re giving me irreplaceable goods for green pieces of paper. (Might be tough if I don’t have a running car).
Find a weapon, poison, a high cliff or some other method of quick suicide. Life is a post civilization world isn’t worth it as far as I’m concerned. And most people are going to die anyway; given the choice between painless suicide, near certain death that will probably be very painful, and a life that will mostly involve me envying the dead, I know which I choose.
Well, I for one am not chosing quick death[sup]tm[/sup]. Most of humanity managed to survive without electricity, and so could I. That said: get a stash of food and other essentials (food, fuel, knifes, fire-making equipment and warm clothing), some anti-people weapons, a reliable means of transport and go from there. I agree with your stance on money: get something useful instead - even gold would be better than paper money after a couple of days.
Also take some books:
the day of the triffids - great story, and relevant.
Anything about agriculture would be useful, since I’m not a famer, every little helps
As many other technical info as you can find would be nice.
They did it with a much lower population and a different infrastructure, though. If civilization collapses, the great majority of humanity will die and it is unlikely that you will be one of the survivors no matter what you do.
I can always kill myself later. Especially once I’ve got my gun.
Walmart has a ready supply of guns and ammunition.
Time to go looting.
First thing I would do is go looting. Once I have enough supplies to last me a while I will probably hide out in myh place for as long as possible, hopefully until the majority of people start to die off. I would not have any issue with shooting someone who tried to take my family’s food.
Hopefully this doesn’t happen for a few years, at least until I can have my basement and my assortment of weapons.
Have to agree with Der Trihs, there. Life is already dreary enough *with *the comforts civilization, but post-apo life ? Total mug’s game.
But this is the first 72 hours!
If we suffered an EMP you would shoot yourself w/in the first 3 days??
That seems extreme.
I live in a city (LA) I would immediately head somewhere rural, probably my inlaws in the central valley. They’re total rednecks and have been waiting for this.
I would pledge fealty to a warlord and make a crossbow.
I have Amish friends that live nearby. I think I’d go have some discussions with them.
Grab my firearms, some food and some camping equipment and haul my ass down to my grandparents house. Sure, they wont have electricity either, but they live in the country, a decent distance from any population center and have a decent garden.
I’m quite sure I could eek out a decent existence with them.
Well, that’s good then. We don’t want to be wasting any valuable items on people who give up so easily.
Lumpy The following assumes a sudden surprise for an unprepared person who cannot stay where they are.
In the first hour try to locate some clean socks. I am serious! Several pairs if you have them. And then get into the pair of footwear that you feel most comfortable in, something you can walk all day in if needed. First rule of survival in any emergency/battle/long term crisis is take care of your feet. If you have to move long distances, or just stay mobile, and you go lame due to bad footwear you are going to die or rely upon others for your care. Doesn’t matter if you are climbing mountains or running across the desert, healthy feet increases your chance to make the next day. Layer your clothing, like you would if you were going for a long hike.
You have no idea how long you might need to be wearing these shoes and clothes.
Find something to carry items in, preferably a multi-pocket clothing like a fishing vest or overcoat, back pack, or if nothing else, a woman’s purse or 2. Fill carrying item with lighters, flash light, multi-tool if you have one, something sharp like a good knife if you have one or even razor blades from the bathroom. Candles, most people have a few decorative candles around, they are water proof and can be used as quick fuel to start a fire, grab them.
Travel light, forget cash it isn’t worth anything if who you trade it to can’t put it back in the bank either. Same for gold, worthless, it is just a pretty rock if the trading market has collapsed.
My final advice on this is that in any emergency situation there are people who decide that they are victims, and will just lock-up and wait to be rescued. Doesn’t matter if it is a hostage situation or survival of the elements in the wild. Some people give up, lock up, and are incapable of helping to save either themselves or contribute to the survival of the group.
Deciding to live another day is the most powerful tool to take with you.
Why are guns valuable? Unless they are flintlocks, you are just postponing the inevitable, when you run out of ammo. Sooner or later you are going to be reduced to hand-to-hand combat, or be wiped out by the guy who has more bullets than you. So you lasted a few months longer than the guy with no gun; is that really a comfort when your life is leaking out on the ground?
Get necessary survival equipment retreat to rural area and help organize an emergency government (probably military dictatorship resembling Imperial Germany) and try to get one of the top postions there. Hopefully in a few decades a stable society with an 18th Century level of technology (other than in medicene) will be established.
That’s why you make sure you’re the guy with more bullets. 
On a more serious note, a gun might be your Get Out Of Jail Free card, giving you more time to learn the skills you need to become self-sufficient.
The people who survive seem to be those who just “keep on keeping on.” It’s not like folks haven’t made it past a bunch of bad times before. And to make sure, get a job with the bureaucracy. Regimes may change but the flexible paper pushers remain the same.
ETA: Things still need to get done.
The existence of a bureaucracy implies that civilization hasn’t collapsed.
Not really much to add right now, but I suggest reading the book Dies the Fire…even though it’s fiction and the end of the world goes a bit further than what would really happen, it does a good job of illustrating how a world would collapse.
I’d stock up on food and weapons and ammo, as others have said…and then wait it out with my family and friends to see what happens. I would guess that, at least initially the government will try and do something…distribute food, organize, stuff like that. Whether they are even locally successful will depend on the extent of the disaster. Assuming I and my family survive the initial unpleasantness then I’d do everything I could to keep them alive. I think that’s the key…having something important to live for, to, as another poster put it ‘to keep on keeping on’ Obviously some people don’t have that much to fight for…and of course luck and determination would pay a big role. But if I COULD keep them alive, I certainly would give it my best to try and do so.
-XT
I’d stay away from Las Vegas.
Naw…at least initially it would be the place to be. Of course, when the Trashcan Man is seen driving his little 6 wheel cart from out of the desert, it might be a good time to move on…
-XT