What a sad thing to happen to a good car.This is really a story of Japan’s overwhelming disasters. It goes without saying that the loss of life, both human and animal are of paramount concern, and much attention has been given to these aspects as it should have been.
Thinking with my transport cap on, my attention was drawn to the many stories of motoring calamities. I was watching one scene of the tsunami carrying things downstream. There were several boats, of various sizes, and houses in bits and pieces; but there were also many cars and trucks and buses that were floating upright. I did a double-take as I could not believe my eyes.
My first thought was whether people occupied them. I would rather not imagine what it would be like to be driving along and suddenly to find myself sailing along. Make no mistake, this is as serious as can be, and my sympathy goes to those who met their untimely deaths, and even more so to their living survivors who have no idea of where the bodies are.
There were two incidents that involved extraordinary good luck. The first was the man whose house was swept from its foundation, and he managed to make it to the roof and was swept out to sea where he was found alive and adrift 16 kilometres off-shore, without drinking water or food. I believe that is as far as his luck extended because I think he lost other members of his family.
The second situation concerned a bus full of tourists who were en-route at the time of the earthquake, and just as the tsunami swept in they were travelling in a direction that put them in direct collision, but at the last minute the bus drove up hill that left the waters to rush on past.
They were securely in the hands of the Gods at that minute.
Copyright (c) 2011 Eugene Carmichael
