in 2004 i was living in a small village in Argentina that bordered Bolivia called Salvador Mazza. At the time i was living in a second story apartment above the town's only telecabina ( public telephone booths). I was one of 2 americans living in a 70 mile radius, 1500 miles from the US embassy and the only phones in town were downstairs. This was at the height of the Iraq war and anti american sentiment was rampant(many of us had been attacked with sticks and stones) At the top of the stair case was a ladder to the roof that was padlocked.I thought it prudent to prepare a small emergency backpack of bottled water, jerky, and dehydrated fruits,swiss army knife,plastic flashlight, 10' rope, matches,and because of the roof access, a pair of bolt cutters. In July a flash flood disabled the town's only water main. After a week without water the town discovered the mayor had embezzled almost all of its budget and could not afford to purchase the water from other areas. Street riots broke out and looters began sacking all the stores chanting for change, when they smashed their telecabina we were trapped upstairs.. we abandoned our apt and made for the roof. We spent 3 days up there and kept complete noise and light discipline(we whispered and passed notes) while they looted our things downstairs, we placed cinder blocks over the hatch and tried our best to create a rope line to the ground floor that would allow an acceptable and safe fall distance and then book it into the surrounding mountains for bolivia. The border gaurds/army eventually restored order with tear gas and beatings. We were unharmed and had learned the true value of preparedness. one thing i would like to add is have a plan, have a plan and have a plan.... When the bricks went through the glass i was scared, more afraid than i had ever been in my whole life, if you think you are going to be rational and level headed right off the bat and begin strategizing your next step.. you're wrong.. dead wrong.. it happens in a flash and the wind gets knocked out of you and you are nothing but scared... the only thing i could think to do was the one emergency plan i had casually imagined. There wasnt a defense plan or a protect whats ours mentality to save our apartment and few possesions.. it was run and hide and hope the mob didnt begin to wonder where we had gotten to while they kicked down our door and sacked our things. The best advice i could give is blend in and dont get noticed, the last thing you want is the mob's attention. OH and dont think about relaxing or keepin your cool... when we were up on that roof there was little to no sleeping... every broken bottle and shouted curse word would send chills up our spines... we heard everything we felt everything and the adrenaline rarely stopped pumping... Be prepared to suffer uncomfortable situations... we couldnt stand up because we would be spotted from the street.. it was 3 days, 72 hours of lying on our backs on cheap tar roof shingles with broken glass and bird crap everywhere. WITHOUT THAT CHEAP BOB I WOULD BE DEAD
A RIOT IS PEOPLE AT THERE MOST BASE AND PRIMAL DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE HOW DANGEROUS IT CAN BE... rationality and logic do not exist.