In Southern California on Friday the wind changed direction and my son and family were ordered (along with 250,000 others throughout the state) to evacuate their home. They reacted quickly and managed to get on the freeway before gridlock. Using the Internet my daughter-in-law tried to find accommodation for them while my son coped with the manic traffic. Yes, there were rooms available, but prices had been hiked to obscene levels. Eventually, having driven 200 miles they found a place at $350 a night!
Communication for the evacuees has been non existent. Their source of information is CNN and the like. They do not know if their home still exists and even if it does there are fears about asbestos from old burned out properties and radioactivity from the abandoned nuclear facility near Simi Valley which has gone up in smoke.
My lovely granddaughters are enjoying themselves immensely. They have been allowed to watch endless children's TV in their hotel and have been isolated from all news bulletins. (Usual rule is no TV weekdays, 2hrs max at weekends) They delightedly showed me their new t shirts on FaceTime. I had to fight back the tears.
If, best case scenario, they have a home to go back to, how can they be prepared for the horror stories the other children have to tell of their homes burning down.
I have offered to pay for my d-i-l and the children to come and stay with me but I doubt that will happen.
Now as we wait for news I am raging that businesses are choosing to take advantage of the tragedy by bumping up their charges to impossible levels. They should be named and shamed.
No idea why I am offloading on here. I just feel so angry that I am unable to help them and other people/businesses are happy to take advantage of their plight.
Have any of you got all electric cars? Pros and cons please.
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