Why is everyone afraid of the dead?

[Crappingbear]

One other thing to consider is that fear of the dead would also be driven by proximity to them, i.e. highly populated cities vs low populated rural areas. You are pretty much dead in NY City but in the desert southwest where entire areas are unpopulated you stand a good chance of survival. In a desert mountain terrain with harsh landscape such as New Mexico or Arizona, I can use the natural landscape to maintain distance and contact with what few people/zoms would drift there. Yes, a key component is being able to get there and then knowing how to survive once you do and thats an area I'm comfortable with. To me finding food in the Sangre de Cristos and maintaining protective perimiters is more palatable than trying to hole up in a tenement in Detroit. Depending on where you are when the outbreak begins is critical. I'm an outdoorsman and ready to roll in that direction but if I'm on a business trip to Chicago when all hell breaks lose....thats gonna be hard to overcome.

[sammylou]

Is totally true. If the dead rise and your stuck in a major urban center, it'd be terrifying. Not only do you have to deal with the zombies, but you've also got looters, rapists, and other human terrors to deal with.

[Mr. Beakman]

One other thing to consider is that fear of the dead would also be driven by proximity to them, i.e. highly populated cities vs low populated rural areas. You are pretty much dead in NY City but in the desert southwest where entire areas are unpopulated you stand a good chance of survival. In a desert mountain terrain with harsh landscape such as New Mexico or Arizona, I can use the natural landscape to maintain distance and contact with what few people/zoms would drift there. That's an excellent point Crappingbear. Although all of the things needed to do for survival become that much more difficult when you are being hunted. Every trip to get food, wood, etc. puts you in harms way. Would the rustling of leaves you hear be possible game or would it be something looking for you. Survival probability doesn't remove fear. Open heart surgery has a high survival rate(97% according to some studies), yet I'm sure most people who have had it done would tell you they were scared leading up to the surgery. I'm not trying to say people couldn't or wouldn't make it through an outbreak. I'm just trying to state that every aspect of your daily routine would require you to be on a high state of alert which corresponds with fear.

[Debbieangel]

Mr. Beakman and that is exactly why I wouldnt want to head out on the road. I would take my chances in and about where I live. 1. I know the area so, I know where I can get what is needed be it food, ammo, guns, etc. 2. I know the people where I live so it would be easier to get people together in a group to survive. Well, a lot easier possibly than trying to second guess what strangers are liable to do. 3. Stockpiling stuff would be easier at the beginning cause of the knowledge of the places I can get stuff faster. All in all I would stay in my own neck of the woods. It's rural enough to be safe for awhile. That is if it would Romero type zombs. 4.Yeah, I know enough people with guns to help when needed.

[Crappingbear]

Mr. Beakman and that is exactly why I wouldnt want to head out on the road. I would take my chances in and about where I live. 1. I know the area so, I know where I can get what is needed be it food, ammo, guns, etc. 2. I know the people where I live so it would be easier to get people together in a group to survive. Well, a lot easier possibly than trying to second guess what strangers are liable to do. 3. Stockpiling stuff would be easier at the beginning cause of the knowledge of the places I can get stuff faster. All in all I would stay in my own neck of the woods. It's rural enough to be safe for awhile. That is if it would Romero type zombs. 4.Yeah, I know enough people with guns to help when needed. Maam, I bow to your perseverance and fortitude. Since you are some sort of mod, and Im a long lost member, I will just share my thoughts.... If you are waiting on friends, family or general badasses with guns to save you, you are gone. YOU need to be the one in power with weapons. As for where you are comfortable, thats fine. There are survival tips for living in tenements and filtering sh*t water out of pipes. Myself, prefer to be on the open plains and mountain tops. Now, I have to admit right here that I am one of perhaps 3 or 4 people on this site who can actually pull it off as Neil would perhaps attest. I will always head to desert moutains or the Rockies with NO provisions vs having a stockpile in NY City. Its just how I roll. Anyone who understands the most important tool of all is a knife, knows me.

[Debbieangel]

Maam, I bow to your perseverance and fortitude. Since you are some sort of mod, and Im a long lost member, I will just share my thoughts.... If you are waiting on friends, family or general badasses with guns to save you, you are gone. YOU need to be the one in power with weapons. As for where you are comfortable, thats fine. There are survival tips for living in tenements and filtering sh*t water out of pipes. Myself, prefer to be on the open plains and mountain tops. Now, I have to admit right here that I am one of perhaps 3 or 4 people on this site who can actually pull it off as Neil would perhaps attest. I will always head to desert moutains or the Rockies with NO provisions vs having a stockpile in NY City. Its just how I roll. Anyone who understands the most important tool of all is a knife, knows me. Ok, I guess I didn't make myself clear enough, I wouldn't exactly count on others to save me, we all know where that got those in Night now don't we? As soon as I would get any wind of the dead rising I would maxing out my credit cards and bank account to fortify my home. I would warn family and friends and get them together so we would have a good stronghold. If not then my immediate family would hole up in our home either til it was under countrol or til our end or whatever we would have to do. Truth be told me hitting the road I would be zombie meat, I am a human shambler. Medical probs would slow me down and anyone with me well they would either have to shoot me or deal. I sort of would be like Roger in a wheelbarrel only on my feet. So, you can see my point on staying in my own home, it would be for the best.

[Wyldwraith]

Something that always comforts me, My family are big believers in the right to bear arms. 3 12-gauges, 2 20-gauges, 2 .306s, a 30/30, .45 S&W pistol, as well as a variety of melee weapons. Not that I believe this would increase my chances of OVERALL survival. I just find comfort in the notion of it not being possible to wake up to cannibal corpses banging on my windows while I'm unarmed and helpless to do jack about it. Yes, the chances of any such thing happening are trillions to one. So tell me late at night it hasn't EVER given you a shiver. The idea that the first couple of senior citizen zombies could be staggering across your lawn at 3:37am? Sorry, just a small non sequitor train of thought. As you were

[mista_mo]

The only weapon required is faith.

[Crappingbear]

The only weapon required is faith. Well, okey doke. I've got alot of faith in myself and my religion but I also have alot of faith in my ability to cause a hell of alot of damage for the right cause. Is that what you meant or should I just lay down and give myself up to death while praying nice thoughts? I do prescribe to the scripture of Ephesians and putting on the armor of God but I also believe in whipping ass with impunity and much destruction.

[shootemindehead]

Why is everyone afraid of the dead? Take a look at how Rickles dies in "Day of the Dead"...that's why.

[sandrock74]

Why is everyone afraid of the dead? Take a look at how Rickles dies in "Day of the Dead"...that's why. Word.

[Yojimbo]

I was thinking more like 4 or 5 days. Except for the odd murder victim or elderly recluse most bodies would already be buried or burned within less than a week. Night 90 did a zombie escape his casket as it was being buried; if a body could go a few days without reanimating then stuff like that would happen alot. I don't know about Pennsylvannia, but the average time it takes to get a permit to allow for a cremation or a burial here in Southern California is 3 to 5 business days. This does not take into account furloughs or unforseen problems (such as problems with the death certificate or physicians not being immediately available to provide causes of death) At my mortuary, it is not uncommon in the least for a set of human remains to stay with us for several weeks before final disposition. And one of our local crematories has on any given day upwards of 75 sets of human remains waiting for thier turn at the burner. Granted, they are in a refrigeration unit, but in a non-priority cremation case they may be waiting for their turn at the burner for over two weeks. Taken together, this would mean that it is likely that a set of remains may still be viable for revival up to 1 month after passing.

[lullubelle]

I'll play counterpoint: 1. One at a time, sure. How do you do that with a mob? 2. Good point, so long as you have room to manuver. 3. I wouldn't call fire "the easiest weapon in the world" to use. Without a lighter or matches, its not as easy to come by. Also, all sorts of chaos can ensue from people being careless with fire. 4. Day and Land would argue that point. Besides, how do you kill a horde of zombies by hitting them in the head with a rock? Get them to line up and wait their turn? 5. They also hunt by sound. 6. Good point! 7. Granted, they can't climb the tree after you, however they won't go away either. They can outlast you. Well put, I mean it may sound easy but like in some of your answers, what if?.no lighters, no room, I mean it might seem like an easy situation you could deal with, but it all depends on the situation it self, you might need to run but have no room..... get my point

[Crappingbear]

Why is everyone afraid of the dead? Take a look at how Rickles dies in "Day of the Dead"...that's why. Which is why I'm not a fan of enclosed spaces in a zom world. And for sure not a death trap with one escape route.

[shootemindehead]

I take it you wouldn't have been running down to the cellar with Harry then?