Curiosity Seekers

Millions of people have been adversely affected by the last three Atlantic hurricanes this year: Charley, Frances, and Ivan. The devastation ranges from power loss to property damage to loss of life.

I was reading an article on FoxNews.com about how those affected are dealing with their situation. I came upon a sentence that struck a chord with me: "At one subdivision, a spray-painted sign warned strangers to stay out: 'If you don't live here, you have no business here.'" Most people would say the spray painter meant that toward potential looters. However, looters are not the only problem these people have to contend with.

As trivial as it may seem, curiosity seekers are also a thorn in the side of affected residents and law enforcement in areas of devastation. For these people, it's not enough to see it on television, hear about it on the radio, or read about it in the newspaper. Viewing pictures and/or videos about it on the Internet doesn't do it for these people. They have to physically get in their vehicles and drive to these areas, just to "have a look."

I can give you a couple of examples I have personally witnessed.

Example one:

A friend of mine in Covington, Georgia lived in a mobile home close to the Yellow River. The week of Thanksgiving 1992, we had a lot of rain, and the banks of that river were swelling up.

By Thanksgiving morning, the sun was shining, but the runoff from the rain continued to swell the river banks. She had already taken some of her belongings and was staying at a hotel the Red Cross set her up in, but she realized she needed more clothes. I offered to help her get her things, not knowing what we were in for.

Her boyfriend had warned her that the river was rising quickly, and she might not be able to get to her home. That didn't deter her, and I was wanting to help. We got in my car and drove to the mobile home community where her home was located. We only got part way inside the property; the river had already risen into the back area where her home was located.

There were numerous people standing around, looking at the partially-submerged homes, vehicles, swingsets, etc. Some of these people were sitting in lawn chairs. My friend and I got out of the car to talk to the people and get information about the flooded road leading to her home. We found out most of these people didn't even live in this mobile home community. They were there to "watch the flood and view the damage for themselves."

My friend and I got back into the car. She was angry. "I can't get to my house. I may have lost everything. Yet all these people are doing is standing around looking. I'll bet none of them have offered to help. This is their entertainment."

I looked at my friend, her face like stone, her eyes steely, and her brows furrowed. I could see the disgust and resentment on her face. And I didn't blame her.

We did manage to get to her home. She swam across a very cold, flooded road with a strong current to get her clothes and a couple of other things. I'll go into more detail another time. I will say this about her: you have to admire her determination. BTW, there were two middle-aged men watching us wade chest-high into the icy water. They didn't offer to help, either.

Example Two:

While still residing in Conyers, Georgia, I woke up one morning in March 1995 to flashing blue lights reflecting off the mini-blinds inside my studio apartment. Thinking a crime had been committed in our otherwise peaceful apartment community, I wanted to find out what happened.

As I walked outside, I saw three of my neighbors standing on the frosty grass. I asked them what was going on, and one of them said the apartment building across the street was on fire. Half asleep and in disbelief, I walked onto the grass and witnessed, to my horror, the fire that had engulfed the apartment building across the parking lot. The building was less than fifty feet from MY apartment building. My eyes were fixated on the inferno, yet I became distracted by flying embers. My distraction became a concern because the embers were flying in the direction of my building. That's when I realized I needed to make some calls, just in case I had to evacuate as well.

The building had nearly burned to the ground, with the exception of a couple of partial walls remaining. It was about three months before the building was rebuilt. During that time, there was an increase in the vehicle traffic caused by curiosity seekers, driving by -- even parking in front of -- the burned building. Speaking with a few of my neighbors, the feeling on the matter was unanimous ... the presence of these curiosity seekers was vehemently resented.

Many people think they're not hurting anyone or anything by hanging around "looking." However, think about this: Curiosity seekers are loiterers. Victims of natural disasters are fatigued, distraught, anxious, and overwhelmed as they try to salvage what's left of their belongings, and these loiterers only add to the victims' distress by standing around staring and watching. Even in a less stressful situation, most people don't like to be watched.

Another thing to think about: There are people who are evil enough to take advantage of those who have been hit hard by natural disasters. They come in droves to these areas like vultures. They'll loiter around, waiting for the right time to loot compromised properties. If someone questions their presence, they can easily respond with, "Oh, I heard about what happened, and I came to look around."

There's a popular phrase I'm reminded of that says, "If you're not a part of the solution, you're part of the problem." I think it applies to curiosity seekers. I think it's safe to say the presence of curiosity seekers is universally resented. Unless curiosity seekers are going to be a part of the solution by offering assistance to the people they're staring at while they're there, they need to avoid being part of the problem by staying home.