30 — Sunday, May 10, 1992 - North Shore News

Rioting is no riot for those on the road

AND NOW, a few words about a topic that’s been the top news story of the year — riots.

All of us know that they could happen right here, and that’s a sobering thought. However, should anything awful happen when you’re at home you have certain safeguards.

First, you have access to infor- mation. You are on familiar ground, and if the radio tells you to keep clear of an area, you know what they’re talking about.

Friends, neighbors and family are all there to lend support, if only by their presence.

In your own home, you know where to turn off gas lines and water intakes. You’ve probably got enough food stored in your cupboards so that you don’t have to leave the house.

But what does a traveller do,

stranded in a strange place with.

all hell breaking loose around him? ;

I want you to take me very seriously for the next few minutes. And, unlike most travellers who fortunately avcid civil unrest, I ‘will start with a story.

About 17: years ago, i was in Buenos Aires. One of my daugh- ters, then aged eight, was with me. We were staying at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown . B.A., visiting with friends and

waiting for a ship to take us across the Atlantic to Italy.

The day before we were sched- uled to depart, we went for a walk ‘through the gardens near the Pink House, the Argentine Presidential Palace. We had been told that Isabella Peron was.due to make an appearance and I was anxious . to take a look at this controversial president.

With us was a dear friend, a young Argentine medical student. At about five o’clock, we ap- proached the palace, and in the forecourt half a dozen huge black limos were clustered, bristling with armed guards poking submachine guns out of windows. A surly crowd was gathering, but as I speak no Spanish, I had no idea

what they were ranting about.

Our friend listened for a minute, paled, and whispered to me, “Don’t speak!’’ He grabbed us by the hands and rushed us away from the palace, flagged a cab and raced us back to the hotel. What was going on?

Easy. That was the start of the revolution which next day ousted Isabella. That night, while we were safe in our hotel, rioting broke out, but we knew nothing about it. However, Pablo had briefed the hotel management about our ship and our need for safe passage the next day.

The following morning, Pablo risked the streets to come from his home in Monte Grande to see us off. While we were having lunch at the hotel, he got a telephone call. His brother called to tell him that one of the buildings that had been bombe downtown was their grandmother’s apartment.

I learned later that the buitding was badly damaged but with no casualties. However, the residents were trapped for three days before rescue workers could shore up the structure enough to risk evacuating the people on the up- per finors.

Just the preyious day, Suzy aud I had been visiting there.

Meanwhile, we had a ship to catch. The Sheraton was wonder- ful. First, they checked and found that the ship was ready to sai! — five hours earlier than planned. If the passengers were aboard, fine. If not, tough!

They provided us with a limo, a beefy driver with a suspicious bulge under his jacket, and we were off. We detoured and crept down back streets, avoiding mobs of people blocking intersections.

The dock was chaos. Apart

_ from the ticketed passengers were

scores .of frightened Peronists, hoping to get out before the mili- tary could catch them. One sent me staggering into a ditch and for the first and only time in my life, I hit back with a fist.

Our driver had our bags and a good grip on Suzy. He barged his way through the mob and right up the gangplank.

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We sailed within the hour.

A short while later, we learned that all exits from the country had tea blocked — airports closed, docks sealed and roads closed. All radio communication was blacked out. The ship was getting messages from a ham operator in Brazil] who was linked with a net- work within Argentina.

The military coup was quick

‘and described as ‘‘bloodiless.”’ I

don’t pretend to be an expert re- garding. politics in either Argen- tina or North Vancouver but I know something about mobs. They don’t know any politics, ei- ther. :

They only know violence They are as mindless as a _ cattle stampede and know they can get away with almost anything. H you’re caught in a stampede, how could you ever identify the cow that kicked you?

I have told you that story in the fond hope that. you'll. now listen carefully to what Pm about to say regarding .behavior during a disaster far from home.

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4&4 We detoured and crept down (Buenos Aires) back streets, avoiding mobs of people blocking | intersections. 99

@ If you can, at the first sign that something may be going wrong, get to the nearest luxury hotel and stay there. I don’t care if you pay $200 a night for the privilege.

@ Take any advice they give you seriously. Do not leave until they can assure you that it is safe to do so — and follow their advice on routes, to the letter.

@ if there’s shooting in the streets, do not go to your window to have a look. People who join mobs tend to- dislike guests in luxury hotels and could easily take a pot-shot at you.

@ Do not go out on the streets for any reason. This is not the time to run off a roll of film. “But I’m just a tourist...’? will get you as far as a mouse at a cat

@ If you should be caught on the Streets during an unexpected riot, . keep your head down and” your mouth shut. Look for shelter in a place unlikely to be looted. A real estate office is safer than a jzwelzy store.

@ As soon as possible, uotify the nearest Canadian Consulate or Embassy as to who and where you are. Try to call home, but ‘you may find it difficult.

I'd like to be able to say avoid trouble spots. Not many of us book beach holidays in Lebanon or Kuwait — but Los Angeles? Las Vegas? Toronto?

And, my selection for the dumbest quote of the week: ‘You wouldn’t hurt an old nan, would you?”” (George Garrett, to the mob in Los Angeles).

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