When the United Kingdom put a referendum to its citizens as to whether to remain in or leave the European Union, the "leave" faction triumphed by the slimmest of margins with 51.9% of the vote. Unsurprisingly, the areas around London as well as those bordering the Republic of Ireland (which will remain part of the EU) were among those districts that had the highest totals of those seeking to stay. But also decisively in the "remain" column was a country that nearly split from the UK in 2014, and is now rethinking that position. In Scotland a solid 62% voted to keep ties to the continent, with not a single council area voting to walk away.
As the Brexit debate has played out, those in the Highlands have watched and waited with no small amount of anxiety. So when Scots woke up to a tweet from the national police urging them to pack a "grab bag" and to get ready to leave, they could have been forgiven for not understanding the context. Was Brexit indeed a happening thing, and they should pack a bag filled with things that would no longer be easily accessible? French wine? German bratwurst? Swiss truffles?
It turns out that national soul searching about staying within the continent's family of nations had nothing to do with the tweet. Rather, it referenced the need for a true emergency kit such as might be required in event of a natural disaster. On their official Twitter account the cops tweeted, "Emergencies can happen at any time and it's recommended to have a #GrabBag ready containing essential items including medication, copies of important documents, food/water, torch, radio and other personal items." Accompanying the post was a graphic of a backpack containing the aforementioned items, and a link to a checklist at Ready Scotland, a civilian defense agency.
Because it came not from just any inter-government organization but from the cops, the tweet took on added significance: what did they know that the rest of the country didn't? Why suddenly, on a clear September morning, should people be checking the batteries in their penlights? Was there an imminent danger of civil unrest? Was Boris going to jump the gun and close the ports? Did they have advance warning of a haggis shortage?
None of that. Seems that September is "Preparedness Month," an international campaign designed to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning. And the Scottish police were just tagging onto the national "#30days30waysUK" social media campaign. Under that banner, various UK authorities posted tips, reminders and conversation starters keyed to this year's theme of "Prepared, Not Scared." There was the Durham Country Council query "Could you stay with family or friends at short notice?" A thought provoker from the Devon Country Council that "If you bank online, how secure is your computer?" And the note from the Northhamptonshire County Council that while "most homes will have the majority of what they need to shelter in place for a few days, it is a good idea to gather some essential supplies for you and your family." (To which @sleepyvicar replied "and not just chocolate.")
Simple enough, right? Not so fast. Seems that that campaign itself wasn't driven just by a concern for civil defense but by the first company you get when you Google "grab Bags." EVAQ8 is a company that sells emergency supplies, and its co-owner is one of the moving forces behind the campaign in the country. Seems the "30Days, 30Ways" campaign web site is on a server whose Google searches return EVAQ8 at the top when you go looking for grab bags. Just one more of those cases where government and commerce overlap. Thankfully that never happens on these shores.
Not surprisingly, many reacted by offering up their own versions of grab bags. After all, emergency preparedness means different things to different people. Posts on the social network site Fark included an entry that describe one bag as including "$897.76 cash, 9mm xtra magazines, bus and train schedules, socks." Another more culturally attuned poster said his had "black pudding, haggis and a double nougat." And then there's this: "All I'll need is a few rubber bands, some chewing bum, baking soda and some plastic straws. Anything else I'll pick up on the road." The poster's name? MacGyver.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford keeps a flashlight in his suitcase. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
As the Brexit debate has played out, those in the Highlands have watched and waited with no small amount of anxiety. So when Scots woke up to a tweet from the national police urging them to pack a "grab bag" and to get ready to leave, they could have been forgiven for not understanding the context. Was Brexit indeed a happening thing, and they should pack a bag filled with things that would no longer be easily accessible? French wine? German bratwurst? Swiss truffles?
It turns out that national soul searching about staying within the continent's family of nations had nothing to do with the tweet. Rather, it referenced the need for a true emergency kit such as might be required in event of a natural disaster. On their official Twitter account the cops tweeted, "Emergencies can happen at any time and it's recommended to have a #GrabBag ready containing essential items including medication, copies of important documents, food/water, torch, radio and other personal items." Accompanying the post was a graphic of a backpack containing the aforementioned items, and a link to a checklist at Ready Scotland, a civilian defense agency.
Because it came not from just any inter-government organization but from the cops, the tweet took on added significance: what did they know that the rest of the country didn't? Why suddenly, on a clear September morning, should people be checking the batteries in their penlights? Was there an imminent danger of civil unrest? Was Boris going to jump the gun and close the ports? Did they have advance warning of a haggis shortage?
None of that. Seems that September is "Preparedness Month," an international campaign designed to promote family and community disaster and emergency planning. And the Scottish police were just tagging onto the national "#30days30waysUK" social media campaign. Under that banner, various UK authorities posted tips, reminders and conversation starters keyed to this year's theme of "Prepared, Not Scared." There was the Durham Country Council query "Could you stay with family or friends at short notice?" A thought provoker from the Devon Country Council that "If you bank online, how secure is your computer?" And the note from the Northhamptonshire County Council that while "most homes will have the majority of what they need to shelter in place for a few days, it is a good idea to gather some essential supplies for you and your family." (To which @sleepyvicar replied "and not just chocolate.")
Simple enough, right? Not so fast. Seems that that campaign itself wasn't driven just by a concern for civil defense but by the first company you get when you Google "grab Bags." EVAQ8 is a company that sells emergency supplies, and its co-owner is one of the moving forces behind the campaign in the country. Seems the "30Days, 30Ways" campaign web site is on a server whose Google searches return EVAQ8 at the top when you go looking for grab bags. Just one more of those cases where government and commerce overlap. Thankfully that never happens on these shores.
Not surprisingly, many reacted by offering up their own versions of grab bags. After all, emergency preparedness means different things to different people. Posts on the social network site Fark included an entry that describe one bag as including "$897.76 cash, 9mm xtra magazines, bus and train schedules, socks." Another more culturally attuned poster said his had "black pudding, haggis and a double nougat." And then there's this: "All I'll need is a few rubber bands, some chewing bum, baking soda and some plastic straws. Anything else I'll pick up on the road." The poster's name? MacGyver.
-END-
Marc Wollin of Bedford keeps a flashlight in his suitcase. His column appears regularly in The Record-Review, The Scarsdale Inquirer and online at http://www.glancingaskance.blogspot.com/, as well as via Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.
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