I'm living the first 10 minutes...

[dickbiggers]

...of every Zombie/Apocalypse wasteland/fall of society movie ever!!!

So yesterday, I walk into the lab and the secretary says "Watch out!". There's this huge clear puddle on the floor. I walk through Micro and people are mulling around looking concerned. Then I walk through the specimen storage room and its under an inch of clear fluid. Lastly, the histology department is awash also.

Seems that our toxic chemical drainage system has...you guessed it...failed and is now backing up into the lab. Xylene, Benzene, Acetone, a few other zenes and tones...real skull and crossbones stuff is an inch deep over the entire lab with an accompanying stink that takes your knees out.

Facilities management staggers by, scratches their collective ass, and they make short work of the problem...in about three hours. Meantime, whoever is not higher than a kite is sicker than shit. But at least its over. It couldn't possibly happen again the very next day, right?

Fuck me! 10 oclock, right on cue the cutting room floor starts getting a shine to it and starts to stink to high heaven. Within 15 minutes, the place is swamped. At least we evacuated the department this time with only a few months taken off our lives instead of actual years like yesterday.

So it got me thinking. How actually possible is the ultimate zombie/post-fall B-movie scenario? Scientists cook up some nasty shit...the seals fail, and instant death floats out with the wind. After the past two days breathing toxic carcinogens, I'm starting to think its not so far fetched.

[jwham]

Well if this has been an ongoing thing where you are employed it explains a lot Dick, of course I’m just teasing you. My advice, get a safer job, like a firefighter or stuntman, something. Hell flip burgers if you have to, life is short enough without such occupational hazards.

[dickbiggers]

Originally Posted by jwham

Well if this has been an ongoing thing where you are employed it explains a lot Dick, of course I’m just teasing you. My advice, get a safer job, like a firefighter or stuntman, something. Hell flip burgers if you have to, life is short enough without such occupational hazards.

Me: "Is it safe to be in here?"
Maintenance: "[breathe] Sure. [breathe] It's perfectly fine. [breathe]"
Me: "You sure?"
Maintenance: "[breathe] Oh yeah. [breathe] It's completely safe. [breathe]"
Me: "Oh...then why are you wearing a space suit?"

[nondescript29]

Zombie apocalypse? I already have a zombie emergency readiness binder, a baseball bat, and I'll go "Shane" in a heartbeat. I'm also stocked up on badass-hot-broad apocalypse-wear (push up bras, tiny white wife beaters, too-short cutoffs, and hiking boots).

I'm good.





... The bit about the binder is actually kind of true. However there is a moderately amusing story behind it. But only moderately so I won't bore anyone with it. I just wanted to note that I'm not just a random weirdo with a zombie emergency preparedness binder.

Though I am a bit of a weirdo.

I was going somewhere with this... Oh yeah, maybe you should get your own space suit?

[jwham]

What you are is a ‘Humane Resource’ Dick; ever hear that term? every company uses it. It is a fancy term used to describe people who are expendable because they are replaceable. We are looked upon as a resource, supply from which benefit is produced, nothing more.

[dickbiggers]

Originally Posted by jwham

What you are is a ‘Humane Resource’ Dick; ever hear that term? every company uses it. It is a fancy term used to describe people who are expendable because they are replaceable. We are looked upon as a resource, supply from which benefit is produced, nothing more.

Oh, believe me. I have no illusions otherwise. And I'm compensated fairly well for the potential danger. I was just sharing a (hopefully) witty story in order to pose my "scientists accidentally wipe out society" question that begins so many sci-fi movies. In light of even relatively minor occurrences like mine, one would wonder if the potential of such a scenario in real life is so far-fetched.

[Dangerdevil]

Just makes me wonder where those contaminants go when they're not backing up into your lab. Someone's water supply maybe?

[jwham]

My theory is the put it in cans and call it ‘Raid Ant & Roach Killer’ why would they pass up the opportunity to earn a dollar off of it

[Magg45]

Interesting info..

[pervipete]

Considering the number of screw-ups you actually get to hear about, and God knows how many that are covered up, and the amount of illegally dumped toxic waste out there, and the amount dumped before we had the current environmental concerns, nope the average, accidental release of a toxin don't sound that far-fetched.