Duck and Cover

Added on November 7th, 2012 by ColdWarBatman | Report Post
Tags:Animated Images, Nuclear

Cause, you know… Nukes work that way

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Jason (#)

11 years ago

Vaguely remember a duck-and-cover drill from elementary school in NYC during the early 80’s. I think it was around the same time that “The Day After” miniseries premiered and NYC (and probably the entire country) was suffering from nuclear-hysteria. Even then I realized that hiding under the desk or moving to the locker-lined corridors (less windows than the classroom) was going to do nothing to protect me.

Daggy (#11471)

Reply to Jason

11 years ago

Well…it would do very little. The idea is to avoid the shock-wave of heat by hiding sturdy objects. Granted this would only marginally increase your chances of survival, but unless you want to build an underground city like the Soviets, it may be the least worst option you would have.

Korinthian (#3174)

Reply to Daggy

11 years ago

Let’s go with underground cities a la Evangelion!

Hector (#)

Reply to Daggy

11 years ago

Plan needs more ‘fridge.

a (#)

11 years ago

surprise buttsex

audsmaud (#11231)

11 years ago

My middle school had a bomb shelter in the basement. They didn’t even make it a secret after there was no longer use for it, everyone stood next to it in the lunch line.

7footJesus (#389)

11 years ago

They showed this to us in 6th grade or so (1992?). We were actively encouraged to mock it.

Gerry (#)

11 years ago

Typical ignorance of when this was made. In the mid-late 50s the nukes were FAR smaller and fewer. Go look back at how many people survived not too far from the centers of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, often by being around a brick corner or behind a stone wall. NO ONE ever suggested duck&cover would prevent you dying if you were at ground zero or if your city was hit by a 20megaton thermonuke. (I did those drills in 1960 too, btw.)

HoChunk (#5604)

11 years ago

I’m surprised to hear stories of “duck & cover” being taught as late as the ’80s or ’90s (except mockingly or as an object history lesson, like watching Reefer Madness.) My mother remembers having to run her classes through these drills in the ’60s, and even then the overwhelming sentiment was that it was total bullshit.