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10.21.2007

A Really Dramatic Post

(I am going to pretty dramatic right now so if you know me read this in my voice, and I think it will be a lot more effective.) Okay, so last night we went to the Monster Mayhem Big truck show at Choctaw Coliseum. We like to engage in a little hillbilly activity now and then. It was just Zach, Allison and me, we left Zachary at home with Mom. Probably everyone has heard by now, but 4,000 peoples lives were endangered when some "fool" decided it was a good idea to back his jet engined 4-wheeler up to several junked vehicles. Needless, to say it was not, they caught on fire and the 4,000 people inside the coliseum were left to scramble for the nearest exit when told, as best as I can remember, to "Get out of here!" Now I am not sure if that was the emcee who said "Get out of here" or one of the many spectators who had already realized this was not part of the show. My family and I had started for the exits ourselves, as had many others, when the thick black smoke started to come back down towards the people with pieces of fabric in it from one of the junked vehicles. I will however say that I thought the evacuation went pretty well, although we were one of the first out of the building and I didn't see what was going on inside. Big thanks to Zach for showing us the nearest exit ( I was heading for the long way.) So here is my thought process: Zach and I both told each other we felt the heat of the jet-engine when the driver cranked it and I thought "glad we aren't closer." Then as the driver backed closer and closer to the vehicles I thought "where are the fire extinguishers?" So at that point I looked at my cousin (who was sitting behind us and actually is a boss at the Choctaw Casino and Resort) I detected a look of extreme pissedness, uncertainty, and well... mainly pissedness, for lack of a better word. I returned my focus back to the center of the arena and saw the enormous pillar of white smoke and once again thought this place is going to be really smoky for the rest of the show, where are the fire extinguishers? It was then I turned to look back at my cousin who was now standing up and very RED, but my gaze did not stop there. My eyes were averted to a lady trying to get her 3 kids down the stairs with a look of panic in her eyes. She was scared!!! I looked back at what was once a giant pillar of white smoke to see that it had turn black and was following the line of the ceiling directly back down on all of us who were sittling in the stands.That is when I immediately stood up and said "Come On Lets Go!" Zach who at this point still had on earplugs (we weren't willing to lose our hearing at a Big Truck Show) said "Are you saying we should go?) I nodded a big YES and we headed for the nearest staircase down out of the coliseum, before we reached it is when I heard the announcer say to leave, it is possible he said something like "Everyone exit the building right now!" or "Everyone get out of here right now" I am not sure. All I now is that whatever he said worked because everyone was to their feet and getting out. Zach said he fear mass-pandimonium, (sorry spelling, sound it out.) The news said it took 6 minutes for the evacuation. This is where I feel a little upset. The news at first said it started "when the driver was doing donuts, nothing out of the ordinary" and then later on a represntative said the fire started when the 4- wheeler driver was finishing up what he was doing. Yeah, he finshed up alright! Where did HE go? Did he mean to ruin my night? Was he questioned as to what he was thinking and why he didn't stop what he was doing even after several men who were on the floor were motioning for him to stop? Is he or the company who books him going to be held responsible for the damage to the coliseum and sound system? Or for putting us all in harms way? Not to mention the security guards who are suffering from smoke inhalation because they stayed inside to make sure HIS actions had not hurt anyone. He should have been taken away in hand cuffs! Okay, I'm done with my ranting now. I do have to say it made for and exciting end of the night, but I would have perferred to watch the rest of the show and they said all tickets would be refunded on Monday. Aarrggg!

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