Living in Gibraltar is a death trap. In this post I will reveal some things that probably could get people fired. Simply because they are practically being the cause of future deaths.
I know that what I am about to write is a bit offensive and could really piss some people off, but please do try to put yourself in my situation and think for yourself: "Is this really okay?".
Here is two stories of how you could die and one is actually about when I almost died here. Take your time and read it.
In case of fire
I have now collected enough stories to properly, without exaggerating, tell you the story of how fire or smoke will kill you in Gibraltar.
In Kings Warf as well as Waterport Place, for instance, there is a fire alarm that sometimes goes off 3-6 times a week for over a month at a time. No firemen ever comes though, since everyone kind of knows it is not for real. But that is not the worst part. People don't respect the fire alarm anymore. Now let me go on to the second story...
In EuroTowers, just 2 days ago, there was a fire alarm in the middle of the night. Automatically all hallway doors shut, as it should, and a signal was sent out to the local firemen (and this is the local firemen of a very small town). My mate, who lives in the same building (because I can't be bothered by the alarms anymore) told me that when he tried to get out, the emergency exits were locked and there was no way to get them open. They had to take the normal stairs and on the way open all the hallway doors in order to get out. Then, after 20 minutes, the firemen arrives. They calmly walks around scratching their heads and finally decides to randomly pick a block to enter... the wrong one of course. After a bit of convincing they finally found the right building to enter.
Now guys and girls. Imagine if this was the real thing. First of all, only a small percentage will bother to leave there homes. Then, if they do, they can't get out from the exits that might save their life. Then, 20 minutes of fire expansion (watch the clip at the bottom to see how fast fire spreads) the firemen finally arrive. But there is no need to rush, the fire can wait... right? So while you are dying upstairs the firemen calmly wander around until the find the right door to enter.
If you survive this scenario, you are either very lucky, skilled or simply invincible. If you are a cripple, old, pregnant or a child however... you are DEAD! See you on the other side!
Now, boss of fire guys, if you read this I really hope that you invest in people that have brains. These guys are clearly less smart than our local monkeys or simply want to watch innocent people burn to ashes. The Gibraltarian incompetence never seize to amaze me.
The day when I almost died (for real)
Construction workers (or welders) of Gibraltar is also not really of the highest quality, just like the guys at the tax office, at the bank or any similar place. Don't get me wrong, there is surely lots of qualified people here as well and this is probably the fact of many places around the world.
Anyway, did I tell you about when I almost got a brick in my head a few months ago? It is totally true and I can tell you that if I was standing one meter to the left, I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be sitting here blogging right now.
The new buildings in-between Kings Warf and Euro Towers was finally finished... or at least that's what we thought. Thing were still falling off the roof, you see. When I was walking to Morrisons, I took the new and really nice short cut through this area. When passing by a newly built Bus Stop something suddenly BANGS down on the bus stop, bouncing of it and onto the street... right in the middle of me and two people passing by on a scooter. They stopped and we were looking at each other for a few seconds with faces white as... bird shit(?), before we decided to say WTF and then move on.
Incompetence almost killed me that day.
The fact that many children are playing around this building makes me really nervous and the fact that I have experienced so much incompetence since I got here (my first one was the Rental Agency "Find a Property" that moved me into the wrong apartment and gave out peoples keys like they were freebies).
To finish off I must balance this post out with some positive things. I do love to live in Gibraltar and it has many good sides, nice people and very smart companies. I have had some of the best years of my life here, but even so, when it comes to safety I think that I would probably not want to raise a kid here. I like my offspring to have a decent chance of survival. I'm sorry, but Gibraltar cannot provide this.
I know that what I am about to write is a bit offensive and could really piss some people off, but please do try to put yourself in my situation and think for yourself: "Is this really okay?".
Here is two stories of how you could die and one is actually about when I almost died here. Take your time and read it.
In case of fire
In Kings Warf as well as Waterport Place, for instance, there is a fire alarm that sometimes goes off 3-6 times a week for over a month at a time. No firemen ever comes though, since everyone kind of knows it is not for real. But that is not the worst part. People don't respect the fire alarm anymore. Now let me go on to the second story...
In EuroTowers, just 2 days ago, there was a fire alarm in the middle of the night. Automatically all hallway doors shut, as it should, and a signal was sent out to the local firemen (and this is the local firemen of a very small town). My mate, who lives in the same building (because I can't be bothered by the alarms anymore) told me that when he tried to get out, the emergency exits were locked and there was no way to get them open. They had to take the normal stairs and on the way open all the hallway doors in order to get out. Then, after 20 minutes, the firemen arrives. They calmly walks around scratching their heads and finally decides to randomly pick a block to enter... the wrong one of course. After a bit of convincing they finally found the right building to enter.
Now guys and girls. Imagine if this was the real thing. First of all, only a small percentage will bother to leave there homes. Then, if they do, they can't get out from the exits that might save their life. Then, 20 minutes of fire expansion (watch the clip at the bottom to see how fast fire spreads) the firemen finally arrive. But there is no need to rush, the fire can wait... right? So while you are dying upstairs the firemen calmly wander around until the find the right door to enter.
If you survive this scenario, you are either very lucky, skilled or simply invincible. If you are a cripple, old, pregnant or a child however... you are DEAD! See you on the other side!
Now, boss of fire guys, if you read this I really hope that you invest in people that have brains. These guys are clearly less smart than our local monkeys or simply want to watch innocent people burn to ashes. The Gibraltarian incompetence never seize to amaze me.
The day when I almost died (for real)
Anyway, did I tell you about when I almost got a brick in my head a few months ago? It is totally true and I can tell you that if I was standing one meter to the left, I can guarantee you that I wouldn't be sitting here blogging right now.
The new buildings in-between Kings Warf and Euro Towers was finally finished... or at least that's what we thought. Thing were still falling off the roof, you see. When I was walking to Morrisons, I took the new and really nice short cut through this area. When passing by a newly built Bus Stop something suddenly BANGS down on the bus stop, bouncing of it and onto the street... right in the middle of me and two people passing by on a scooter. They stopped and we were looking at each other for a few seconds with faces white as... bird shit(?), before we decided to say WTF and then move on.
Incompetence almost killed me that day.
The fact that many children are playing around this building makes me really nervous and the fact that I have experienced so much incompetence since I got here (my first one was the Rental Agency "Find a Property" that moved me into the wrong apartment and gave out peoples keys like they were freebies).
To finish off I must balance this post out with some positive things. I do love to live in Gibraltar and it has many good sides, nice people and very smart companies. I have had some of the best years of my life here, but even so, when it comes to safety I think that I would probably not want to raise a kid here. I like my offspring to have a decent chance of survival. I'm sorry, but Gibraltar cannot provide this.
If you peek in the fire station you will find only small appliances that are run by even smaller minds. This is a crime, but nothing compared to the white collar and legal crime in the Gib financial services industry. Gibraltar is run and owned by only a few select familes that proudly boast their heratiage. God help us all when they get their own bank next year. This is supposed to be a British Overseas terratory..... its the size of Halifax yet locally run by the "family" with a town mayor who thinks he can dictate terms to Brussels, HMG and Spain, One day soon....people of UK will wake up. Lol at the Gibraltar Chronical this week with a picture straight out of Dads army. Ridiulous. This is Europe. Gibraltar is not special....sell determination to screw tax and use the rest of us as servants.
ReplyDeleteLOL at your comments regarding the local Gibs and how they try to run any service. With an genuine dislike for Spanish, Brits and any other European,s they ensure any job goes to a local regardless of EU employment laws or qualifications. Given this in breeding, poor education and closed behaviour things will only get worse over time. Its not just their fire serivice but all their services. Gibraltarians and especially government workers are the living proof that Darwin was right and that the missing link resident here can easily be observed in this closed non european society that still keeps its distant relatives up on top of the Rock..
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