Personally, I like crowds of people who are excited about an eclipse. I've seen five totals and none of them brought about the kind of madhouse you describe. (Of course, one was on an airplane, so there wasn't room for mad-housing.) But you should reconsider, because photos and videos just can't possibly match the real experience. It's the difference between kissing the picture of someone you love and kissing the person. -- jb ________________________________ From: daniel turner <outwest112@yahoo.com> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 3:22 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2017 Eclipse Preview I understand that an eclipse is a very moving personal experience for those who are fortunate enough to get to one. But I fear that the social circus will overwhelm the centerline from end to end. Imagine the media hype will be much greater than for the annular and Venus transit and we can expect people driving in from all over the US and Canada. People will be driving around while looking at weather maps on their smart phones, calling and texting their friends in frantic effort to hook up with them, some even holding welding masks up to their faces as they monitor the first contact while still driving around randomly. People setting up telescopes on the side of the highway inches from the zooming panicked traffic. Add in a bunch of cattle drive tourist buses fighting for room on the shoulder and every public toilet has a line around the block leading up to it. Gas stations pumped dry. People running out of cigarettes. I think it would make a good disaster movie script. You know, I think I'll stay home and watch it on the internet, and if THAT crashes during the event there will be plenty of photo and video postings in the days that follow. DT ________________________________ From: Erik Hansen <erikhansen@thebluezone.net> To: Utah Astronomy <utah-astronomy@mailman.xmission.com> Sent: Friday, August 23, 2013 1:50 PM Subject: Re: [Utah-astronomy] 2017 Eclipse Preview
In more ways than one, with a small number renting a van may be the way to go. I think the only objection there has ever been is SLAS covering the cost. If SLAS pays the bus should be equipped with a wheelchair lift. You have fewer things to consider when you charter it outside of SLAS.
The "short bus" will work for that size crowd. ;-)
On Fri, Aug 23, 2013 at 12:51 PM, Erik Hansen <erikhansen@thebluezone.net>wrote:
Based on last year it would be more like 10 paying 4 times.
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