Diehards carry on drinking as Ivan closes on New Orleans

[DS1]

As Hurricane Ivan tore across the Gulf of Mexico towards them, the inhabitants of America's most notoriously hedonistic town did one of two things. The majority obeyed a mandatory evacuation order, leaving behind them a ghost city of boarded-up windows and sandbagged shopfronts. The rest got drunk.
Bourbon Street, the fabled main drag of the New Orleans' French Quarter, remained a tiny oasis of intoxication as the first gusts of wind began to disturb the languid heat. Stubborn residents and stranded tourists strolled the cobble-stones - drinks in hand, thanks to an unusual bylaw - and tried not to think about the storm that has already devastated Grenada and parts of Jamaica, and prompted states of emergency in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.

"We don't run from hurricanes - we drink them," read one sign daubed on plywood, referring to the rum-and-lime cocktail that most bars were dispensing at a dollar a glass.

At the Razzoo Club, on Bourbon, the festivities were in full swing by Tuesday night, the partygoers placing their faith in a combination of God and alcohol.

more...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/naturaldisasters/story/0,7369,1305368,00.html

These stupid bastards are putting rescue services at risk, I say let them rot -except the homeless and stranded monks :7

[yardwork]

1. People did this before Camille

and many of them drowned.

[pfitz59]

2. Bypassing New Orleans.........

Heading straight for Mobile! Party 0n!!!!!!!!!!

[NEOBuckeye]

3. Fools

Guess they'll just have to learn the hard way.

[AndyTiedye]

6. I Wish Them (and New Orleans) The Best of Luck

May they only have the drinkable kind of hurricanes on Bourbon Street!

[Endangered Specie]

7. Paging Dr. Darwin, Dr. Darwin, you have patients waiting.

[shockingelk]

4. happens every time

I've been to a few hurricane parties in Wilmington, NC

[jdj]

5. Nawlins ain't gonna get it.

I heard during Hugo or Floyd there was some guy that wrecked his house completely before the storm hit, just for fun, chopped up all his furniture, etc, and then at the last minute, the storm turned, and didn't hit him.

I don't know if this is just an urban legend or what, but it is funny

[jackieforthedems]

8. Sounds Similar To What Happened On The Titanic

prior to it sinking.

[jackieforthedems]

9. Sounds Similar To What Happened On The Titanic

prior to it sinking. Party like it's 1999!!!

[sr_pacifica]

10. This is the deal...

you can't drink to your heart's content in a shelter and my guess is that would just be too hard on these poor alcoholic souls.

[uncle ray]

11. i'm sure many had no choice but to ride it out

and if i had no choice but to have to stay, be it for work or whatever, the hell if i'd ride it out sober, and i'm far from a heavy drinker. sure there's some thriss seekers, but we don't know everybody's story. i was listening to npr today, they interviewed a store owner, said he sold more beer than gas today, he stayed to keep his store open until it was too late for him to leave, for people preparing for the storm he said specifically, god forbid he tie one on tonight to help the hours pass. he better not even THINK about having sex with his wife either.