Interesting ripples from Katrina

[dvandom]

One of the front page stories in the local paper today is about how a traffic signal downtown is broken, and won't be fixed for months because of Katrina. It's not that a major traffic signal maker is in the strike zone of the hurricane...it's more interesting than that.

Stoplight manufacturing is fairly predictable, all in all. You need X new units per year for new developments Y units per year for repairs due to accidents, storms, and simple wearing out. And while the manufacturers have some ability to increase capacity, Katrina has overwhelmed that and then some. Priority is being given to replacing all the destroyed signals on the Gulf Coast, so any lower priority signals are just going to have to wait a few months. Trained personnel are also at a premium, so you won't see parts simply shifted from really low priority lights to low priority ones.

Ripples. I wonder what ripples we'll see next, or if we'll even recognize them when we do see 'em?

Comments

[z-gryphon.livejournal.com]

Cynical type that I am, I have to wonder how many such ripples are even true, and how many are creative PR wonks at these companies going, "Why can't we get off our asses and fix your light before next June? Well, ummmm... it was the storm! Yeah, that's it, that's the ticket... the storm. You don't want to question that too closely, do you? You'd seem horribly insensitive to all those poor people who got caught up in the storm and its terrible aftermath."

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Eh, I'm willing to take it at face value in this case, at least. Seriously, it's not like you normally need to replace the stoplights for several entire cities at once. Even after a major sports win and its attendant riots. :)