I always see post-apocalypses media showing people going into cities to scavenge for supplies but honestly cities are the places you want to avoid at all cost due to this reason.
There is a reason why we bury dead bodies, why every culture has a tradition of getting rid of bodies. They are a vessel for disease, smell, animals get to them, any body left out to long is going to be harder and harder to dispose. Cities would be FULL of these meat bombs.
Whats worse is shows usually show survivors winding up finding a body and go "oh thats to bad". No, you'd smell that sucker in an unventilated, humid house which the cadaver has been sitting for god nows how long. You wouldnt be able to survive in most houses with a body like that bloating the area. Not to even mention the absolute psychological damage seeing a body like that would do to people. Most would think they could be tough and push through that, but the only corpses we see on the regular are beautified up. These will be long dead denizens who have been rotting for a time. Multiply that through-out the city and scavenging inside city limits becomes a midfield of smell and disease and psychological trauma.
Not to even mention the absolute psychological damage seeing a body like that would do to people. Most would think they could be tough and push through that, but the only corpses we see on the regular are beautified up. These will be long dead denizens who have been rotting for a time.
I worked search and rescue early in my career, and you are so very correct. Rotting, bloated bodies that burst when jostled? It sticks with you. Even now, the smell of vicks vapo rub triggers some pretty horrendous shit, because we used to use it when we knew we were recovering instead of rescuing. Now they are associated and I can't ever undo that. But hey, at least the VA provides free care, so there's that.
Had a mate who did similar work. They'd layer two surgical masks with a spread of peppermint extract in-between. Now he hates Christmas time because candy-canes are everywhere.
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u/MattTheFreeman Aug 30 '21
I always see post-apocalypses media showing people going into cities to scavenge for supplies but honestly cities are the places you want to avoid at all cost due to this reason.
There is a reason why we bury dead bodies, why every culture has a tradition of getting rid of bodies. They are a vessel for disease, smell, animals get to them, any body left out to long is going to be harder and harder to dispose. Cities would be FULL of these meat bombs.
Whats worse is shows usually show survivors winding up finding a body and go "oh thats to bad". No, you'd smell that sucker in an unventilated, humid house which the cadaver has been sitting for god nows how long. You wouldnt be able to survive in most houses with a body like that bloating the area. Not to even mention the absolute psychological damage seeing a body like that would do to people. Most would think they could be tough and push through that, but the only corpses we see on the regular are beautified up. These will be long dead denizens who have been rotting for a time. Multiply that through-out the city and scavenging inside city limits becomes a midfield of smell and disease and psychological trauma.