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Shake, Rattle, and Roll

driving during an earthquake
Posted July 30 2008 05:36 PM by CHP John 
Filed under: Miscellaneous, General Chevy Talk

Some felt the shake, some didn't. Why?


For at least a couple of days here in So Cal, the talk has been all about yesterday’s 5.4-magnitude earthquake rather than our lower but still well over $4 a gallon gas prices. We get pretty blasé about earthquakes out here—they have to pack some punch to distract us from our daily routine. This one did just that, as it was the biggest shaker we’ve had in over a decade. Thankfully, property damage was light, and I have yet to hear of any injuries. Here on the 8th floor of the Petersen building just west of downtown L.A., we got quite a ride. The building definitely did a little shake, rattle and roll for us—enough to get everyone on their feet thinking about an exit, even us So Cal quake veterans. But here’s what I find interesting: Since then, I’ve talked to at least two people who told me they were driving in their cars during the earthquake and didn’t feel a thing. Now I’m no scientist, but that seems a bit strange to me. If the earth is shaking and a vehicle is touching the earth, wouldn’t the vehicle shake as well? I'm perfectly willing to write Mythbusters and ask them to test this one out--I'm guessing it would be entertaining-- but maybe one of you can explain it to me first.

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