Saturday, May 06, 2006

The stars in the two-star hotel

When you're trapped a kilometre under ground, how long can you hold your nerve? Has everyone in the country imagined themselves in the miners' place and wondered how, or whether, they would get through it?

Will these two be mates for life or will they never want to see each other again?

The people who believe in prayer are praying, and the rest of us are wondering whether the force of collective will could possibly make any difference to what happens.

'If everything goes to plan,' says the Age this morning, 'the miners are expected to be free from their entrapment this afternoon and above ground four hours later, when machinery is cleared from their path.'

6 comments:

geoff said...

Having worked underground in a mine it is my opinion that what the guys trapped will actually not change that much. It is simply that their plight has brought this unusual world to the forefront of attention. A place where most people never go. There are workplace incidents that happen in mines every day that would amaze the general public. To miners its is just another day at work. Being trapped for a week is most definately out of the ordinary though.

Matthew da Silva said...

I agree with geoff. There's nothing extraordinary with being cooped up in a meter-square box. It's just gone on for longer than usual. Their joke however is a riot.

JahTeh said...

With all the machinery they have available, it still comes down to a pair of hands and a pick.

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

And now the picks aren't working either. Not even the jackhammers are working -- 'Like throwing tissues at the rock.' They are now drilling holes and putting 'light' explosives in them to crack the rock. And the place has claimed a second victim with Richard Carleton's death this afternoon in the middle of a press conference.

comicstriphero said...

Will these two be mates for life or will they never want to see each other again?

I guess it will depend on how bad their farts were.

Always tests the friendship, I reckon.

(PS Toilet humour is a valid reaction to a confronting situation)

Ampersand Duck said...

Apparently there has been more than a fair share of toilet humour down there... especially when they had to give each other a sponge bath.