Do you hunker down or hit the road in a zombie apocalypse?

The decision to flee or fight in a disaster like the zombie apocalypse is important

One of the most iconic images from The Walking Dead is the picture of Rick Grimes riding his horse into Atlanta on an empty freeway leading into the city while the freeway leading out is a parking lot. Whether it’s a natural disaster or a zombie apocalypse, the decision to flee or fight (i.e. stay home and ride it out) is an important one.

Whether it’s an alien invasion (think Independence Day) or a natural disaster (think Deep Impact), there is a very instinctive human reaction that causes us to load up our cars with supplies and try to get as far away from the threat as possible.

Unfortunately, it also seems that in the cinematic universe that decision is always a gamble that doesn’t pay off. Between traffic, panicked people on the road or simply running out of time before the threat consumes you, more often than not the roads become graveyards.

(Side note: The roads also become great places to pick up supplies because so many people packed so many useful things on their ill-fated way out)

The decision to stay home and ride it out is tricky, too. If the elements (or aliens or walkers or what have you) don’t destroy everything, there are other people to worry about. If you have stuff and other people want it, you become an instant target.

We’ve seen both examples in all three shows across The Walking Dead Universe. Morgan’s group came upon a family in season 5 that had been riding out the apocalypse from home, and it would have worked if not for the husband’s unfortunate demise. John Dorie was doing something similar in his little cabin before June came along.

Rick found his family in a caravan of survivors who had packed up and made it out before they could get stuck. When he went home he could tell Lori left in a hurry, and that people had probably been inside after they left. He was glad they didn’t stay because it wouldn’t have been safe.

There is also the matter of where you live. It’s easier to ride out a disaster from home when you don’t live in a dense area, provided that you’re stocked up on supplies. Being in the city works so long as you don’t have too many people trying to grab the same supplies you need. (Toilet paper, anyone?)

The problem is that there is no right answer. Circumstances heavily dictate what should happen, but even when the answer is clear there are always other factors to consider. Other people who want your stuff is one (think of the guy with the gun who took Tom Cruise’s car in War of the Worlds) or just getting stuck with nowhere to go (as in every disaster and alien and zombie movie you can think of).

Each decision comes with risks, so the path forward is dependent upon the options available and what makes sense in the moment. And while thinking about how you’d react in a zombie apocalypse might seem silly, consider that this could help you prepare for a real emergency by helping you to form an emergency plan that could save your life.