With the success of AMC's series, The Walking Dead, zombies continue to terrify America. They are an interesting, if unlikely, survival challenge. What if legions of putrid, rotting, zombies were shuffling towards your apartment or condominium complex? Would your complex offer any protection? Could your neighborhood defend itself? Could zombies get in and wreak havoc? Take this quiz to assess your communities readiness for a zombie horde.
Walls and Fences. If your home is your castle, your castle is only as good as the walls surrounding it. Is your complex surrounded by brick or stone walls? How about iron fencing? How about chain link fence? Give yourself 5 points for stone, 4 points for iron, 3 points for chainlink or aluminum fencing, 2 points for wooden fences, and 0 points for lawn or parking lot.
Gates. A fence isn't much good unless its coupled with a serious gate. When that moaning mass of undead humanity reaches your complex, will the be greeted by a stout, locked, iron gate or something they can push aside? Give yourself 5 points for a stout iron gate, 4 points for an imposing aluminum gate, 3 points any gate that has gaps but can be made secure with a chain and padlock, 2 points for any gate with insecure gaps, and 0 points for any complex without a gate or a simple swing arm that blocks cars. Zombies don't drive much!
Building Height. Once the shuffle onto the grounds, your next line of defense is your apartment building itself. If you live in a ground level apartment, the zombies can come scratch at your front door. If you live on a higher floor, you can see them coming and fight them at the stairs. Since zombies can't figure out elevators give yourself a point for every floor level in your building up to five.
Access Controls. Do you need a key or passcard to get in your building? If yes, give yourself a point. Do you have stout steel or wooden doors? If yes, that's another point. Do you need a key or passcard to get onto your floor? If yes, that's another point. If you live in an open garden-style building, that's a big fat zero.
Self Sufficiency. The Zombie Apocalypse won't happen in one day. It's a long, protracted, struggle to survive the near collapse of civilization. If you have a garden on your balcony give yourself five points. If your complex has a community garden, give yourself three points. Since water storage will be important, give yourself a point for every pool, lake, or creek in your complex. If your building has a guttered roof that can be re-routed to cisterns, give yourself two extra points. It's not enough just to have a pile of weapons for the Zombie Apocalypse. You need other supplies for the long haul.
Skilled Residents. A community that organizes, builds a sense of community together, and has residents with useful skills has a good chance of fighting off the hordes. You can earn up to ten points buy having the right kind of neighbors. Give yourself a point for every building maintenance person, police officer, paramedic, medical professional, military person, or hunter that you know of in the complex. Of course, your group will have to employ the right tactics to survive Zombie attacks.
Assessment: If you scored 24 points or more, you have found a good place to ride out the zombie apocalypse. If you scored 18 points or more, you may have to work to secure your complex, but you'll make it. If you scored 10 points or more, you may have a tough go of it. If you scored less than 10 points, you are zombie bait and would probably be better off living in a van down by the river. Of course, a zombie apocalypse is pretty unlikely, but if your complex is zombie proof, it is probably a pretty safe place to live.
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