Hi Mary,

I like to say, "hang out with the bread and the chips." Just about any aisle in a grocery store is safe as long as it doesn't contain glass bottles. Imagine you are in a grocery store and the big one hits. While the nut case who runs the store is yelling to his clientele to run for the doors, (the place where all of those major plate glass windows are) you are shoving the bread, or cereal or cookies off of the shelf and making a neat little safe place for yourself. You've got all the leg room you need and overhead protection as well. I wouldn't worry about the spoilage, if you don't take it off the shelves the earthquake will anyway.

In all seriousness, imagine those plate glass windows breaking and having one of them fall on you. You'd have a major injury for sure. So why go there? Not to mention, you might get run over by the customers who are listening to that guy anyway.

Did you ever wonder where the safest place in a department store is? The one in the mall where hundreds are shopping and the building shakes and they run like a herd of cattle. Well, hop over to the Zone and find out.

Petra :-)

• The Seismic Safety Zone