If you got sent back in time...

[RoJoHen]

Here are the rules:

1) All you have are the clothes on your back. No ID, no money, nothing.

2) You're not coming back. Wherever/whenever you end up is where you will live out the rest of your days.

3) It must be at least 50 years prior to your birth.

4) No investing in the stock market. That's not fair.


Where/when would you like to live? Where do you think you could best find a job and make a living? Would you go back to a time time before money even existed?

Feel free to be as elaborate as you want.

 

[Mr. B]

It might be fun to go back 150 years, stay here in New Orleans, "invent" air conditioning and become the richest man in town.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Going back 50 years for me would be 1912, just before WW1 and he influenza pandemic. One easy route would be to become the greatest clairvoyant who ever lived. A few well placed "predictions" would get people coming to you. Point out some smart stock investments to others and get paid well for your vision as you build up a winning record.

Work on a commission, say 10% of any earnings after a set amount of time.

You could also invent a few items just as the need arises.

 

[Zulu Romeo]

20,000 years, BC.

Me like mammoth.

 

[Finn]

It might be fun to go back 150 years, stay here in New Orleans, "invent" air conditioning and become the richest man in town.

during the civil war?

 

[RoJoHen]

Yeah, try to think of all the variables that would accompany whatever time you choose. I'm still trying to figure this out myself.

 

[Jadzia]

I'd be tempted to say 50 years before my birth, as I could then hopefully spend the later years of my life enjoying the 1970s and 1980s.

I would also get to see WW2, so I would see what life was really like for people through those years. It would also be interesting to get a first hand perspective from other politically active countries, like Germany and Soviet Russia. Although I don't suppose I'd have much freedom to roam, and I'd have no legal identity in that time.

But each century of history has some curiosities that might be nice to witness first hand: the growth of industry in the 1800s; the exploring and campaigns and empire building in the 1700s; the arts and science of the 1600s, etc ... but none of those sound as appealing as the 20th century.

 

[Mr. B]

It might be fun to go back 150 years, stay here in New Orleans, "invent" air conditioning and become the richest man in town.

during the civil war?

The Fall of New Orleans in the Civil War did not actually involve battle or widespread destruction of the city. The Union occupation of the city was largely uneventful although martial law was imposed.

 

[Snaploud]

4) No investing in the stock market. That's not fair.

What about betting on major events...? Or is that also cheating...? Give us something. I don't want to travel all the way back in time and not get to be rich.

I would probably latch myself onto some rising politicians. It might be fun. Maybe I could fiddle a bit with some historic legislation...

 

[tharpdevenport]

Here are the rules:


4) No investing in the stock market. That's not fair.

Okay. then I'll become really, really, REALLY good friends with Bill Gates before he takes off, and get myself a cozy job in Microsoft. And then decades from then, armed with the numbers of the last lottery winning I saw before I left, I would play, win, and tell Gates to go suck it and live happily ever after.

 

[RoJoHen]

4) No investing in the stock market. That's not fair.

What about betting on major events...? Or is that also cheating...? Give us something. I don't want to travel all the way back in time and not get to be rich.

No. We're not changing history here. I just want to figure out which time period you think you'd be best suited for.

 

[Mr. B]

And then decades from then, armed with the numbers of the last lottery winning I saw before I left, I would play, win, and tell Gates to go suck it and live happily ever after.

That company has bred many millionaires. You probably wouldn't have to wait that long.

 

[tharpdevenport]

He's a little population needs to be smaller and I need the government to bring in more foreign people to do Microsoft jobs, even though studies show the U.S. has the qaulified people to do them shithead -- I don't want to have his money forever. And what money I got left of his, I will donate to his competitor afterward.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

You know lately I have been thinking about this from a different perspective. If you were suddenly thrust back in time, any time, would you actually have any advantage over the people currently living there. I mean we all like to think of ourselves and so advanced and beyond people in the past, but what could you actually do if you were thrown back to ancient Rome to show yourself as more advanced(putting aside the fact that most of us don't speak Latin which would earmark us for slavery). Is there anything currently you actually have enough knowledge about to "invent"? I am thinking I'd have to be thrown back to an English speaking place where I could predict something or I am toast.

 

[sojourner]

^English more than 300 years ago would sound like a foreign language.

As for the original question, if given time to prepare before the time travel takes place, and discounting the language issues. I would memorize locations where large treasures had been found in current times. Go back in time and dig them up ahead of time.

Safest place/time to go back to? Maybe 1800's England? Fairly civilized, not bad if you have the aforementioned money.

Most every other time period would be rather dangerous to a modern person to try and live in. Diseases, wars, poor hygiene, general eye for an eye bloodthirstiness. No thanks.

 

[Snaploud]

Honestly, I would probably be completely screwed in any past era (especially if I can't play the stock market), but I'll choose the closest time-frame to now. That would be 1960. I'll try to get some entry-level work in the Kennedy campaign and work from there... The first primary would still be a month away, so I would have just enough time to get going.

That would give me a chance to meet a lot of interesting people. I would probably have to play the rest of my time "by ear." It's not as if you can be very choosy without money or identification.

 

[Lookingglassman]

I'll go back in time to when my mom was a little girl so I can kick her in the butt for all those whooping she gave me with an extension chord.

 

[Snaploud]

I'll go back in time to when my mom was a little girl so I can kick her in the butt for all those whooping she gave me with an extension chord.

...thereby changing your mother's past and preventing you from being born....That's when the universe pops out of existence and is replaced with a dancing banana.

Honestly, it would be a lot more fun if I could do some advanced planning. Otherwise, you're just a fish out of water.

 

[RoJoHen]

but I'll choose the closest time-frame to now. That would be 1960.

Not allowed, unless you were born this year.

 

[Lookingglassman]

Snapaloud, I would tell her who I was. All she would know is some guy ran up behind her and kicked her in the butt.