I think the biggest frustration with those trapped in New Orleans is that it appears that so few who are able have done anything to better their own situation as well as that of those around them. Finally, word is starting to break about a few individuals who have taken action:

Several school buses were stolen from Orleans Parish, loaded with storm victims and driven out of New Orleans toward Houston in desperate acts to leave the ravaged city, according to reports.
Three school buses were stopped Thursday night in Port Allen, La., just west of Baton Rouge after they were stolen, according to WBRZ-TV in Baton Rouge. The evacuees were placed on other buses and transferred to shelters in Texas.
An 18-year-old also decided to take matters into his own hands and stole an abandoned city school bus and drove storm victims to Texas, according to a CNN report.
The teen driver, Jabbar Gibson, 18, said he had never driven a bus before but wanted to save people.
"If it wasn't for him, we'd still be in New Orleans on the Gulf," bus passenger Randy Nathan said. "He got the bus for us."

If things had been done properly, all the buses in the region would have been used on Saturday and Sunday to get people out of town. With a little forethought, it would also have been possible to save the local buses on Monday, before they were claimed by the rising floodwaters. Instead we are left with images like this one, which will be never be forgotten:

Which is why I find this young man a hero, and take exception to the assertion that the young man stole the bus. Prior to the hurricane, the city reminded the public that they reserved the right to commandeer private property and vehicles in order to respond to the emergency. If a city official had done the same thing (and not one did), it would not be considered stealing. That someone actually demonstrated a bit of leadership and saved lives doing the very same action should also not be construed as a crime. But we shall see:

Authorities allowed the renegade passengers inside the Astrodome but Gibson could find himself in trouble after taking the school bus.

I pray that I, or someone like me, is on the jury.