--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: On a sub, you know, there's no place for…" description: "\"“On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain to. The survivors claimed that the blood was knee-deep all through the submarine.”\" — Neal St..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png" --- # On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain… ![“On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain to. The survivors claimed that the blood was knee-deep all through the submarine.” quote by Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png) > ““On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain to. The survivors claimed that the blood was knee-deep all through the submarine.”” [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In a submarine, there’s no place for waste to escape, leading to a dire, blood‑filled environment. **In simple terms:** Submarines trap waste, causing dangerous conditions. Key Takeaway Design better waste systems for confined spaces. Themes engineering survival environment Mood tense dramatic Type narrative warning When to use this quote - military missions - underwater exploration - disaster scenarios Key Concepts submarine design hazard management Questions to Reflect On - How can waste be safely managed underwater? - What protocols prevent such catastrophes? A Different Perspective Complex systems may fail under extreme stress. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Submarine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submarine/) ## Related quotes > [Move away from the things that drain you and move toward those things that empower and fulfill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/move-away-from-the-things-that-drain-you-and-move-toward-those-things/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Avoiding things that drain you is more important than gaining energy.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-lenz/avoiding-things-that-drain-you-is-more-important-than-gaining-energy/) [Frederick Lenz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-lenz/) > [“Something bashed against the submarine with such a tremendous force that the vessel rocked violently from side to side, throwing people back and forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-f-wilson/something-bashed-against-the-submarine-with-such-a-tremendous-force/) [Dean F. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-f-wilson/) > [Like the destroyer, the submarine has created its own type of officer and man with language and traditions apart from the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/like-the-destroyer-the-submarine-has-created-its-own-type-of-officer/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [It was not easy victory in the America Cup. Our boys spent years experimenting with different designs for their boat before they came up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/it-was-not-easy-victory-in-the-america-cup-our-boys-spent-years/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [After the situation with Kursk submarine, I started looking at Mr. Berezovsky in a completely different way. For me, it was a turning point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-abramovich/after-the-situation-with-kursk-submarine-i-started-looking-at-mr/) [Roman Abramovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-abramovich/) > [The submarine genre is a category with all its own rules. But shooting on water is famously tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-submarine-genre-is-a-category-with-all-its-own-rules-but-shooting/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [I worked on anti-submarine warfare for surface ships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-johnson/i-worked-on-anti-submarine-warfare-for-surface-ships/) [Peggy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-johnson/) > [For me 'Submarine', is probably one of the most important things I've done and it will always remain the closest thing to my heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-paige/for-me-submarine-is-probably-one-of-the-most-important-things-i-ve/) [Yasmin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-paige/) > [“I tell my parents I'm going out for pudding. They think this might be a nickname for heroin.Mum makes the international face for 'is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-tell-my-parents-i-m-going-out-for-pudding-they-think-this-might-be/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [In the Arctic I met some Russian sailors on a submarine and they chorused, "Gordon's alive!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-blessed/in-the-arctic-i-met-some-russian-sailors-on-a-submarine-and-they/) [Brian Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-blessed/) > [ To work with Richard \[Ayoade\] is my favourite thing in the world. He is my favourite person. So, it was great for me to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-paige/to-work-with-richard-ayoade-is-my-favourite-thing-in-the-world-he-is/) [Yasmin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-paige/) > [In the long course of history, having people who understand your thought is much greater security than another submarine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/in-the-long-course-of-history-having-people-who-understand-your/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [“The dangers of the sea should always take precedence over the violence of the enemy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bryant/the-dangers-of-the-sea-should-always-take-precedence-over-the/) Ben Bryant > [When you look at almost every submarine movie, to some degree or another, there's this 'Moby Dick' element, this Ahab element to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-you-look-at-almost-every-submarine-movie-to-some-degree-or/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) ## More by Neal Stephenson > [“I study dead languages for a living,” I said. “That’s why you hired me. Why should I be up to speed on your line…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/i-study-dead-languages-for-a-living-i-said-that-s-why-you-hired-me/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Other people - store clerks, burger flippers, software engineers, the whole vocabulary of meaningless jobs that make up Life in America - other people…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/other-people-store-clerks-burger-flippers-software-engineers-the/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“It is what you don’t expect,” he’d said, “that most needs looking for.” “Do”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/it-is-what-you-don-t-expect-he-d-said-that-most-needs-looking-for-do/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“...the insects here see you as a big slab of animated but not very well defended food. The ability to move, far from being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-insects-here-see-you-as-a-big-slab-of-animated-but-not-very-well/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“There was no way that these guys were going to let a bleeding, barefoot woman simply wander off alone into the streets. Two of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/there-was-no-way-that-these-guys-were-going-to-let-a-bleeding/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Space and Time! Two minor omissions that no one is likely to notice," grumbled Newton.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/space-and-time-two-minor-omissions-that-no-one-is-likely-to-notice/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [See, the world is full of things more powerful than us. But if you know how to catch a ride, you can go places,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/see-the-world-is-full-of-things-more-powerful-than-us-but-if-you-know/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Hey,” Shaftoe says, “if we surrender to you, you’ll kill us. Right?” “Yes.” “If you guys surrender to us, we won’t kill you. Promise.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/hey-shaftoe-says-if-we-surrender-to-you-you-ll-kill-us-right-yes-if/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“My men think you are dead now, and won’t waste balls on you,” Jack said. “In fact I have let you live, but for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/my-men-think-you-are-dead-now-and-won-t-waste-balls-on-you-jack-said/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“You’ve probably heard the expression that the Industry feeds off of biomass, like a whale straining krill from the ocean.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/you-ve-probably-heard-the-expression-that-the-industry-feeds-off-of/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“The Deliverator belongs to an elite order, a hallowed subcategory. He’s got esprit up to here. Right now, he is preparing to carry out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/the-deliverator-belongs-to-an-elite-order-a-hallowed-subcategory-he-s/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [Interesting things happen along borders - transitions - not in the middle where everything is the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/interesting-things-happen-along-borders-transitions-not-in-the-middle/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“and people could only make sense of complicated matters through stories. Likewise”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/and-people-could-only-make-sense-of-complicated-matters-through/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“Van Eck phreaking,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/van-eck-phreaking/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) > [“When the Deliverator puts the hammer down, shit happens.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/when-the-deliverator-puts-the-hammer-down-shit-happens/) [Neal Stephenson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) [Explore all 633 Neal Stephenson quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/) ## More Submarine quotes > [“I tell my parents I'm going out for pudding. They think this might be a nickname for heroin.Mum makes the international face for 'is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-dunthorne/i-tell-my-parents-i-m-going-out-for-pudding-they-think-this-might-be/) [Joe Dunthorne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-dunthorne/) > [“Something bashed against the submarine with such a tremendous force that the vessel rocked violently from side to side, throwing people back and forth.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dean-f-wilson/something-bashed-against-the-submarine-with-such-a-tremendous-force/) [Dean F. Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dean-f-wilson/) > [“The dangers of the sea should always take precedence over the violence of the enemy”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-bryant/the-dangers-of-the-sea-should-always-take-precedence-over-the/) Ben Bryant > [In the long course of history, having people who understand your thought is much greater security than another submarine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-william-fulbright/in-the-long-course-of-history-having-people-who-understand-your/) [J. William Fulbright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-william-fulbright/) > [ To work with Richard \[Ayoade\] is my favourite thing in the world. He is my favourite person. So, it was great for me to… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-paige/to-work-with-richard-ayoade-is-my-favourite-thing-in-the-world-he-is/) [Yasmin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-paige/) > [In the Arctic I met some Russian sailors on a submarine and they chorused, "Gordon's alive!"](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-blessed/in-the-arctic-i-met-some-russian-sailors-on-a-submarine-and-they/) [Brian Blessed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-blessed/) > [When you look at almost every submarine movie, to some degree or another, there's this 'Moby Dick' element, this Ahab element to them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/when-you-look-at-almost-every-submarine-movie-to-some-degree-or/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [For me 'Submarine', is probably one of the most important things I've done and it will always remain the closest thing to my heart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yasmin-paige/for-me-submarine-is-probably-one-of-the-most-important-things-i-ve/) [Yasmin Paige](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yasmin-paige/) > [I worked on anti-submarine warfare for surface ships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peggy-johnson/i-worked-on-anti-submarine-warfare-for-surface-ships/) [Peggy Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peggy-johnson/) > [The submarine genre is a category with all its own rules. But shooting on water is famously tough.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-macdonald/the-submarine-genre-is-a-category-with-all-its-own-rules-but-shooting/) [Kevin Macdonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-macdonald/) > [After the situation with Kursk submarine, I started looking at Mr. Berezovsky in a completely different way. For me, it was a turning point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-abramovich/after-the-situation-with-kursk-submarine-i-started-looking-at-mr/) [Roman Abramovich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-abramovich/) > [It was not easy victory in the America Cup. Our boys spent years experimenting with different designs for their boat before they came up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/it-was-not-easy-victory-in-the-america-cup-our-boys-spent-years/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) > [Like the destroyer, the submarine has created its own type of officer and man with language and traditions apart from the rest of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rudyard-kipling/like-the-destroyer-the-submarine-has-created-its-own-type-of-officer/) [Rudyard Kipling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rudyard-kipling/) > [Marriage, like a submarine, is only safe if you get all the way inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-pittman/marriage-like-a-submarine-is-only-safe-if-you-get-all-the-way-inside/) [Frank Pittman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-pittman/) > [It was a civilian ship, and the Lusitania could outrun any submarine. So this population of people was very confident that Cunard and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-larson/it-was-a-civilian-ship-and-the-lusitania-could-outrun-any-submarine/) [Erik Larson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-larson/) [Browse all 77 Submarine quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/submarine/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain to. The survivors claimed that the blood was knee-deep all through the submarine.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Neal Stephenson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-things-to-drain-to-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Submarine" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-things-to-drain-to-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a93/neal-stephenson-362_submarine_on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-t_272589.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“On a sub, you know, there's no place for things to drain to. The survivors claimed that the blood was…” — Neal Stephenson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Neal Stephenson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-stephenson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“On a sub, you know, there's...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-things-to-drain-to-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-stephenson/on-a-sub-you-know-there-s-no-place-for-things-to-drain-to-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```