I live in the frozen north east of America, in a miserable land well adjusted to winter storms. We survive in snow boots and parkas. Almost every driver can tell you at least one vicious story of being trapped in their car for hours or in rare cases days as fierce storms raged outside. We get used to being trapped at jobs, friends or strangers houses, or 24-hour restaurants as we pray for the storm to blow past and the plows to free us. Our police officers have tow cables and tow trucks make a living just during the first storm alone. Snow is a way of life here. Now, all that having been said, never has a response to snowfall been as horribly mishandled as the reaction to this current blizzard.
I'll start my story by telling what I went went through last night. I've been a driver for about 3 or 4 years, and I had always been proud that I had NEVER been stuck or stranded in my car. I'm too smart to go out if its too bad out, I just elect to stay home or wait for the storm to abate. Well, yesterday I was on my two hour break between classes when I realized I had left at home, a textbook I needed for the next class. I sat for fifteen minutes debating if the snow was bad enough to risk a quick trip home and back. Yeah, quick....except my house is a forty minute drive on a GOOD day, and though I didn't know as I walked to my car, the roads I would be taking were still unplowed. Though the roads were a bit slick, visibility was fine, and I'd driven on far worse. My little neon was fine, until I turned onto my street, and my car just barely skimmed over the top of the snow. Simply, there was no way I could safely get off the road and back to school in time. Oh, and this was all around 10:30, so nice and early in the day.
We all had been warned. The news was calling for snow, and hoo boy did it come. Initial reports that I saw predicted little to no accumulation, but every report I saw agreed on one thing: the snow was coming at six. And baby, you better believe it came.
I was oblivious at work, chatting with my coworker and shelving books. Due to the odd shaping of the buildings roof, when heavy winds come, the building makes some craaaaazy sounds. So when the roof began moaning, I paid no attention and continued going on with my job. When the patrons began filing out far earlier then normal, I didn't notice. Isn't it amazing the things we don't see? What brought the gravity of the situation to my face was a simple act of kindness. I had offered to go out and brush my three coworkers cars off at 8 so that when we left at 9 we would have less time to all be out miserable. I really wish I'd had gloves.
It was awful. The moment I stepped outside I knew this wasn't going to be a good night. Mine and my coworkers cars had only been in the lot for three hours, yet every single one was covered with at least six inches of heavy, fluffy snow. And I didn't have gloves, or even proper snow boots on, and let me tell you, snow that's well past your ankles and in your sneakers isn't fun! And frostbite is just as painful and dangerous as you've been lead to believe. Every one still in the lot was trying as best as they could to dig out their cars from the unplowed lot while the wind blew stinging snow into our faces. Thankfully, our maintenance man had left in storage several shovels that we quickly handed out to those who asked for them. I was still valiantly trying to clear at least SOME of the snow from the cars, but I was losing feeling in my fingers at an alarming rate. I watched with growing unease as mini vans were spinning their tires, smaller cars like mine weren't getting anywhere, and even a pickup truck struggled feebly against the heavy drifts of snow.
My hand were getting red and I couldn't grasp my keys from my coat pocket to re-lock my car. With a shiver and a shrug I went back inside, covered head to foot in snow. My hat had a crust of snow on it and my long colorful scarf was white and heavy. I shook my gear off to dry and began to close the library up with Puppy Momma (She's my age and totally obsessed with fashion, fitness, tanning, and her Cockerpoo puppy). By 8:30 we were done tiding up and all that was left to do was fret. The Former Boss Lady and Sweet Old Lady were starting to get worked up as they stood anxiously at the windows. We watched in horrified amazement at the mess our parking lot had become. Cars on the road were skidding and sliding, we saw a accident, and once car after another got stuck. finally two Police cars arrived, and that's when things really began moving.
A few of the stragglers who were truly stuck had arranged for someone to brave the snow to rescue them, but a few kind (and helpful) people with SUVs stayed after they were freed to help pull others out. Between the two gentlemen shoveling out and directing the cars that could move, the two police officers with their tow cable, and your very favorite blogger with her replacement tow cable when the first one snapped pulling out a mini van, we got all the patrons out safely.
Now all that was left were the employees. Unfortunately, my car and Puppy Mommas cars had nothing to attach the tow cable to, and with snow covering the cars grills and inching up to the hood, it was looking bleak. I had called and asked my dad to come get me, but he had gotten stuck in the driveway and our street was a mess. One of the nice policemen offered to take me home, but since I live in a different town (FIVE FLIPPIN' MINUTES STRAIGHT DOWN THE STREET!) then where I worked and where the officer was from, he couldn't take me. I had stopped panicking once my hands thawed out (hey, one of the employees had to keep a steady head!), but I was beginning to get anxious as the snow kept falling and my car looked more and more stuck. But then God sent an angel in an SUV. Now, I know every child is trained from birth to NEVER NOT EVER get in a car with a stranger, but I did and I was fine! He lived just past my house, and once I saw he had his two toddler sons in the car I felt better about riding with him. So with a pull and a pop, all the cars were free or every driver had an alternative way home.
Gotta say, SUV=Gods gift to the snow-bound north.
SUV Guy got me safe and sound over the slick roads. We passed easily a dozen cars stranded or stuck during the five minute ride to my house. Dad and Air Force Brother were trudging their way to then end of the street to fetch me, and together we thanked SUV Guy and plodded back home. It had been an hour since we shut down early and a half an hour since we'd stared shoveling out the cars. I have to say, there was no sight more lovely then my own room with heat and dry clothes.
Snow continued to hammer the area, and to add some fun to the mix, thunder and lightning! I became quite clear that there was no way I'd make the hour long drive to campus the next day. So, with visions of snow days dancing in my head, I snuggled in bed.
3 AM rolled around and I was still awake. I checked facebook from my phone and saw two common themes in the local status updates. Themes I'd never have expected to see, let alone on the same night. People were talking about being stranded on the thruway, and snowplows getting stuck. And THAT was when my brain said "Oh snap. This is bad."
People had been stuck for hours, and little did we all know at 3AM, there were still hours ahead for them to wait. 10, 14, 20 hours people were trapped, and as I write this, there are still people stuck out there! The thruway had been open, then it was closed for most of Thursday, it reopened, only to now again, be closed. This is horrible, and people are not outraged that this has been so bungled and poorly handled, and they are totally correct! We live in a city that has extreme winters, why is this happening??
And the SNOWPLOWS! Four people in four different locations reported plows getting stuck in the snow! THAT'S new! Yeah, maybe it happens once or twice a winter, but four that I've heard of in one night seems a little, oh, BAD, don't you think?! And if the plows aren't getting stuck, in some cases, they just aren't coming. Katie's street has yet to see a single plow! We've peen plowed out three times in 24 hours but between the first and second there was easily a gap of twelve hours, so by the time they came back again there was about 16 inches in the road!
So to end my little tale, I'm staying home yet again tomorrow, and hopefully Momma and I will be able to get my car out and home. If the camera on my phone starts working anytime soon, I'll post some pictures for you all to be amazed at.
[UPDATE!] So, according to Army Brother, there were people stuck on the thruway for, you ready?
30 hours
Just let that sink in.....
yeah. In a car. With no food, no bathroom, no change of clothes, and eventually no gas for some people! Everyone is blaming everyone else for the problems, but at least they did agree on one thing. Next time a storm gets this bad, the thruway will close right away. No more of this waiting around crap, that only makes it worse.
Next person to mention anything about global warming gets punched in the face and gets to shovel out the driveway out the rest of winter.
Wow. Snow is EVIL. :O
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