Snow Day Rant (From December 2008)
(I wrote this but didn't post it here, I posted it only on facebook. Here it is.)
Should I just start ranting or should I tell the story and insert the ranting at key moments? I think I will opt for the latter.
So the weather men tell us- look out Central New York (CNY)! There's a LOT of snow coming your way. I mean A LOT! Do not leave your homes unless you have to. Unfortunate that Mother Nature couldn't arrange for this to happen tomorrow when most of us don't have to work...
So anyways, the school people are like- "Close the schools! Close 'em all! Protect the children!" Meanwhile, the rest of us shrug and head off to work. And I accept this. Sure, we're supposed to get dumped on all day and into the night so I am guaranteed terrible driving conditions home but (Thank God- seriously, I am thanking Him right now) I only live 1.6 miles from work and I can make it home. I'm sure I can. So I sit at my desk and watch the massive amounts of snow falling from the sky accumulate on the ground without a care in the world because I can't leave so whatever.
But then, the unthinkable happens- we are told to leave work immediately and go home.
Here is where I begin ranting.
YOU CRAZY PEOPLE! Why on earth, ON EARTH would you force people to leave AFTER there is already a good 4-5 inches on the ground, snow so thick I could barely see the building across the parking lot and our parking lots haven't even been plowed??? And this is the part that really killed me- people started fleeing like rabbits from a flood. I mean, I saw this one woman go scurrying out into the parking lot and shimmy her way through the snow slipping and sliding all over the place. It was bizarre.
So I think to myself- no way am I driving even my little 1.6 miles in zero visibility, I'm waiting for this to lighten up. So I did. And it did a little. But considerably before I would have chosen to leave (which would have been closer to now when the snow has almost stopped) I was FORCED to leave work. "We're evacuating the site! Everyone go home!"
AGAIN! CRAZY! I had to make my way home and then get poor Joe to help me dig our way into the driveway because NO PLOWS ARE OUT YET! (Okay, there are a couple but not on any side roads).
But this is the worst and most insane part of my day.
As I am making my way home through this wretched weather, I am doing okay. Slow and steady, me and my little Saturn are driving along, hoping we miss red lights when suddenly AN OBVIOUSLY INSANE man decides to HOP OFF THE SIDEWALK IN THE PATH OF MY CAR!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP DUDE! DO YOU WANT TO DIE??? Needless to say I started tapping on my brakes like a crazy person but I'm not stopping and have to turn to avoid this possibly suicidal IDIOT. Unfortunately, when one turns in this type of weather one continues turning for an unknown amount of time. I ended up only turning about 90 degrees, which isn't bad, and since no one was around I didn't have much trouble getting going again. What I did have trouble with was RESTARTING MY FREAKING HEART since I think it might have stopped when the stupid moron stepped out into the road. What on God's green earth could possess someone to think that walking in the road is a reasonable idea??? IT'S NOT! NOT NOT NOT NOT!
Should I just start ranting or should I tell the story and insert the ranting at key moments? I think I will opt for the latter.
So the weather men tell us- look out Central New York (CNY)! There's a LOT of snow coming your way. I mean A LOT! Do not leave your homes unless you have to. Unfortunate that Mother Nature couldn't arrange for this to happen tomorrow when most of us don't have to work...
So anyways, the school people are like- "Close the schools! Close 'em all! Protect the children!" Meanwhile, the rest of us shrug and head off to work. And I accept this. Sure, we're supposed to get dumped on all day and into the night so I am guaranteed terrible driving conditions home but (Thank God- seriously, I am thanking Him right now) I only live 1.6 miles from work and I can make it home. I'm sure I can. So I sit at my desk and watch the massive amounts of snow falling from the sky accumulate on the ground without a care in the world because I can't leave so whatever.
But then, the unthinkable happens- we are told to leave work immediately and go home.
Here is where I begin ranting.
YOU CRAZY PEOPLE! Why on earth, ON EARTH would you force people to leave AFTER there is already a good 4-5 inches on the ground, snow so thick I could barely see the building across the parking lot and our parking lots haven't even been plowed??? And this is the part that really killed me- people started fleeing like rabbits from a flood. I mean, I saw this one woman go scurrying out into the parking lot and shimmy her way through the snow slipping and sliding all over the place. It was bizarre.
So I think to myself- no way am I driving even my little 1.6 miles in zero visibility, I'm waiting for this to lighten up. So I did. And it did a little. But considerably before I would have chosen to leave (which would have been closer to now when the snow has almost stopped) I was FORCED to leave work. "We're evacuating the site! Everyone go home!"
AGAIN! CRAZY! I had to make my way home and then get poor Joe to help me dig our way into the driveway because NO PLOWS ARE OUT YET! (Okay, there are a couple but not on any side roads).
But this is the worst and most insane part of my day.
As I am making my way home through this wretched weather, I am doing okay. Slow and steady, me and my little Saturn are driving along, hoping we miss red lights when suddenly AN OBVIOUSLY INSANE man decides to HOP OFF THE SIDEWALK IN THE PATH OF MY CAR!!!!!!!! HOLY CRAP DUDE! DO YOU WANT TO DIE??? Needless to say I started tapping on my brakes like a crazy person but I'm not stopping and have to turn to avoid this possibly suicidal IDIOT. Unfortunately, when one turns in this type of weather one continues turning for an unknown amount of time. I ended up only turning about 90 degrees, which isn't bad, and since no one was around I didn't have much trouble getting going again. What I did have trouble with was RESTARTING MY FREAKING HEART since I think it might have stopped when the stupid moron stepped out into the road. What on God's green earth could possess someone to think that walking in the road is a reasonable idea??? IT'S NOT! NOT NOT NOT NOT!