How Snow and Ice Bring Out the Birds

As I looked out the window, I saw a good 4" of fresh snow and it was still falling at a pretty good clip. School closed. The forecast said sleet and freezing rain to start around lunch time and continue through the day. Great.

My mind raced between "Do I go into work or do I stay home?" My husband had a commitment already that he could not get out of and who knew how long he would be. I just took a whole day off last week for a snow day. What I really wanted to do was stay home, but I felt torn with the feeling of obligation to go into work. I decided to brave it and go in for half a day.

I hate, and I do mean H-A-T-E to drive in bad weather. I seem to instantly turn 190 years old. I'm sure that is what it felt like this morning to the Conga Line of drivers that trailed behind me as I inched my way down the road. I could almost feel them shaking their fists at me in frustration. I don't care. I will drive 5 mph, white knuckles and all for as long as I have to.

Listen up drivers in bad weather: I will get there when I get there...no need to risk my life or yours. Why are you in such a big hurry, tailgating Mr. Dodge Durango guy? I see you have fallen into the ‘false sense of security’ pool, swimming with the belief that because you drive a SUV, you can travel faster than the posted speed limit in Winter Storm WARNING weather. Boy that just irks me.

Ice is ice, Baby.

No way around it, 4WD or not, nothing gets traction on ice. Yet, owners of the SUV seem to feel invincible of this phenomenon. I've seen time and time again, drivers who get frustrated, peel out from behind a slow moving vehicle and within seconds, begin to fishtail, lose control and find themselves in a ditch, the median or god forbid wrapped around a tree. All because of a lack of patience.

So, after a half day of work, I saw that my trip home would be just as welcomed as the commute was in the morning. As I waited for traffic to pass, I saw yet another SUV coming down the road. I thought I had enough time to pull out, since the car would have to slow down to go around the slight curve in the road- you know, because of the good 3 inches of icy slush on the road. I will point out that there was also pa-l-enty of time to take the foot off the gas Mr. Nissan Pathfinder man. But, instead, decided to slide through the turn and get right on my bumper. My guess was so that I could have a nice clear view of the bird he was flipping me against his windshield. I also saw that he had a Handicapped tag hanging from his rear view mirror. I guess his handicap was NOT with his hand.

Seems it may have been his snowy travel decision making.

Then again, who am I to say how one should drive. I guess I should just send out this warning for all on the road.

Keep your flippin’ snow-birds to yourself, sonny, because I will be taking my sweet old time to get to my destination.

How do you feel about driving in bad weather? Do you drive as slow as molasses too?
 
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Drivers Ed FAIL

I am a patient person....but that patience can be tested at times as I go from point A to point B. So to ward off the the "What are you doing?!" and the "Where did you get your license, a Cracker Jack Box?" comments to fellow drivers I may take up teaching Driver's Ed refresher courses.

If I were a Drivers Ed instructor, the following points would be on my clipboard:

DON'T ride the tail of car in front of you traveling in the center lane when it is apparent they cannot move left or right to get out of your way. Flashing your high beams is not recommended.

DO: Merge into traffic when seeing the sign stating that RIGHT LANE MERGES 1/2 mile AHEAD. This means that you should move now. Not in the last meter of the cones. No one will want to let you in. No one like a line-butt-er.

DON'T: Travel 10 miles per hour under the posted speed limit, unless you are a cute 90 year old lady/man.

DO: Use your turn signal when you want to turn. No one is a mind reader.

DON'T: Stop while yielding onto the highway. It's just plain dangerous.

DO: Give a wave of Thanks when someone lets you into the flow of traffic after you have been sitting and waiting. It's just a nice thing to do.

DO: Be sure to have all makeup applied BEFORE you leave the house, unless you are a passenger, then car application is perfectly ok.

DON'T block an intersection while trying to make the yellow light. If your car length will not fit, wait for the next light cycle. It's only a few seconds...you can handle it!

Anything you would like to add to my clipboard???