When the Texas Department of Transportation, Texas Department of Public Safety, The National Weather Service, mulitple law enforcement agencies and the media tell you to stay home because of inclement weather and icy road conditions, why do you not listen? Furthermore, why do you choose to go shopping at the grocery store? For those of you who work in retail, I understand why you had to work - because every working stiff with a 9-5 who did not have to go to work wants to come to your place of employment (after you were pretty muched forced by your supervisor to brave the weather) and give you crap. I work in Pflugerville and live in Kyle (which is a blog for another day). On one of the icy days this week, even I knew better to stay home. Why? Because I refused to go ice-skating in my pickup when there were over 200 accidents and EMS calls. Let me share with you some of the orders that I saw at my store this week, though.
1. 1 container of sour cream.
2. Beer, beer and more beer.
3. 1 half-gallon of ice-cream.
4. 1 bottle of Paris Hilton for men.
5. A CHI iron.
6. A magazine and a coke.
7. Frozen dinners - your power is going to be the first thing that goes out.
These are just a few examples. Was it really worth your life? How about your family's life? I saw people who packed up their entire families just to go to the store and buy a lottery ticket. Do you really need some unfortunate, horrific ordeal to teach you a simple lesson? Maybe you can ask the families who lost a loved-one that day. Maybe you should drive through Buda and inspect the remains of a violent and uneccessary accident that occurred on I-35 Tuesday. Next time you're told by the multitude of experts to stay home, I suggest you do it.
Now, for those of you who have to travel in this weather (retail slaves, public service employees, emergency staff) - let me give you a few suggestions.
1. Stay home.
2. De-ice your car - all of it. Visibility is important. You need to see (windshields) and people need to see you (ligths / markers). Plus, when you're on the road, Bernoulli's principle will quickly cause sheets of ice to lift off of your car, endangering other motorists.
3. Allow your car to fully warm-up. Not only will this make you more comfortable (because the last thing you need to focus on is how cold you are, etc.) but it will allow various mechanical systems such as your brakes, suspension and steering to thaw out - maximizing their perfomance.
4. Turn 4X4 on. This does not make you invincible, but it is nice to have your drive-train planted at 4 points intstead of 1 or 2.
5. Turn Overdrive off. The last thing you want is the computer jerking gears around when your traction is limited.
6. Slow down - It is not the Indy 500. A good speed is 35-40 mph. Take ramps and overpasses around 15-20 mph.
7. Do not tailgate. Leave some space around you. Other cars can spin 180 degrees before you have a chance to react - and yes, they'll probably still have their foot on the accelerator and head straight towards you.
8. Do not talk on your phone. Yes, I saw this; and then I saw them lose control. If you really need to talk, get a headset or pull over.
All of this sounds pretty trivial and logical, doesn't it? Yet, people continue to amaze me. I guess that's why we have the Darwin awards...
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