A Snow Treaty

This morning, unlike yesterday, the roads are obviously snow-packed and slick. I trudged down the street to catch the bus. No way I’m touching a car today! It’s only a few inches (maybe 2-3, nothing like the epic totals many of you have been coping with) but just enough to make the ride into work interesting.

The bus is sliding around nearly every corner.

What’s funny is that as deceivingly slick as the roads were yesterday morning, by afternoon, the bulk of the snow was gone. Gone, as if it had never been there at all. It was clearly mocking me. If someone had driven the same path at noon as I did yesterday morning I’m sure they’d have thought I made it all up.

Of course, I was not the only one to have traffic issues yesterday. When the police finally did arrive – nearly three hours after my unfortunate slide – the officer told me that I was his fourth traffic incident of the day and he’d only been on duty a few hours. There had been more than 30 such incidents at that point in our city already. Luckily, he said, no injuries and no serious damages. “People aren’t driving fast enough for that,” he said. “Surprisingly, they’re using their brains.”

He commiserated with me as he gave me my paperwork. “Even if you’re careful, it happens.”
I know it’s because I scoffed at the snow over the weekend. Snow that, much like yesterday’s, disappeared quickly. Only I wasn’t trying to drive in it then until after it did the disappearing act. So I scoffed at it.

No more. I give up. Snow is officially the victor this time.

Seems appropriate then that I’m waving a white flag, doesn't it?