a cynical winter's day

I rolled the dice and drove to work today.

The seers are predicting another 2"-10" of snow over the next 24-36 hours, depending on who you listen to and where you live.

[rant/]This is one of the shitty things about living in the city and working in the burbs*. While the city may get a couple inches to dig out from, my office will get 5".

While the main arteries in Chicago may be clean as a whistle, the burbs can end up looking more like the side streets that get one plow per month.

And while there is a public transportation option to my office, it includes a bus, a train and yet another bus (which only runs 6 times a day. You heard me.) So, you can't run late, the bus can't run late and the train can't run late. Which is what happened on Friday. (No train.)

As I listen to some friends who rarely (if ever) leave the city proper claim, "it's not that bad," when the seers predict a few additional inches or back-to-back storms, I want to knock folks (who dismiss the weather) into a snowbank and give them an old fashioned winter swirly.

They haven't spent 2-3 hours quality time in an auto on icy slick, unsalted, unplowed roads, after which spend an additional 20-30 minutes (or more) trying to find a parking space.

To those who do not drive outside of city and/or do not own a car, I say, STFU about the snow.

And yes. It is my choice to own a car.
It is my choice to work outside of the city.
It is my choice not to take public trans (even if the freaking train is over an hour late.)

Yes. I screw myself with these choices.
You're absolutely correct.
Now...STFU. [/rant]

Needed to purge. Apologies. We're already having one of the wettest years (rain/snow combined) and one of the coldest, snowiest winters on record. Which is great if you're 9 and get a snow day, but sucks if you're 39 and are working in a f'ed up economy.

What I started to write about was my drive in this morning.

I dug out my car back on Friday when the snow fell. Then the temp dropped to sub zero averages and everything froze (we're talking single degree temps with -33 wind chill.) As I tried to drive out of the now solid ruts of ice my car was trapped by, my wheels spun round and round. Much like the famous bus.

I tried rocking it. I tried to shovel additional snow/ice out of the way. I got the barest hint of traction and progress...and then got stuck ON the icy rut. Joy.

All the while, a car sat patiently behind me, like a vulture, waiting to pull into the space I was to vacate.

After about ten minutes of me in and out of the car...and perhaps coming to the conclusion that the girl with orange scarf was S-T-U-C-K....the waiting driver finally got out and offered to help.

Granted, it was equally for his benefit. The sooner I was gone, the sooner he could park...in the sweet, shoveled out (but icy) spot I had to offer.**

After pushing didn't work, he did try something with my shovel, which gave me just enough traction to rock myself out. It took another few minutes, but I finally got farther up on the rut to let physics work it's magic and I got out of the space.

I said "thank you very much" and "Merry Christmas" and tried not to think about finding a new spot when I get home tonight as I pulled away.

Please Baby Jesus, Let there be many people who are leaving/driving to a holiday destination and will leave plenty of parking spots for the rest of us jerks. Thank, ye.

So, yeah. The guy helped me, but only after getting tired of watching me muck around for a good 10 minutes or more. And yeah, there was NO WAY I was getting out of there without some kind of assistance.

I think it was 55% good deed, 45% selfish act.

So, part of me wants to be all, "The city is such a bastion of good will!" and the other part is like, "Hell, if I wanted the [bleeping] parking spot, I'd [bleeeping] get out and push [bleeping] too!"




*I just got a call from an office in Bolingbrook (about 45 min south of my office) that closed down due to the snow falling. I was told, "We can't even open our front door. We're sending everyone home now, before it gets worse."

**I'm one of those folks who is not a fan of the "crappy lawn chair marks my spot." I believe that if you own a car, and plan on moving it from Nov-Mar...and it snows? You should dig out the spot around your car. Not just drive away. Not half ass it. If everyone dug out, we'd all have parking.
Call me a commie, but that's what I believe. So, even if I'm the only one on my block who does it? Sure, maybe I'm a sucker. But I'm a sucker with a clear conscience.

I believe that, much like voting, if you don't shovel, you can't bitch.