Monday Musings...
And what a wonderfully COLD Monday it is in the Heartland of my ghettohood.
We've been "enjoying" those marvelous "lake-effect snowshowers" for the last TWO days, with at least another day of it (joy).
On both Saturday and Sunday, we even saw parts of both I-69 AND I-469 (our city's interstate "loop") shut down because of accidents.
It's been keeping a LOT of people REAL busy, such as the FWPD, the ACSD (Sheriff's department) all the flatbeds that tow cars away, Parkview Hospital's helicopter, the FWFD, the local body shops AND...more than a few insurance companies.
Not MY favorite way to keep any economy going, but when you're given lemons...make lemonade, hmm?
(talk about JOB SECURITY)
And that's just along the MAJOR arteries of the city...
What you DON'T see is often more interesting and rarely gets cited (at least from where I'm viewing things).
People drive through the ghettohood WITHOUT even cleaning the snow from the rear glass off their vehicles.
That just BEGS to be pulled over (in MY book).
Ditto for people that are driving around with a blown out headlight, tail light (and my personal favorite) a blown out LICENSE PLATE BULB.
Most don't even CLEAN the license plate the hell off.
The department COULD be making some nice change off of such people (and teaching them a valuable lesson) down here, IF they had a mind to. Trouble is, people GET AWAY with it...sometimes for YEARS.
And the last time I checked, ALL vehicles DID come with the proper illumination as STANDARD EQUIPMENT...NOT an "option".
So, there's NO excuse to NOT have all the lights that came with the vehicle OPERATIONAL, is there?
(especially in snowy conditions with visibility less than 100 yds in many cases)
That's just common sense (uh, oh...there's that phrase again).
I was telling the missus this morning, that there are TWO things that do NOT go well together in this kind of weather...and that is BAD ROAD CONDITIONS...and BAD TIRES.
If you could see the number of idiots that "think" (and I use that word loosely) they can motor along on "may-pops" or "baloney-skins" on the rims of their vehicles, you'd be amazed.
I've seen more "fishtails" at our intersection that at the trout hatcheries!
I mean, "if" people want to act in a totally IRRESPONSIBLE manner in inclement weather with bad road conditions and an ill-equipped vehicle, they SHOULD have some kind of SIGN to let others know that there's an idiot nearby, don'cha think?
Some sort of magnetic placard on the doors, or a flag on the roof to signify that:
"I am an idiot driver, do not belong on the road, so please stay as far from me as is possible, because I'm not looking out for you...I'm too busy chugging a "40", rolling a doobie, and playing with my cellphone."
Yeah...that's kinda LONG, but makes the point beautifully. Don't want to be distracted having to READ all that, right?
Perhaps something more like:
"If it looks like I'm driving with my head up my ass, it's because I AM" ?
Or maybe:
"I should be a pedestrian."
How about:
"CAUTION - MORON-AT-PLAY"?
Any of them sound nice...and CORRECT.
Of course every OTHER school system was on a TWO-HOUR delay this morning EXCEPT the FWCS (and they have to start EARLIER even).
Sure hope those salt crews got out and got something done, because the side streets here are kinda slicker than snot on a doorknob.
We don't need a plow (yet), but something to get rid of the packed down snow would be nice.
Unfortunately, the local boomcar brigade hasn't taken any time off (another reason to always have some officers in the area).
It's bad enough trying to concentrate on the road conditions, so the last thing you "need" is some asswipe thumping his POS down a snowy street, on those God-awful 30 inch rims.
And that's something else to think about...
THOSE rims and tires are not like the huge knobby four-wheel-drive tires you have on specialized vehicles...are they?
They actually have LESS TREAD than normal tires and no real "aggressive" tread pattern to speak of.
Not to mention, those wheels don't TURN as easily as the wheels that came with the vehicle, so evasion of a child darting into the street is not going to happen all that well.
But, since it's a "cultural thang" with these idiots, maybe they'll just wind up killing more of their own kind (like they don't do enough of that already).
Helluva way to "cull the herd".
People today just do not posess the attention span, nor the ability to properly handle bad weather in the manner performed in decades past.
There ARE too many distractions...way too many.
Snow chains are all but extinct...ditto for studded tires (both were great in the day).
I still have a set of Philly police chains in the garage...just in case of an apocalyptic snowfall...lol
Hey, 'ya never know around here.
And you have to remember that the salt the road crews dump is NOT that effective with low temps and blowing winds.
No one ever seems to dump ASHES on the streets these days, although using a solution of (or all things) BEET JUICE shows promise in colder climates.
So much for GLOBAL WARNING, eh?
I know those polar bears are loving it...but it's still a driver's worst nightmare.
Dad always said that "DRIVING IS YOUR SECOND JOB", and he was so right.
And when it comes to weather such as THIS, you can tell straight away WHICH drivers are really bad "workers".
Lastly today...Sunday, we started decorating the house inside...got all the bears out...AND the Santas...AND the beanie babies...AND the bric-a-brac.
Next, I do the blue candles and finally...the tree.
I even dug out the balsam fir incense and pine tea lights and had the house smelling like Christmas...
Now THAT will get you in the mood...and it never hurts to have Nat King Cole on the radio (although it IS a tad early for REAL Christmas music).
So...the word for today in a LOT of cities across the USA...is CAUTION.
Take your time out there in the snow, ice, sleet...whatever you're facing.
Nothing is that important that your life (and that of others) gets shoved to the back burner because you're in some hurry.
Wherever place you're going to will STILL be there when you get there...
Take your time, be cautious, and make sure your vehicle can be seen and that YOU can see properly from your vehicle.
That's just COMMON SENSE...and it does SAVE LIVES.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.


((Remember - 19 shopping days until Christmas))