How about a story? Take a break and take a moment to laugh at the hysterics that was my day today. It’s not funny.
So it snowed in Atlanta. Holy mother of fucked, traffic is still at a standstill on highways. Some of my coworkers haven’t even made it home yet. How much snow do you think we got? Have you seen? We were on the national news here, but I don’t know about anywhere that requires my passport.
2 – 3 inches, depending
I was hosting a meeting in the office today, which included six people from the home office – in Missouri where it snows, a lot – and they’re witnessing this, unfortunately, and thank goodness. I sent an email yesterday and let them know about the forecast for one to two inches of snow. I’ve told them before we can’t handle snow. So they arrived, and the snow started. And when it started, it really fucking started. We had half an inch in a couple hours.
It was beautiful when it started.
Roads froze. Some areas here don’t own salt trucks or plows. Some do, but it didn’t matter, most of the equipment got stuck in traffic – I shit you fucking not. Highways are closed. People are sleeping in their cars. People are sleeping at work. Kids are sleeping at schools. Cars are abandoned along the road, or in the middle, because whatever.
I was considering the same thing.
I eventually abandoned mine. Well, sort of. It took me 3.5 hours to go 4.5 miles.
The gas held up surprisingly well.
Mind you, I live five miles from the office. What happened with the last .5 miles*? Oh, yeah. Fucking fuck! I walked home, down hill, in heels. My road was closed in both directions because I live in a valley. How fucking wonderful, which it is except for tonight.
I crossed it!
A cop was parking people on the sidewalks. Did I mention I drove a company car home because I foolishly thought that early warning would lead to preventative preparation, but no, and tomorrow I’m supposed to move the furniture into the new apartment I’ve been working on for months. Like that’s going to happen.
It’s not funny because it’s real and there are real people stuck out there in the snow, on the highway, or trying to walk home absolutely unprepared for the cold and biting wind and blowing snow, because one million people left work and school between noon and three. We knew it was coming. Sure, they have shit for a snow fleet, salt trucks and plows and whatnot, but they had the time and the resources to pre-treat the roads, and they did, but only the highways, and one million fucking people need more than highways, which are hotels tonight.
*One of my coworkers walked five miles to get home,
and another eventually made it only to a friend’s house.
I might not keep this up long. It’s unfiltered and unedited. Yikes!
Updated 29 Jan: what is one million was six million.
This Is My Corn 
Oh boy, what a clusterfuck! I was cracking up at a buddy of mine on FB. He lives in Atlanta and had to walk the last couple of miles home for the same reason. All for a couple of inches of snow. Hahahahahaha, and yeah, now I see why the north won that war way back when….
LikeLike
We’ll see who’s laughing when we’re wearing shorts and you’re still shoveling snow. And, though this is fucked six ways and then some, we get a snow day tomorrow.
LikeLike
That’s pretty wienie, but do enjoy the “free” time.
LikeLike
You get a snow day for a couple inches of snow?? We didn’t get one for 12 inches. 😦
LikeLike
Yup. Snow Day!! A couple of inches and this city is paralyzed.
But seriously, this was horribly mishandled and there are people who are just getting home, others still out there.
LikeLike
Someone said this morning they had the supplies to treat the roads, but failed to do it. Terrible.
LikeLike
They treated the roads, and then everyone left school and work at the same time so the snow fleet got stuck in traffic with everyone else so they couldn’t re-treat anything.
LikeLike
My boss commutes from the Atlanta area – drove for hours, walked for THREE HOURS to get to a friends house. What on earth? My kids school bus took them back to school after an hour. I went to pick them up and it was like a refugee camp in there. The teachers are all reading books and passing out juice, hoping the kids don’t go all lord of the flies or start looting the book fair. I am so sorry for your day.
LikeLike
This has turned into something altogether unpredictable. I doubt there is anyone here who doesn’t know someone sleeping in their car or at work tonight.
LikeLike
Maybe that’s why Sherman burnt Atlanta. To melt the snow on the streets
LikeLike
I’m sure there are plenty of people who would like fire in the streets of Atlanta tonight, we’ll leave Sherman out of it. Insult and injury and all that.
LikeLike
this may be why in my part of northern England we cope with that level of snow easily (it happens every year) but London grinds to halt with a heavy frost (it happens infrequently). It’s absolutely horrible when you get caught in it, and I’m glad you got home safely.
LikeLike
I’m glad I got home too. Many people slept in their cars overnight.
It’s not like it never snows here. We’re Atlanta, not Miami. It just doesn’t snow like it did yesterday. In this case, the pre-storm panic was necessary, but it kind of caused this too. All the warnings told people to be on their way back home by Noon to make it before the storm hit, so everyone in the city left at noon.
LikeLike
Some of it is also about being prepared I think eg with good shoes and warm coats. When it’s a novelty people can’t quite get themselves ready for getting stuck – it’s too strange.
Hope things improve soon!
LikeLike
No one has practice or snow tires, etc. The only real accident I’ve ever been in was in ATL in the snow/ice.
I got two snow days this time, which means fuckall to me.
LikeLike
There were thousands of accidents, and I bet many of them were from not respecting the slick roads. But practice and caution meant squat when everyone left at the same time. It was traffic’s perfect storm.
LikeLike
940 weather-related accidents reported by the GA State Patrol in just the first 11 hours. That’s only ones of which they were informed, and I haven’t seen updated numbers. That’s a massive number.
I’m glad to live in a place that knows how to handle snow. Oh, wait . . . We produce more road grit than anywhere in Europe, and we “run out” for our own roads every year.
Stay safe.
LikeLike
Even before I got home the radio was announcing that police would not be responding to accidents without injury.
Next time you visit, bring some of that grit. Clearly we don’t have enough here.
LikeLike
Driving around today looks like the aftermath of the zombie apocalypse. Abandoned cars line every road. Everywhere…
LikeLike
I just got back from a walk around my neighborhood. I-285 and I-75 with traffic still gridlocked is basically my backyard. The National Guard is on foot patrol on my street and the highway. My car is trapped on a sidewalk with about 100 other cars between two closed roads and a closed overpass, but even if it wasn’t, I couldn’t get it to my house. I hope you’re not out driving, and somewhere indoors and safe.
LikeLike
Thanks. I actually went into work for a little bit but didn’t push it. Curious what tomorrow will be like with the impending temperature drop. Hope you’re warm and safe as well 🙂
LikeLike
You’re nuts. I can’t believe you got to work and back.
I am safe and warm, thank you. I closed the office for today, and just did so for tomorrow morning. I am one with a car abandoned on the side of the road. The fewer people driving while we all unpack our cars from the catastrophe of desperation the better.
LikeLike
Good luck. I don’t know if tomorrow will be much different after everything refreezea tonight.
LikeLike
I’m not hopeful. Thankfully, and unfortunately, there are people here from our home office to witness it, so I feel more confident that both offices understand the issues here. Stay warm 🙂
LikeLike
You too. My dog is completely freaked out by the natural state of affairs….
LikeLike
I’ve been watching this on CNN. You poor people! Made me quit whining about my own crummy weather, that’s for sure. I can’t imagine having my kids stuck on a bus overnight. So glad you made it home safely.
LikeLike
I feel so incredibly lucky I made it home last night. One of my coworkers walked five miles to get home, and another never made it, but ended up walked several miles to a friend’s house. One of my teacher friends is still at his school with some students. The governor asked that people who abandoned their cars not try to get to them until at least tomorrow. It’s crazy!
LikeLike
It must be very surreal, like something you’d see on TV (like I am) but never experience. And yet there you are, smack dab in the center of it.
LikeLike
It is, just like that. It’s like walking through a set of an end-of-days movie. I went for a walk, just a half a mile, to see it for myself. Unbelievable, but right in front of my eyes.
LikeLike
Pingback: The Atlanta Ice Rink | This Is My Corn
well enjoy the snow- even though I am in NJ I dont drive in the snow. Ppl with SUV’s are assholes and my shitty job is not worth driving off a bridge for!
LikeLike
There were definitely some assholes out there, but most of the mess came because the roads weren’t treated well enough, and once everyone was on the roads, no one could get up the icy hills. It was a million-car wreck, and no way out of it.
LikeLike
Pingback: Calling it a Snow Day | This Is My Corn