[mels]

OK, not everyone.

Is this just a phenomenon at my office? I usually travel a fair amount but am in the office today so I left my house about 15-20 minutes earlier than usual and got here right on time. Roads were snow covered and slow going but it wasn't bad. The snowfall rate wasn't crazy, no blinding conditions, no wind causing whiteouts. It is now 10:30 and I would say *maybe* half of my office has showed up. I mean, really? Is it just me or do you think that if you live in New England you should be able to drive through a few inches of snow? I feel that people here get a bit too worked up over minor amounts of snow. Probably the same people that storm the bread and milk aisle at the grocery store before any measure of plowable snow.

[kidyankee764]

So funny. I was just talking to my wife about this. She said only 40% of her office is there today, and where she works, the snow was over by 8 AM! Come on, people (not you guys). We got like 3"!

I was driving up I-91 to work this morning; roads were snow covered but as long as you took it slow, you were fine. The Scion that blew past me learned that the hard way.

[7 Wishes]

While I think this storm was not too bad (especially with the sun out now in many parts), I think people would be a little less afraid if the business world would be a bit more understanding.

Before I career transitioned to the education field (a much more "snow friendly" industry, maybe even too much so sometimes, but I think when it comes to buses and kids erring on the side of caution is good), my fear was not the snow itself during a winter like this (I love being home during a snowstorm), but having to choose between my steady job and having to risk damaging my car if not myself when it would otherwise be avoidable. Granted I would think today that most people could at least eventually get to work, but I remember at my old job that we were small enough that if a lot of people stayed home the boss (who lived 5 minutes away from the office) understood, but then we had the one crazy guy who lived 45 miles away (and in a rural part of southern Litchfield County to boot) who came in (and only a little bit "late") for any storm just because the boss wouldn't tell him to stay home (though he didn't 'force' him to come either), even to the point where he once had an accident and broke his collarbone, but it didn't change him. Then this would make the rest of us look "bad" to the boss (yeah, we had a lot of turnover, how I was there over a decade I don't know.....at least they laid me off and I didn't quit so I got unemployment)

I've had many times when 90+% of the commute was perfectly safe, but there's just that one patch, or that one person driving in an unsafe manner for the conditions and boom!

And I also think for many it's not fear per se but frustration with constantly having to shovel, and to clean you car if you don't have an indoor garage, etc. or (on a day like today when it's sunny out now and conditions aren't too bad) if you have kids the schools close and you have to find day care (often delayed or closed too), etc. or not go into work and again run into "looking bad", etc. Though I admit for the shovel issue in most of New England you probably should own a snow blower if you live in a house (maybe borderline most years for coastal CT, but then there's years like this, etc.).

PS BTW, I always thought the milk and groceries bit was ridiculous too, and also the running out to get a snow shovel. I've had mine for 15 years, do people break their shovel after every snowstorm?

[acebritty]

i'm home today. doesn't look as bad out as i expected but school is closed, daycare is closed. suppose i could bring the 3 and 5 year old into the office but that wouldn't prove to be very productive

[mels]

Originally Posted by acebritty

i'm home today. doesn't look as bad out as i expected but school is closed, daycare is closed. suppose i could bring the 3 and 5 year old into the office but that wouldn't prove to be very productive

Obviously if your child care falls through it is a different story than those who are just not willing to drive in to their work on treated roads in a snowstorm leaving 3 inches of light fluffy snow. A good majority of my coworkers who regularly get the "white flu" do not have the lack of child care excuse.

My motto is: It is New England, suck it up!

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by mels

A good majority of my coworkers who regularly get the "white flu"...

I can't stand "fair-weather employees".

[Uconn97]

I don't have a problem with the snow - I have a problem with OTHER drivers in the snow which is why I typically work from home when it snows during commute times. First - why would I sit in traffic - sometimes for hours when I can do my duties from home? Second - and you know you have all seen them - the a-holes who tailgate you or the ones who cut you off because you are trying to leave a decent space between you and the car in front of you. Thats why I prefer to not be out driving in the snow.

I actually did venture into the office this morning since I knew the storm would pass quickly. It took me 1 hour to get here which actually isn't too bad, usually its about 20-25 minutes. On 291 the fastest we ever went was about 25-30mph which was fine by me, but a saturn was tailgating me for quite a while (not sure why - there was no where to go and no one was going faster than that). Couldn't see his headlights, thats how close he was. Then - since I had some space between me and the car in front of me, a car merging from route 5 with no signal on, just cuts right in front of me in the left lane. I have no issue in the snow since I have all-wheel drive and ABS, but others out there are just way too stupid. If I had had to do a hard stop the saturn behind me would have been under my bumper somewhere.

[foxywench]

my car is not built for snow, i cant afford a car that is and i have this odd fear of some idiot not paying attention and killing me in a horrific accident on a good day...add even remotly slippy conditions and id rather not risk it thanks...
im not afraid of snow...im afraid of other people who dont use common sense IN the snow.

not to mention we have a very long very steep driveway, even 1/2 an inch makes our driveway almost impassable without first being celared and sand/salted...
my dads the only one of us with 4 wheel drive and even he has issues on our driveway sometimes...

our neighbor who shares the drive (its his drive and we have rights to use it) ended up in the livingroom of the house across form the bottom of the driveway last year with only about an inch on the ground...
luckily everyone at the house were al in bed because he literally parked his car in the middle of their livingroom and could have killed someone...
he simply slid down the driveway across the road and over a small garden space before taking down their wall all because he wasnt paying attention to the conditions...

theres too many people out there that think AWD means invinsable, too many people who think safe stopping distance is 6" and cutting people off and tailgating is a good idea...

[kidyankee764]

Originally Posted by foxywench

my car is not built for snow, i cant afford a car that is and i have this odd fear of some idiot not paying attention and killing me in a horrific accident on a good day...add even remotly slippy conditions and id rather not risk it thanks...
im not afraid of snow...im afraid of other people who dont use common sense IN the snow.

not to mention we have a very long very steep driveway, even 1/2 an inch makes our driveway almost impassable without first being celared and sand/salted...
my dads the only one of us with 4 wheel drive and even he has issues on our driveway sometimes...

our neighbor who shares the drive (its his drive and we have rights to use it) ended up in the livingroom of the house across form the bottom of the driveway last year with only about an inch on the ground...
luckily everyone at the house were al in bed because he literally parked his car in the middle of their livingroom and could have killed someone...
he simply slid down the driveway across the road and over a small garden space before taking down their wall all because he wasnt paying attention to the conditions...

theres too many people out there that think AWD means invinsable, too many people who think safe stopping distance is 6" and cutting people off and tailgating is a good idea...

Sorry but as someone who worked in management for years, all I see here are excuses. Wake up and shovel. Buy salt and throw it down. Park your car at the top of the hill before the snow begins and throw on some boots. Afraid of being hit by another car? Me too. That's life.

[foxywench]

um we are at the top of the hill and theres no street parking allowed on our street or any of the surrounding streets as they are not wide enough town tickets and tows on street for the little area were in.... secondly we do get up and shovel sand and salt, heck my dads snowblower takes care of it nicely...lol...

the point being why go out if i dont have to, i work from home, my mum has the option to work from home and my dad has the option to work from home...

the neighbor landing in the botom of the dirves neighbors house..his own fault, he was an idiot (if my dad doesnt clear the entire driveway it doesnt get done...) and yes he should have gotten up and cleared his half of the drive to make it safef for him...but he didnt and could have killed someone...(not to mention ruined their xmas as it was 2 days before the holiday)

why risk dealing with other idiots on the road if you dont have to!?

if you dont have to go out why would you...

sure "its snowing" is an "excuse"...but in a world filled with so many risks already, why put yourself in a position to just invite more?! especially if youve got family at home relying on you? theres every day risks, then theres unessicary risks...