Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The government could substantially increase our taxes, and we could have a great snow-removal system in place for the rare times it snows. It could pay for mountains of salt, hundreds of the most up-to-date snow-removal vehicles, and a staff of thousands ready to jump at a moment's notice to clear snow that usually melts in a couple of days.
Or we could just stay home and off the roads one or two days every few years. In the 17 years I've been here, I really remember only two other instances where it was bad enough to stay off the road: the big "flash frozen" event (no snow, no ice storm, but everything just froze), and the time when 2 feet of snow fell, and the city was closed for a week.
Having snow removal resources on hand isn't worth the taxes.
Exactly! And then we could build hurricane shelters, because they come every few years.... And maybe an aquaduct from the missippi in case we have a drought that is 10x worse then the one we had over the last few years.... And maybe enclose DBAP, Carter Finley and UNC's stadiums because of the summer heat, and potential for lightening strikes....
Oh yeah, and let's widen I-40 in case U2 comes back for another concert....
Agree with the captain it would be "nice" to have more resources, but agree more with lovebrentwood that it is just not justified.
Exactly! And then we could build hurricane shelters, because they come every few years.... And maybe an aquaduct from the missippi in case we have a drought that is 10x worse then the one we had over the last few years.... And maybe enclose DBAP, Carter Finley and UNC's stadiums because of the summer heat, and potential for lightening strikes....
Oh yeah, and let's widen I-40 in case U2 comes back for another concert....
Agree with the captain it would be "nice" to have more resources, but agree more with lovebrentwood that it is just not justified.
I'm curious just how many more resources would be required. I'm far from a snow removal expert, but from what I could tell, most of the snow removal in the town where I lived in Mass. was performed by private contractors who basically stuck a snow plow on the front of their truck and plowed the streets as requested by the town which hired them. There's obviously some expertise required -- you wouldn't want me trying to plow streets with my snow-driving ability -- and the plows aren't free, but are these really expensive?
The Town of Chapel Hill tells us that it has, among other implements, ten snow plows at work. And they're not making fantastic progress, at least from my perspective (aka, my window). From what I could determine in a very brief web search, plows cost anywhere from $1,000 - $5,000 and don't require a whole lot of maintenance. Is it a huge impediment to purchase more, and hire private contractors to drive around and plow streets during and after a snow storm?
Well, I just went outside to clear off my car and found that not only was my Saturday paper delivered, so was my Sunday one. And, the mail was delivered yesterday.
And here I thought NC shut down completely when it snowed... guess you can't believe everything you read on a message board!
I think you might be on to something there. I get the feeling that the city data folk tend to be more of the "stay at home and bake cookies" crowd rather than the "get out there and get on with your lives" crowd.
I went down to the shops again today, curious to see the post-apocalyptic ice-age described on this board. So I pulled on my Road Warrior boots, grabbed my shotgun and topped up the mini-van with nitrus-oxide.
I was shocked, shocked I tell you, at the amount of people out and about, risking their lives and others. Dare-devil Mums and Dads pushed their kids around the supermarket, whacko teenagers went to their jobs at McDonalds and, incredibly, some people even had the audacity to risk renting a movie from Blockbuster - must have some kind of death-wish! Even the Liberty Insurance guy was dancing around on the side of the road in his Statue of Liberty costume (ok, so he really is nuts).
This isn't the blizzard of 2002 people (or whenever it was that y'all keep talking about). Go outside and take a look for yourself.
Oh, and, for what it's worth Hwy 401, North of Fuquay, is bone dry (get's a little slushy in town).
Huhh??? We shovel our sidewalk AND the sidewalk of our elderly neighbor. I don't want her to fall and break a hip! And I would hope that our neighbors would do the same for me someday when I am elderly.
I think this may show a bit of a cultural difference more than anything. If you live in an area that experiences snow on a more regular basis, you probably get to know the proper courtesy and etiquette of snow. I'm certain there are rules an expectations in snowier climates that might never occur to people who live in warmer climes.
For example, the idea that one might need to shovel off a sidewalk so that strollers can get through sounds bizarre to me. That's because I don't have experience with people who would want to push a stroller around in snow and ice. Around here (and in the state where I'm originally from), the snow usually stays on the ground for just a short period of time and just melts away within 24 hours. During that time, people just stay at home and relax. They don't take out the stroller. The elderly usually don't feel a need to go outside, so they stay in for those few hours. The kids might venture out to make snowmen before it all melts away, but that's it. Life returns to normal pretty quickly.
The fact that this snow and sleet started falling Friday evening and still hasn't melted away nearly 48 hours later is absolutely astounding. This is definitely a major break from the norm! It also explains why so many Southerners are so used to just waiting it out. We're not used to seeing snow on the ground 24 hours after it fell from the sky.
I've lived here for 4 years and this is the very first occasion in all of that time that I've wished we had a snow shovel. Heck, before this weekend, we hadn't even used a window scraper on our cars to remove morning frost. It just hasn't been an issue!
I think you might be on to something there. I get the feeling that the city data folk tend to be more of the "stay at home and bake cookies" crowd rather than the "get out there and get on with your lives" crowd.
this looks like a perfect time to bake cookies for those who dont have a 4X4
besides cookie making is messy
Ill just make some Chocolate snow cream
Personally I think officials and workers have done a WONDERFUL job. It's been 48 hours and most major roads are clear. Keep up the good work and ignore the whiners!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
