The South is crippled by a little snow (to live in, train)

[johnatl]

Originally Posted by eek

the govt already wastes a bunch of money on pet projects that hardly matter for the ppl, right?

why not set aside some of that budget to do stuff that could actually help your city out.

that makes too much sense tho.

Perhaps the NYC government does, but it would be idiotic to spend the amount needed that you obviously think it would take.

Again, we can't justify the expense for a lot of equipment to just sit around idle most of the time.

[eek]

Originally Posted by johnatl

Perhaps the NYC government does, but it would be idiotic to spend the amount needed that you obviously think it would take.

Again, we can't justify the expense for a lot of equipment to just sit around idle most of the time.

ok so i have a question...

does the south lose more money from the businesses closed due to the inch of snow every (other) year than it would on a few snow plows or whatever else is needed to keep those businesses from being closed during a "snow storm"???

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by eek

and in some cases they still shut schools down with the mere THREAT of an inch. at the least there are 1-2 hour delays with the threat of an inch or greater.

I guess being from the NE, you just can't see people not being used to the stuff huh?

in some areas they don't close anything with tornado watches or heavy rain. the south is DEFINITELY used to tornado watches, flash flood watches, etc.

Tornado and thunderstorms don't effect mobility like floods and snow do.
I can easily do what I need to do in a storm vs. if it snows they're going to close most of the bridges because people will be sliding and swerving everywhere because they aren't used to snow. If it floods there is no point in even trying to go anywhere.

also i'm not trying to say that the south should be used to like 8 inches of snow every snowfall every time they have one. i'm talking there lil 1 or 2 inches they get every year. come on now. ppl been alive for how long? and still raiding walmart like its 2012 over an inch?
this can't be life.

The raiding Wal-Mart part is stupid in my opinion. We don't even do that for hurricanes. If people rush to buy supplies like it's the end of the world for a little snow something is wrong.

thats an exaggeration. a lot of the south gets snow every year or every other year. its definitely not an 8-10 year thing in large portions of the south.

No it's not. I live in one of those places. I wasn't aware that FL, LA, southeastern TX, lower AL, most of MS, and the lower parts of GA got snow every year. I mean that is most of the south isn't it?

as a city, you should have basic stuff for your citizens, period. any responsible state/local govt should make sure of this.

...and they do have the basics. A snow plow is not basic in most of the south.

i'm telling you as a northerner, the stereotype is bull. it gets hot here, contrary to popular belief, and even IF it doesn't get AS HOT, we are still walking blocks to walk down stairs to take a train. you guys walk from your apartment/houses to your car and drive wherever you want with the air blasting. its apples and oranges.

BS. You just stereotyped the south, but claim we're stereotyping you.

again, you being so called "used to the heat" try walking 10 blocks anywhere in the city, waiting for a train, etc. when its 95.

I used to walk 6 blocks, take a streetcar about 15, then walk another 5 to catch a bus, then walk a block to my destination. All of this in mid-August when it's 91 degrees outside with 90-100% humidity. You walk outside at 8am and it's 85 degrees, just wait until noon, not to mention it storms almost everyday here in the summer so that evening will feel like a sauna. I can't speak for the rest of the south, but I can say that most of it doesn't get enough snow to make a snowday just another day of the week.

from what i know from my lil time in the south, ppl complained when it was anything over 70. it could be 65 and ppl were like, "its hot." "its hot." "its hot." ppl had on shorts and flip flops when it was like 52. its incredible.

That really depends on where you were. 65 is borderline cold. If it gets to 60 you will see people starting to bundle up where I am.

so if anything, a lot of you aren't used to the hot or the cold...which is weird given how weird temperatures can be in the south.
70 in January for a week then 30's-50's for the rest of the month.

I guess.

southerners for the most part don't.

most ppl in those mid sized southern cities do not take public transportation. most drive. if you dont have a car in a good 85-90% of the south, you're done.

Well I guess I'm confined to the other 10%

[eek]

Originally Posted by WestbankNOLA

I guess being from the NE, you just can't see people not being used to the stuff huh?

its not about that. just because i'm from the NE doesn't mean that i haven't been anywhere else. i've seen what ppl go through in the south in the winter. this is how i know that a lot of what ppl are saying is not necessarily true for a lot of the south. i went to college in the south.

Tornado and thunderstorms don't effect mobility like floods and snow do.
I can easily do what I need to do in a storm vs. if it snows they're going to close most of the bridges because people will be sliding and swerving everywhere because they aren't used to snow. If it floods there is no point in even trying to go anywhere.

are you serious right now?

A TORNADO son. terrible thunderstorms with cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. hell, a rain storm without the thunder and lightning but with the heavy rain which can cause hydroplaning.

you can easily do what you need to do in a storm because of your mind. its psychological. ppl are conditioned to fear snow.

its almost like an excuse to stay home in the south.

you can't act like ppl don't swerve and crash in the rain but they aren't shutting anything down when it rains, right??

again, i'm not saying you need to drive in 8 inches, go to work in 8 inches, send your kids to school in 8 inches, etc. but son, we're talking about ONE INCH. TWO inches max.

The raiding Wal-Mart part is stupid in my opinion. We don't even do that for hurricanes. If people rush to buy supplies like it's the end of the world for a little snow something is wrong.

they do in a lot of the south. its interesting.

No it's not. I live in one of those places. I wasn't aware that FL, LA, southeastern TX, lower AL, most of MS, and the lower parts of GA got snow every year. I mean that is most of the south isn't it?



...and they do have the basics. A snow plow is not basic in most of the south.

and what about the other parts of the south that don't have these essential things when they get snowfall every year or every other year at most??

BS. You just stereotyped the south, but claim we're stereotyping you.

its not bs. so now youre going to go from tornado's and torrential downpours don't impair mobility to the majority of the south taking public transportation to and from wherever they have to go? na son. i've been there and i know what it is. again, if you don't have your own car in most of the south, you are screwed.

I used to walk 6 blocks, take a streetcar about 15, then walk another 5 to catch a bus, then walk a block to my destination. All of this in mid-August when it's 91 degrees outside with 90-100% humidity. You walk outside at 8am and it's 85 degrees, just wait until noon, not to mention it storms almost everyday here in the summer so that evening will feel like a sauna. I can't speak for the rest of the south, but I can say that most of it doesn't get enough snow to make a snowday just another day of the week.

if you get one inch then that "snow day" should be just another day of the week, i'm sorry. especially when its not a 1 in every 8 year's chance.

also, new orleans is unique in this situation, but the majority of the south only has buses when it comes to public transportation and the bus systems aren't adequate enough for large amounts of ppl to rely on them. hence the need for your own vehicle to get around.

That really depends on where you were. 65 is borderline cold. If it gets to 60 you will see people starting to bundle up where I am.

again i'm not really talking about an area like new orleans, miami, the key west, etc. i'm talking about the majority of the south.

Well I guess I'm confined to the other 10%

you know that you are. you know that most of the south isn't like the city of new orleans.

in due time tho.

[WestbankNOLA]

Originally Posted by eek

A TORNADO son. terrible thunderstorms with cloud to ground lightning and heavy rain. hell, a rain storm without the thunder and lightning but with the heavy rain which can cause hydroplaning.

you can easily do what you need to do in a storm because of your mind. its psychological. ppl are conditioned to fear snow.

Say son, A tornado watch can last for hours and nothing will happen. If a tornado does happen it's isolated to where it touches down. It may be dangerous to go out, but it rains all the time so people will be used to driving in rain. If it snowed off and on for 3 months out of a year then it wouldn't be a problem.

its almost like an excuse to stay home in the south.

Hey!

you can't act like ppl don't swerve and crash in the rain but they aren't shutting anything down when it rains, right??

Some do, but not as bad as in snow. We got less than an inch of snow in '08 and all you could hear were tires screaching all morning. People just don't know how to do it. I'm not saying that they don't need to know, but what are the odds of it snowing even in the northernmost parts of the south compared to the northeast.

again, i'm not saying you need to drive in 8 inches, go to work in 8 inches, send your kids to school in 8 inches, etc. but son, we're talking about ONE INCH. TWO inches max.

People aren't as comfortable with it because they aren't used to it. Plus, who'll turn down a free day? It's the ice that poses the hazard.

and what about the other parts of the south that don't have these essential things when they get snowfall every year or every other year at most??

I can't speak for them. What parts in particular are these?

its not bs. so now youre going to go from tornado's and torrential downpours don't impair mobility to the majority of the south taking public transportation to and from wherever they have to go? na son. i've been there and i know what it is. again, if you don't have your own car in most of the south, you are screwed.

No son, you see I never said that the majority of the south had transit. I said the mid-size cities and up. You generalized the entire south. Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Houston, Miami, and New Orleans all have some sort of bus/rail combination and plan on adding more. Cities like Birmingham, Memphis, Nashville, Orlando, Tampa, etc. Have bus transit available. I can't say how many people ride it, but everyone isn't sitting in an air conditioned car all day.

if you get one inch then that "snow day" should be just another day of the week, i'm sorry. especially when its not a 1 in every 8 year's chance.

Depends on how icy it is IMO.

in due time tho.

I hope so.

[eek]

haha ok.

[Raivere]

It doesn't snow enough for people living in the south to have a great amount of experience dealing with it such as school, and working. Ususally there is a two hour delay when it comes to freezing cold mornings when school buses can't run because of ICE. When it snows power companies do work harder for people that lost power in their homes, especially the ones located near a city. Streets are always salted the day before (form where I live), and most people are usually "prepared" to stay in. It's really not a big deal, everyone is just more careful.
Plus some places in the south have very very extreme weather conditions so you have to prepare for whatever happens.

[DubbleT]

Originally Posted by eek

again, i'm not saying you need to drive in 8 inches, go to work in 8 inches, send your kids to school in 8 inches, etc. but son, we're talking about ONE INCH. TWO inches max. ICE, not snow! Snow is not the problem, it's the ice under the snow that happens when the temperature shifts throughout the day. I can drive snow, I can drive torrential rain (at least as long as my wipers can keep up), slushy ice and sleet are a different thing altogether. No snow tires. Hydroplaning a slick spot in the rain is not quite the same as trying to drive for miles without any traction.

and what about the other parts of the south that don't have these essential things when they get snowfall every year or every other year at most??
again i'm not really talking about an area like new orleans, miami, the key west, etc. i'm talking about the majority of the south. You have an odd view of most of the south, very few parts of the south get snow every year or every other year.I t's mostly border states, along the mason dixon line that get a fairly regular dusting of light snow (and you don't see news reports about that being a problem every year do you?) Snow in most parts of MS, AL, GA is as rare as hens teeth.

Along those border states also consider the fact that it's difficult to predict whether the forecast precipitation is going to take the form of sleet or snow or rain. Would you be willing to bet on the safety of your children that the temps won't drop just a few more degrees and turn the rain into ice? Most school systems around here aren't going to take the risk, when in doubt school is out!

[TANaples]

Originally Posted by Bowie

It's true. They just can't deal with it down there.

My first winter in Knoxville TN, the city got a 6-inch snowfall and the schools there were closed for a week. Most businesses even closed for a day or two. The local government owned no snowplows, because they have winters with no snowfall.

I had spent the previous winter in Syracuse NY, the snowiest large city in the country. That winter, Syracuse received a total of 110 inches of snow. The first snowfall that winter was 18." The city was well equipped and the schools there never closed that entire winter.

From that I learned that it just depends on what your city is accustomed to and prepared for. It's possible to cope and continue to function with the right equipment. Without the equipment, the way to cope is to batten down the hatches. I'm sure that most local governments in the south have higher priorities than accumulating snow removal equipment that will go unused some winters. Battening down the hatches is a reasonable strategy if it doesn't happen very often.

who was from a small town in Tnn. She said when they got only a few inches of snow, the schools shut down because the buses could not make it up and the mountain. Actually, she corrected her statement and said "big hill".

They used to shut the schools on LI where (actually used to budget 4 snow days) we lived until we got a Superintendent who was from Buffalo. Six inches of snow? Close the schools? No way. He called that a "dusting". I suppose it's all in the mind's eye and what you are used to and prepared for.

[Raivere]

Right on!
Up north it can get down to 30 and start snowing. In the south it can get to 10 degrees, up 50 degrees and start snowing that night while the temperature declines! (present tense).
Last year in March it got up to 70 one week and snowed the next.