This week was the week everyone remembered that over the past seven months or so, they forgot how to drive in snow. Even a tow truck was spotted in a ditch, after he overshot a turn.
Driving is basically scary at the beginning of the season. It’s not so much that the roads themselves are scary, but that the other drivers are scary. On my journey into town, my little Toyota didn’t slide one little bit, but I drive slowly and have good tires. It’s the 35-year old rust bucket with bald tires coming the other way that concerns me.
The fact that so many people have moved here recently is also a little worrisome. I mean, the folks who just moved here from Fort Lauderdale might be in for a bit of a surprise, especially if they visited during the last few mild winters. And that sporty little Miata they brought with them probably won’t make it out of the driveway.
At this time of year, I also appreciate some of the jobs that are exceptionally difficult in North Idaho. I see the school buses all decked out with their chains slowly and methodically making their way up the hills toward our area. We have some of the nicest school bus drivers around here. They always wave and even pull over to let you pass if it’s safe. I figure they must really worry about getting rear-ended by some jerk on a cell phone in his giant Suburbo-Pig who doesn’t take the ice into account when he slams on his brakes to stop for the bus.
Rural letter and newspaper carriers are another group of people who must encounter special challenges here. We have almost always received our paper and our mail, even in the most hideous weather. It’s amazing, really, and a testament to their winter driving skills. I figure it’s a lot easier to be a letter carrier in Hawaii.
So as the snow continues to fall I have just two words for everyone to ponder deeply: slow down.