Salting the Streets is for the Stupid
Kentuckians are generally stupider than the rest of the nation.
This is especially clear when it comes to Mother Nature.
You know, of course, that schools and public buildings close on the prediction of snow. Salt brine is applied to dry streets 12-24 hours before the first flake is scheduled to arrive. Everybody runs to Wal-mart to buy white: bread, milk, wine, cigarettes, etc. etc.
When the snow does arrive, it’s balls-to-the-wall panic. The trucks roll out and put rock salt on the streets. Some even have snow blades down and casting a shower of sparks as they rumble through the neighborhoods.
Starting about dawn and until 8 a.m., my corner of Kentucky had this much snow:
“Dusting” is the right word, but it is an “accumulation of 1-3 inches.”
Salting the streets is for the stupid.
Stupid because it snows here every year! Kentuckians can’t learn how to drive snow? Apparently not. The people we elected to think and take care of us issue watches and warnings about the potentially hazardous conditions. And the Tee Vee is ablaze with crawl lines for hours and hours before the first flake.
If I lived in a town where the main source of employment was training 15 year olds how to drive, this would be proper.
Kentuckians don’t know about friction. Friction causes heat. Heat melts snow. Tires on streets cause friction. Car tires melt snow – and ice.
Once the temperature falls to the teens or lower (as predicted tonight) salt is ineffective at melting ice. No matter, our care-takers will be diligently salting the roads until our cars look like Margaritas.
It’s pure snowy-stupidity that dominates this time of year.
UPDATE: City Police tweet: Police advise to use caution on the streets today. There are slick spots.
Seems that in Kentucky, they need to have a driver’s test every two years including the written test and the drivers actual test. Here in Louisville when it snows or even when its dry out, people drive like maniacs cutting everyone off as well as driving 15 and 20 mph above the limit. If we had some decent traffic enforcement, the state would make a killing. I grew up across the border in Indiana and generally they don’t play.
As far as Kentuckians not driving well during snow or handling snow, well, some people just aren’t too bright here. It goes for the usual scene at the store, listening to some of them talk, and the general basic education in the state which is horrendous at best. At least they could attempt to teach some of the locals basic English so they could spell and communicate in a basic mannner. I don’t think that worked out too well for most them.
@Catcher: 8 inches? 8 inches? Did you know today is Double Entendre Day for commenters? You knew that right? Sandwiches? I’ll make you a sandwich.
@Grandad: Ah the Emerald Aisle with a bit ‘o’ cream and chaos, sounds charming.
@Larry: Yes, as the day wears on, we are now up to actually something measurable. Great Blizzard of oh-ten. Love it.
There’s one very nice thing about all those people buying white. The grocery shelves have plenty of pumpernickel, blue cheese, and Cabernet Sauvignon for those of us who aren’t afraid to brave the flakes.
Where I am, we’re getting considerably more than a “dusting” — unless you’re using Miss Havisham’s standards. Still, it’s far from the worst storm I’ve ever seen . But who knows? Perhaps this snowfall will be known, in future, as the Great Blizzard of oh-ten.
.-= Larry Wallberg´s last blog pithIs There a Colonel in the House? =-.
You should come to sunny Ireland. For the last couple of weeks we have had a couple of inches of snow. The entire country has ground to a standstill – most roads closed, public transport very sporadic, very little gritting – total chaos.
.-= Grandad´s last blog pithJust follow the instructions =-.
We’re getting 8 inches and last night the grocery store had been wiped out of bread and most of the milk. WTF? There’s a warning for a total of 30 hours and people had to stock up on bread and milk? How many sandwiches can you eat in 30 hours? There’s stupid people everywhere.
.-= Catch Her in the Wry´s last blog pith60 years in 19 days – Zorba the Cowboy =-.