Commuter calamity: WINTER WEATHER

Snow piles at ESU are just one sign of how treacherous the roads can be. Photo Credit / Audra Organetti
Snow piles at ESU are just one sign of how treacherous the roads can be. Photo Credit / Audra Organetti
Snow piles at ESU are just one sign of how treacherous the roads can be.
Photo Credit / Audra Organetti

BY CRYSTAL SMITH

SC Staff Writer 

This winter has been beyond brutal for students and commuters alike.

We face treacherous snow and ice storms weekly, and — if you are like myself — you absolutely hate it.

Winter is the never ending months where four wheel drivers rule the road and everyone else is white knuckled and praying to get to their destination safely.

My destination and goal on Tuesdays and Thursdays is to get to ESU’s parking lots in one piece.

There have been numerous days I have been woken up by my obnoxious smart phone alerting me of winter weather and hazardous driving conditions.

On these days, I wish to shut off my device, roll back over, and put the covers over my head — but with attendance policies in place, we all must make it to class.

Now it comes to time to face the terrain and shovel out our cars wherever they are parked.

For me, it’s behind my apartment on a hill.

So, with my shovel and salt, I begin the process.

After a few slips and slides, I am off to battle the commute.

There are all types of winter drivers on the roads: the ones in their big trucks that eat up the snow covered roads, the ones who haven’t even bothered to remove any snow from their vehicles, the ones who throw caution to the wind and drive like its seventy-five degrees, and of course there is me who has my flashers on driving fifteen miles per hour on route 80.

I have no shame when it is snowing, and its just me and my Honda making it slowly but surely to class.

When traveling in the snow, there is no reason to rush and you should always be aware of your surroundings.

Throw it gear and give your car some words of encouragement.

When I arrive safely, I thank the gods above, and I also thank my car for keeping it together when the four wheelers are flying by doing ninety.

Of course, we must also thank Mother Nature when she hits us hard enough to cancel our classes so we can actually shut off our cell phones and pull the covers over our heads.

Email Crystal at:

csmith123@live.esu.edu