Atlanta Winter Shitfest 2011

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Troy
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Post by Troy »

We had a rare winter "event" in Atlanta: 4-6 inches of snow, followed by a nice hard layer of sleet. I'm sure the northerners out there think it's not a big deal, but in Atlanta... it's up there with one of those biblical events that wipes out civilizations. Atlanta lacks any infrastructure to deal with snow whatsoever.

I live in the heart of midtown Atlanta, right across from the "Central Park". I have not seen a SINGLE snowplow in 48 hours or so. Roads are completely closed, and still covered in ice. I would have no trouble walking to my office, which I do everyday, but most of the people on my team can't even get out of their driveways. I have seen about 3-4 accidents just listening and looking out my window, countless others stuck.

Pictures from Tuesday morning.

Off the right balcony
Image

Off the bedroom balcony
Image

Straight down to the street
Image




Edited By Troy on 1294757131
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Post by GORDON »

The road in front of my house looks like that right now, and I drive a Trans Am every day.

Not to say it is "no big deal..." but really? I used to live in the south, and honestly, y'all milk these light snow days for all they are worth. ;)

To me a better excuse would be "I don't own a winter coat," because that is at least more likely than, "I am not capable of driving a little slower in order to compensate for the slippery conditions."
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Post by TheCatt »

We have about 1/2" of ice covering everything here, so the town is shutdown. Of course, it doesn't matter when you can work from home.

I've no problem driving in snow. I drove my 90 Civic through 8" of unplowed snow (From Athens, GA to Winston-Salem)... it's the other idiots that are the problem.

Oh, and for the record, idiots in Detroit can't drive in the snow either, they just do it.
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Troy
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Post by Troy »

Yeah, I've had a front row view of the idiots. I know how to drive in snow, I feel comfortable doing it, and have done so on a lot of occasions in Western N.C. But the people on the streets terrify me. Yesterday, I walked to the office to pick up some files, and saw a guy slide into a red light, then when it turned green, floor it. He spun his tires out, and instead of letting off to get traction, just kept on revving up the engine, he proceeded to fishtail, end up in 3 different lanes, and then just continue driving to wherever the fuck he was going.

It's just not safe out there.




Edited By Troy on 1294759824
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Post by GORDON »

Ok, I can buy that. Too many other people on the roads don't know the "slow down and compensate for conditions" trick.
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Troy
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Post by Troy »

GORDON wrote:Ok, I can buy that. Too many other people on the roads don't know the "slow down and compensate for conditions" trick.
This person did it so badly he blew his own car up.

http://www.11alive.com/video....3646001
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Post by Malcolm »

Shit. We've had that much snow in late May and April some years, easy.
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Post by Troy »

Malcolm wrote:Shit. We've had that much snow in late May and April some years, easy.

I bet your city of less than 5 million people has more than 0 snow plows.

Edit: 8 salt trucks, still no snow plows.




Edited By Troy on 1294771514
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Post by Malcolm »

Troy wrote:
Malcolm wrote:Shit. We've had that much snow in late May and April some years, easy.
I bet your city of less than 5 million people has more than 0 snow plows.

Edit: 8 salt trucks, still no snow plows.
Not my fault y'all's infrastructure plan sucks. I've got an A/C unit. I need to turn it on maybe half a dozen times per year. But I still have one just in case.

If they don't want to keep plows around and pay/maintain them themselves, they can keep someone on retainer that does. If they still bitch about that, then perhaps they should look for jobs other than running a large urban city and stop fucking their citizens with excessive taxation (not that I know Atlanta does that for a fact, I'm just playing the odds).
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Troy
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Post by Troy »

Malcolm wrote:
Troy wrote:
Malcolm wrote:Shit. We've had that much snow in late May and April some years, easy.

I bet your city of less than 5 million people has more than 0 snow plows.

Edit: 8 salt trucks, still no snow plows.

Not my fault y'all's infrastructure plan sucks. I've got an A/C unit. I need to turn it on maybe half a dozen times per year. But I still have one just in case.

If they don't want to keep plows around and pay/maintain them themselves, they can keep someone on retainer that does. If they still bitch about that, then perhaps they should look for jobs other than running a large urban city and stop fucking their citizens with excessive taxation (not that I know Atlanta does that for a fact, I'm just playing the odds).

Atlanta gets snow like this once a decade and a half.

We average 2 inches a year. Imagine if you got 3x your yearly snowfall in one storm, on one night.

Yeah, can't see why we aren't prepared for that.




Edited By Troy on 1294772169
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Post by Malcolm »

Imagine if you got 3x your yearly snowfall in one storm, on one night.

If that happens up here, a new Ice Age is coming shortly.
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Post by GORDON »

Troy wrote:
Malcolm wrote:
Troy wrote: I bet your city of less than 5 million people has more than 0 snow plows.

Edit: 8 salt trucks, still no snow plows.
Not my fault y'all's infrastructure plan sucks. I've got an A/C unit. I need to turn it on maybe half a dozen times per year. But I still have one just in case.

If they don't want to keep plows around and pay/maintain them themselves, they can keep someone on retainer that does. If they still bitch about that, then perhaps they should look for jobs other than running a large urban city and stop fucking their citizens with excessive taxation (not that I know Atlanta does that for a fact, I'm just playing the odds).
Atlanta gets snow like this once a decade and a half.

We average 2 inches a year. Imagine if you got 3x your yearly snowfall in one storm, on one night.

Yeah, can't see why we aren't prepared for that.
I bet your city has more money in lost productivity today than it would cost to have a few plows in a garage.
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Post by unkbill »

Troy wrote:
Malcolm wrote:Shit. We've had that much snow in late May and April some years, easy.

I bet your city of less than 5 million people has more than 0 snow plows.

Edit: 8 salt trucks, still no snow plows.

My grandfather lived about a mile from the Gulf in Alabama. He lived up here for a long time. I remember the rouds beings iced over there. The cops would stop him and he would laugh and tell them to go home. Most southerners think you have to give it tons of gas to get throu. Funny. Like the differince between front wheel and rear wheel drive in the snow. Will take rear wheel every time.




Edited By unkbill on 1294786535
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Post by Leisher »

Like the differince between front wheel and rear wheel drive in the snow. Will take rear wheel every time.


Not me. Which will have more traction, front wheels with an engine sitting on them or rear wheels with a set of golf clubs in a trunk sitting on them?

I do remember a time driving through the Rockies down by Albuquerque. I think this would have been late 91 or early 92. A blizzard hit and there was easily 10-12 inches of snow on the road with near whiteout conditions. The only two cars pushing through in the left lane was me and a guy from Michigan.
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Post by GORDON »

I just ran the snowblower for the second time in 18 hours.

Sigh.

I really do miss the south. I think I am retiring in Alabama.
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Post by Leisher »

I just ran the snowblower for the second time in 18 hours.


It has snowed twice this year.

Yesterday's snowfall wasn't even equal to Atlanta's. I point that out because you were teasing Troy about southerners' inability to handle that snow.

Had you waited until this morning, you would have used the snow blower once.

You used a snow blower, not a shovel. I expect to hear this from you in the summer: "I miss the snow. I've had to mow every week!!!"

Despite predictions of doom, it has been kinda mild this winter, except down south where it's been cold.

You are a woman. :D
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Post by Cakedaddy »

I wonder if he rakes his yard twice a day in the fall because a few more leaves have fallen since the last raking.

You talk about your TA driving through snow, and your other car is an SUV of some type. Why clear the snow at all? Like I said last time it snowed. I was out there for about 10 minutes clearing snow off my driveway and stopped because it was stupid. All of our vehicles can drive through it. Don't be so anal about your driveway! Old man. . .
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Post by Malcolm »

Leisher wrote:Despite predictions of doom, it has been kinda mild this winter ...
I've got a few metric ass-tons of snow up here that disagree.
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Post by Leisher »

I've got a few metric ass-tons of snow up here that disagree.


I figure that you guys would just blame that on Favre.

And yes, I know you have been hit hard, but we were supposed to get nailed this year and haven't. We get 1 blizzard every 20 years and our last blizzard was in 78. Last year's winter storm doesn't count. It wasn't a blizzard.
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Post by GORDON »

I don't like tracking snow into the house from the driveway, I don't like walking through slushy snow, it is a challenge for me to walk over lumpy, slushy ice, and I don't like seeing the school kids have to walk in wheel ruts on the street to get to the bus just because no one else clears their sidewalks... so I now snow-blow 150 yards of sidewalk all the way down to the bus stop.

I cleared the driveway last night after the bulk of the snowing so the wife wouldn't have to walk through deep drifts in order to get to her car and get to work, and I cleared it again this morning because we got another inch overnight, and there was more drifting due to wind. The kid was sledding down the porch steps while I was blowing snow.

I don't know what the big mystery is, beyond y'all are lazy and inconsiderate of others who need to use your sidewalks, or park in your driveway when they visit you.




Edited By GORDON on 1294868009
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