Snow days and SUVs

This isn't a lament about the good ol' days, but when I was a kid, it snowed a lot. A LOT. Snow would fall in November, and we wouldn't see the ground again until March. We'd burrow through the drifts created by the snow plow to make igloos. We'd build snow-block forts, mist them down with the hose, and our ice castles would last all winter. Snowmen didn't melt. Kids wore snowsuits or snowpants to school in anticipation of the ever-present outdoor recess. Winter: we endured it, we embraced it, and life continued in spite of it. People threw a few bags of sand in the trunks of their rear wheel drive vehicles and went about their business.

Not so today.

Now it seems that schools close preemptively. A hint of snow or ice in the forecast, and schools are shuttered in anticipation of "the big one." Problem is, the big one seldom comes, and once it does, they district has already exhausted its snow day allowance. This year my son's school runs from Aug 13 to June 3 because the school district builds in superfluous snow days.

People in their SUVs and 4WD trucks seem to collectively vent their failed Nascar dreams and drive like maniacs. Gone are the days of taking it slow, pumping the brakes, and using the manual transmission to rock yourself out of a snowdrift. Yes, front wheel drive, ABS and TCS have done wonders for control and maneuverability, but there is something to be said for caution. Driving a wannabe-tank (I mean Hummer) does not make you invincible.

So now that it's started to sleet, and everyone panicked by the alarmist weather reporters, I'm sure the streets will be crowded with shiny automotive phallic symbols. It's almost 6 pm, so it's about time for school officials to cancel classes tomorrow. There will be no waiting until 4 or 5 am to make the decision; the television weatherman is presumed omniscient.

Drive safe, and enjoy the snow day!