Snow Causes Headaches

Getting home yesterday evening was a challenge. My class usually runs until 5:00 pm. Yesterday, however, I was looking out the window and the snow was really coming down. Thinking that evening classes may have been canceled, we didn't have access to the Internet in the classroom. I chose to cut things short by a half hour.

I didn't save much time in getting home though. After leaving BCIT at 4:30 pm, progress was extremely slow. I thought after getting up Royal Oak, it'd be smooth sailing. In fact it seemed to take forever. Finally, I parked on Columbia Street, in front of the SkyTrain station in the new parallel, back-in spaces. Although nearly home, it would've been impossible to get up Church Street and into this building.



Yes, I grew up in New England and back at a time when it had winters. Doing wheelies on the frozen lake in a Pinto taught me more about winter driving than all the driver's manuals on earth could have. Yet, there are a number of reasons why I was very stressed out last night:

The Vancouver area barely gets enough snow to merit an adequate number of road ploughs. So, when it does fall and the highway department crews are going full bore, they simply cannot keep up.

Nobody puts on snow tires, much less carries chains!

The majority of drivers have little experience on slippery roads.

Many streets and highways here have substantial inclines.

I drive a rear-wheel drive pick up truck but there's nothing in the back right now.

My commute to New Westminster was nearly two hours for the trip that generally takes twenty minutes. After an hour, some food, and a change of clothes, I returned to the Columbia Street and my truck. Then, I spun and slid my way up Church Street and into the building. My truck was finally safely housed downstairs at about 7:30 pm.