People and snow

Pretend for a moment that it's 1000 B.C. and you live in sub-Saharan Africa. For some reason, you make a trip north and happen to travel in winter. When you get to the proper latitude, you notice a strange thing: cold, white specks falling from the sky and accumulating on the ground. You've just seen snow for the first time, and it seems like a strange, yet wonderful thing.

Cut to today. It's been snowing every winter at the mid and high latitudes since the dawn of time and yet, every winter, it's the same thing.

People seem to undergo a psychological change when snow starts falling.

Now, I'll admit, this winter has done a poor job of snowing like it always does, especially when you consider where I live, but that does nothing to change the fact that people start exhibiting strange behavioral patterns when the white stuff falls from the sky.

I'll start with attire. When it's cold and snowing, you'd expect everyone to be wearing coats, gloves, hats, and layers, right? When it was snowing this morning, my first thought was that I'd need my winter coat when I walked to class; however, it astounded me to see people dressed in sweatpants and hoodies. Now, sweatpants, I have no problem with, but hoodies? Hoodies aren't designed to be worn in snow; sure, I'll wear one when it gets cold out, but I'd never wear one when it's snowing. Perhaps the funniest thing was that the people I saw wearing the hoodies started complaining about how cold it was as soon as we got out of the building. Seriously? I chalk that up to a lack of common sense.

Next, there are the drivers. You'd think that when snow starts a-fallin', people would be a tad more careful considering wet roads increase braking distance; nope. People drive as they normally do, plowing through the snow whether they own an SUV or not. You know, I think it might be that people think that, just because they have snow tires, they can drive like normal. -shrugs- All I know is that when snow first touches the roads, I'm definitely more careful about walking around outside and crossing the street because people tend not to be careful while driving in snow when pedestrians are present.

Finally...well, I guess there is no finally, unless I come back later and update this blog.

So, I guess I'm stuck laughing at the idiots who didn't dress for the weather and dodging cars that overestimate their car's braking distance.