Insane Snowstorm from Hell and people's interesting priorities

[ArenaBoy]

I live out in the boonies and a few days ago none of us dared to go out. We did consider going to see a movie but then we said screw it, stay home, watch rugby, and keep warm.

[Sharsarannon]

Heck, I tip better even when it's just nasty rainy or cold. I don't wanna go out in that (that's why I ordered delivery), so why shouldn't I reward you for making it possible for me to avoid it.

We have no snow here in SoCal, not this part of it anyway, but we do have insanely hot summer days. On those days, when the pizza arrives I tend to offer the guy a cold drink or one of my extensive supply of fruit popsicles along with the tip. Makes their day, and it doesn't cost much.

[Lace Neil Singer]

It's mostly flooding round here, but one year in March there was surprise snow that blocked off the roads and made it impossible for me and half the supermarket staff to get into work. Now, the town that the supermarket is in was free of snow; it was as if the town was in a bubble with all the surrounding area snowed up. This sadly meant that for the staff who were able to get in, it was hell on earth as every single customer in the entire town and from the neighbouring town (who's branch of *supermarket* was closed cuz of the snow) charged in thru the doors to stock up. -.- The supermarket had half the tills closed cuz there wasn't enough staff to open them, SCs were whining about the queues and the fact that the shelves were soon empty cuz of all the idiots panic buying, and the staff who were there were all suffering stress related nervous disorders from the sheer volume of customers.

And just how long did this snow last? 2 days.

[queenbb]

We have no snow here in SoCal, not this part of it anyway, but we do have insanely hot summer days. On those days, when the pizza arrives I tend to offer the guy a cold drink or one of my extensive supply of fruit popsicles along with the tip. Makes their day, and it doesn't cost much.

yah we do the same thing, anyone who delivers, the guys who work do the maintenice on the apt complex we live in, ect. we always have extra water or poweraide. the guys every year come up and work on the roofs to take care of the ac units, and we will send water up to them as well.

when ever we have deliveries from ups or some other place we will send them off with something cool to drink too.

it does get rather hot out here, i had a real hard time keeping the guys hydrated at work, telling them they needed to drink water during the week long uber hot and humid days we had this last year. i know that 100+ degree weather is not too bad for some people but we dont normally get that hot out here and the guys were having problems.

[myswtghst]

If I do order pizza in a snowstorm, I order from the place across the street and tip them VERY well for venturing out. And I generally try not to venture out myself unless I absolutely need to. I will go to work, since I live closer than all but 3 of my coworkers and my drive only requires 2 turns, and driving on 2 main roads, nothing more.

[Chevy Nachos]

...The supermarket had half the tills closed cuz there wasn't enough staff to open them, SCs were whining about the queues and the fact that the shelves were soon empty cuz of all the idiots panic buying, and the staff who were there were all suffering stress related nervous disorders from the sheer volume of customers.

Uggghhh. Supermarket flashbacks. Thanks a bunch. Every time the weatherman said "snow" people would run to the store in a panic for bread and milk. I often wondered if the TV weather guy wasn't getting kickbacks from my chain's corporate office to drum up business.

And seriously? This was in one of the biggest cities in the Midwest. They get the snowplows and salt trucks out as soon as snow is mentioned in the forecast. I can count on one hand the number of times in my life (45 years) that I was unable to get anywhere the next day!

My favorite was the guy who ran to the store during one of these snow scares and came through my register with a 40 oz. malt liquor, a birthday cake, and bubble gum. Gotta have the necessities.

[Lace Neil Singer]

Also, unless you live out in the sticks far away from any shop, you do not need to stock up. Especially since where I live, there's just one place that has no shops (it has a pub tho) and snow lasts for a maximum of 3 days and is never more than a few inches at a time. -.- Everyone has a freezer and a larder, ffs!

[TryNotToBeThatOne]

There's a "Guide to Living in the South" that sometimes go through the internet. The gist of one item is: if there is any warning of inclement weather, go to the grocery store. Buy bread & milk. Even if you never consume either one, even if you already have some at home. It's a cultural imperative. We don't know why we do it, we just do it.

Part of that is logical. We don't get really inclement weather that often so our communities don't have the gear to deal with it. We get anything, it will probably be ice, and it might be a few days before you can get out.

[Shengirl]

There's a "Guide to Living in the South" that sometimes go through the internet. The gist of one item is: if there is any warning of inclement weather, go to the grocery store. Buy bread & milk.

You forgot toilet paper. Not that Maryland's in the South, but that rule still applies.

[It shouldn't]

What I don't get is the need to have keys made NOW for a vehicle that you lost the keys to at least 1/2 a year ago judging by the amount of weeds climbing up the tires in the middle of a rain storm or blizzard. That's when I charge them an idiot tax.

[daleduke17]

As I may have mentioned, my mom worked in an ER (my supper conversation growing up would prevent most people from ever eating again).

I used to hang around EMTs and firefighters (still do to an extent), those *are* some fun conversations. :-p

As for the weather: we got hit with an ice storm about three weeks ago. It was the first of the season, so drivers apparently couldn't remember their driving skills. I was at work monitoring some surrounding agency channels (County Sheriff, the adjacent city and both fire/police for the city my work is in), and I could tell as soon as the freezing rain started. All four channels just lit up with accidents. Our grounds crew had a few people on more than a normal Saturday and ended up calling in the full crew to de-ice the walks and driveways around the campus.

But, it is porportional: worse the weather, more people need frivolous things.

[hecubus]

I may have posted this one before, but, it fits the topic. I remember talking to a guy who managed a (now closed) movie theater in town (in Southeastern Wisconsin), and he told me of one time when we had had a massive snowstorm, and virtually everything in town was shut down. He had a four-wheel drive vehicle, so, he figured, as long as the theater was going to be closed that day, he would go in to do some badly needed maintainance on the projectors.

Soon after he got there, he heard someone pounding on the doors. He went to the doors, and saw two people on cross-country skis standing there. These two were very dismayed to learn that the theater was closed.

I mean, seriously, if you have to ski to the movie theater.........

[Tigress]

There's a "Guide to Living in the South" that sometimes go through the internet. The gist of one item is: if there is any warning of inclement weather, go to the grocery store. Buy bread & milk. Even if you never consume either one, even if you already have some at home. It's a cultural imperative. We don't know why we do it, we just do it.

There's an alternate version called "Guide to Living in NC":

"If there is the tiniest inkling of the merest possibility of even a smidgen of snow, your presence is required at the grocery store. You don't have to buy anything. You just have to be there."

When my husband showed me the list, I ended up nodding my head sadly to that and the one about NC'ers measuring distance by the time it takes to get there instead of actual mileage.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

There's an alternate version called "Guide to Living in NC":

"If there is the tiniest inkling of the merest possibility of even a smidgen of snow, your presence is required at the grocery store. You don't have to buy anything. You just have to be there."

When my husband showed me the list, I ended up nodding my head sadly to that and the one about NC'ers measuring distance by the time it takes to get there instead of actual mileage.

How true.

Here's another one I just though of:

If there's even a trace amount of freezing rain/ice/sleet/snow falling, public schools in a hundred mile radius will cancel classes and declare an optional teacher workday. While you may not have any precipitation in your yard, but because it snowed the next county over is considered enough reason for a snow day.

[Namrepus221]

I will go to my grave saying that my entire state could be facing the end of the world

Everyone would simply go out and buy milk and bread.

That is all you need to survive. A Gallon of Milk, and a loaf of bread. That would be it.