Selfishness

I live in the south and the poor weather we are experiencing has caused a lot of problems. I get the derision that is heaped upon the south from our northern neighbors when it comes to 'just an inch' of snow causing complete paralysis. The problem is, that inch of snow doesn't stay snow. As soon as it hits a road surface, it turns to ice. It started snowing at about midday yesterday, and it wasn't a heavy snow fall, it was light with a good wind behind it.

By 1:30pm there was a thin layer on ice on most of the roads, and as the afternoon went on, it got thicker and thicker. That is what caused the problem. But that is not why I am writing this. What I want to write about is the selfishness I saw yesterday. One of the things I have seen in the media this morning is how great it is that people have pulled together and helped each other out. People feeding and helping stranded motorists and all that good stuff.

I'm going to go against the grain here, and talk about how much selfishness I saw yesterday, and here is why:

I saw people in vehicles who had no clue what they were doing. They blocked roads, sometimes for a few minutes, hours or in some cases, those roads are still blocked. I saw people who have no clue how to drive in adverse conditions, fuck it up for those of us who can. Yes I know we all want to get home safely, but instead of watching jersey shore, watch a you tube video on how to drive in ice and snow.  That knowledge might,you know, come in handy one day.

I saw an awful lot of people who are just so unprepared for this sort of weather and this sort of eventuality. Yes I know this doesn't happen often but I have also seen these same types of people unprepared for the summer heat too.

All of these people are now looking to the emergency services to save them, rescue their vehicles and so on, and this is why they are selfish; they want to put other people's lives at risk because they can't get their shit together and have even the most basic of plans.

I get that I am 'a bit out there' with some of my views and attitudes. My father (bless him, he probably still thinks I have two left hands) taught me to think, plan ahead and be at least somewhat self sufficient. No one man can survive everything that is thrown at him, that is why we have emergency services, but so much of what people these days think of as emergencies, can be mitigated with a little planning some household items.

To those people today who are stranded, blocking roads, and awaiting rescue; would it have hurt to have a few basic survival items packed into your funny little sports car? You know, the one that is currently askew, half way up a hill somewhere, blocking a side road. Those tires sure do offer a lot of grip on the blacktop when its all hot and sticky, but not so much when there is a half an inch of ice covering it.

Just a few items would make the world of difference. A blanket, flashlight, some water, gloves and a watch cap could literally save your ass. It can make: do you need help? - oh gods thank you yes I am freezing and stuck, into; do you need help? - thank you but I'm good. I have a bit of a walk ahead of me, and you'll find my car, a mile or two back there, tucked into the side of the road out of the way, but I am warm and hydrated. I'll be fine.

... which allows those first responders to move on to people who really need the help, like the elderly, or people giving birth on 285 because they are stuck there. There are plenty of preparedness resources out there. There really is no excuse for not being prepared. Yes it isn't hip, it isn't trendy or fashionable, but how warm does fashion make you feel when it is dark, below freezing, you are out of gas, thirsty and hungry?

Don't be selfish and expect others to take care of you. Take a few simple steps to take care of yourself, and lets make it easier for everyone, especially those who are working their asses off today in some very dangerous conditions.