Tuesday, February 06, 2018

Carnage across Iowa


I've been watching archived video of traffic accidents yesterday on Iowa roads, wondering why television reporters broadcasting live from the scene seem always to nod their heads up and down like bobbleheads when communicating with the mother ship. Is this something they learn in broadcast school?

The other mystery --- what happened yesterday in a state where veteran drivers usually mock our southern neighbors who panic when a few flakes of the white stuff fall. Seven dead in weather-related crashes?

Part of it was timing, I suppose --- and the state-wide extent of the storm. Plus the fact we're out of practice. KCCI-TV was reporting that three inches or more of snow hadn't fallen in the metro since 2015.

The rules remain the same --- don't leave home if you don't have to, check weather and road conditions before you leave if you've got to go, drive prudently (slow down), turn your lights on, pay attention to your driving, drive as if you're sharing the road with idiots (you are) and if you're stupid, try not to let it show.

I used to average 700 miles a week, driving Iowa from border to border; now I don't, and that's a cause for gratitude. Yesterday's outing involved a trip to the office with a stop at the print shop on the way home. Plus, we didn't get that much snow down here in the southland.

But it's still slippery out there this morning, so be careful. Iowa is not a wildly popular place to live and we need everyone --- preferably alive.

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