Nearly 2 years ago I moved to the St Louis area and the weather has most certainly been the largest part of acclimation process.
After 40+ years of life, yesterday takes the cake. With snow falling at a radical pace all day, I watched from my office window. Leave, or not to leave. I was watching cars sit on the highway I didn't really feel as if there was a productive reason to leave. At 2pm, I made the call to leave and start the journey, in which would become the craziest drive I've ever made.
As highways, streets, and interstates were closing at a rapid rate, I decided to use WAZE to navigate me home. Big Mistake! The first couple of hours of my journey was somewhat calm as I mostly was avoiding well traveled roads (WAZE attempting to make it quick). The residential roads were mostly comprised of stalled cars that I could pass using my 4 wheel driver Texas truck. This very noticeably became obviously unproductive after 2 hours I could walk to work.
Because of the massive river systems in St Louis traveling in any direction usually ends a pinch point to cross some major river. As a result I only have a couple of roads to travel home. As 2 of them was closed (according to WAZE) I chose the 3rd possibility. This highway reminds me of some hill country roads, winding through the hills, with even a ski resort placed on this road. At this time I had already passed hundreds of stranded motorist, but this was nothing in what I would experience over the next 8 hours.
As I entered the winding, hilly, slab of pavement I noticed very quickly- I made a mistake. Picture CR335-337 roads but with trees, and a blizzard and thousands of cars. Everyone I was talking to would have some sort of escape option that told me- they don't get it. What was happening is vehicles would stall in trying to get up a hill, and then every other vehicle behind them would slow and stall. To make matters worse people would try to go around, resulting in cars lacing the roadway from guard rail to guard rail. After just sitting for hours, and watching people abandon their vehicles and start to walk (don't know where). It just so happened the gentleman in front of me was in a lifted 4 wheel driver truck, and yes you guessed it - from Texas. I just want to add with this sort of 100% congestion, it is impossible for plows or tow trucks to reach the problems. GRID LOCK! So, this good ole' boy and I started to work together by snatching up cars and dragging them against the rails, creating a singular center lane. This then created a battle- who was going to use the created space, north or south bound traffic. This nearly caused a war. People were going nuts! The even bigger problem is that the congestion was miles and only freeing you up for a few hundred feet. Finally, a couple of officers made there way to us, and we informed them of our plan. They loved it, and used their motivating flashy lights to assist in persuasion. After hours of dragging cars and inching my way through- I made it! Sadly, thousands of motorist are still there. I did however have 19 people in my truck that I dropped off at the grocery store. Crazies thing ever! Just wanted to share... Stay in Texas!
After 40+ years of life, yesterday takes the cake. With snow falling at a radical pace all day, I watched from my office window. Leave, or not to leave. I was watching cars sit on the highway I didn't really feel as if there was a productive reason to leave. At 2pm, I made the call to leave and start the journey, in which would become the craziest drive I've ever made.
As highways, streets, and interstates were closing at a rapid rate, I decided to use WAZE to navigate me home. Big Mistake! The first couple of hours of my journey was somewhat calm as I mostly was avoiding well traveled roads (WAZE attempting to make it quick). The residential roads were mostly comprised of stalled cars that I could pass using my 4 wheel driver Texas truck. This very noticeably became obviously unproductive after 2 hours I could walk to work.
Because of the massive river systems in St Louis traveling in any direction usually ends a pinch point to cross some major river. As a result I only have a couple of roads to travel home. As 2 of them was closed (according to WAZE) I chose the 3rd possibility. This highway reminds me of some hill country roads, winding through the hills, with even a ski resort placed on this road. At this time I had already passed hundreds of stranded motorist, but this was nothing in what I would experience over the next 8 hours.
As I entered the winding, hilly, slab of pavement I noticed very quickly- I made a mistake. Picture CR335-337 roads but with trees, and a blizzard and thousands of cars. Everyone I was talking to would have some sort of escape option that told me- they don't get it. What was happening is vehicles would stall in trying to get up a hill, and then every other vehicle behind them would slow and stall. To make matters worse people would try to go around, resulting in cars lacing the roadway from guard rail to guard rail. After just sitting for hours, and watching people abandon their vehicles and start to walk (don't know where). It just so happened the gentleman in front of me was in a lifted 4 wheel driver truck, and yes you guessed it - from Texas. I just want to add with this sort of 100% congestion, it is impossible for plows or tow trucks to reach the problems. GRID LOCK! So, this good ole' boy and I started to work together by snatching up cars and dragging them against the rails, creating a singular center lane. This then created a battle- who was going to use the created space, north or south bound traffic. This nearly caused a war. People were going nuts! The even bigger problem is that the congestion was miles and only freeing you up for a few hundred feet. Finally, a couple of officers made there way to us, and we informed them of our plan. They loved it, and used their motivating flashy lights to assist in persuasion. After hours of dragging cars and inching my way through- I made it! Sadly, thousands of motorist are still there. I did however have 19 people in my truck that I dropped off at the grocery store. Crazies thing ever! Just wanted to share... Stay in Texas!
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