Monday, January 31, 2011

Thanks, Good Snowmaritans!

Last Wednesday, the Washington area had a “snow event.” Here’s the recipe for disaster: Combine a fast-dumping snowstorm with a DC area rush hour. Top it off with drivers who don’t know how to drive in snow, then let the ingredients steep for a few hours.

Result: A ROYAL MESS.

My son and I left a doctor’s appointment at 4:20 pm. to travel the fifteen miles home. (It had taken us about twenty-five minutes to get there at 3:00.) Guess how long it took us to get home. (Go on, guess.)

Two hours? No.

Three hours? Not even, uh, warm.

Four hours? No siree.

If you guessed six hours, you’d still be almost two hours SHORT!

That’s right, almost eight hours later, we stumbled through the door into our dark and cold house (yes, the power had gone out).

Eight hours! It would have been faster if we’d walked the fifteen miles.

And the funny thing? It would have taken us a lot longer, if not for the help of six Good Snowmaritans.

We got stuck on three separate occasions. And each time, anonymous, good-hearted people stepped up and pushed us back into the fray.

So, thanks to the two guys on Jermantown Road, who were pushing all the cars up that incline.

Thanks to the guy who practically lifted the front end of our car out of that snowbank on Bennett Road.

Thanks to the lady who kept our car from sliding down the hill on Bennett.

And thanks to the two guys who got us going at the top of the hill on Bennett (Bennett Road has one killer hill, if you couldn’t tell!).

Without your selfless assistance, I think my son and I would still be out there, somewhere, huddled together for warmth, waiting for Spring.

Thanks, Good Snowmaritans!


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7 comments:

Annette said...

Glad you're both safe, Alan! By the way, it's minus 2 degrees here in southwestern Pennsylvania this morning. Not loving this winter at ALL.

Anonymous said...

Alan - What an adventure!!! It's good to hear everyone's OK. And it's so nice to know there were kind people out there helping you.

Elizabeth Spann Craig said...

I'm glad you made it back all right! You could have driven to SC in that amount of time! Is there supposed to be another storm later this week, or is that just for the Midwest?

Ingrid King said...

I'm so sorry you got caught up in that mess. I just hope that this next one really only gives us a little bit of sleet and ice. After last week, ice is not looking so bad!

Hart Johnson said...

Holy cow, Alan! I'm glad you got home safe and sound after all that! Our snow adventure is on its way, but our plans are to STAY IN.

Jane Kennedy Sutton said...

It sounds like a horrible trip, but it does restore my belief in the goodness of people. I’m glad you made it and glad there are so many wonderful Snowmaritans out there.

Alan Orloff said...

Needless to say, I'm ready for spring!