When the roads get snowy this time of year, our coveted markers disappear under the fluffy stuff and lane demarcation gets thrown out. The best tactic to estimate the lanes is then to look for tire tracks ahead of you and to stay a good distance from the person passing you (in Michigan, on both the left AND the right). In short, it is nothing less than highway chaos.
And yet, I find it refreshingly calm.
There is just something about the communal decrease from 70mph to 30mph, increased awareness of managing a large, dangerous mass of steel, and slip-sliding that reminds me that we’re all in this man vs. nature fight together.
Plus, the road looks pretty.
I like when it snows and it gets really quiet. I don’t get that same sense of calm and quiet here in Milwaukee, but it is one of my favorite things about snow, when it is done snowing but before people come out to start shoveling. I love it.
Well, here a few counter points to consider:
1) Passengers stressed out by the adverse weather conditions can make the journey less enjoyable for the driver.
2) The idiot who thinks he is in his own personal rally and still drives at 70 mph poses a safety risk to us all.
3) When the white-out hits during a night drive over the Ohio interstate, calm is not a word that springs to mind.
Still, I agree that slowing down in a snow storm to enjoy the view and beauty is of great value.
@ Liam — sounds like a lot of personal experiences to me!
I completely agree with the writers, but I must add a caveat – Snow is only nice when it’s confined to places that are used to it. There’s about 3 inches in Dallas right now, and people are FREAKING OUT. No one knows what to do or how to handle it. Yuck.
@ LaLa,
Exactly! The peacefulness and calm of a snowfall is only really enjoyable if the peacefulness is embraced by all.