Winter Travelers Who Fail to Follow Common Sense

Winter Travelers failed to follow the rules when it came to travel during the great winter storm of 2010. Instead they relied on 911 to help them.

by Nick Markowitz Jr.

One of the most reliable roads one can travel in the Mid Atlantic area when winter weather is bad is the Pennsylvania Turnpike, especially when you need to get from Ohio to Philadelphia or Washington, D.C. It's well known for its famous snowplow trains--multiple plow trucks lined up like a train. These trucks are able to bust through the toughest of snow storms when winter weather gets worse than bad. However, like all roads, one must still take precautions because you're still traveling through the infamous Allegheny Mountains. With names like Tuscarawas and Blue Knob, part of the famous Appalachians Mountain chain has as many as three tunnels.

This weekend once again proved that even with the best road maintenance available things can go wrong, and they certainly did when two tractor trailers wrecked between the Donegal and Somerset exits. This brought west-bound traffic to a stop for 12 hours. The accident was bad enough that local Fire departments had to bring water and food to travelers who where unprepared. Most of them didn't bring even the most simplest of precautions, such as filling their gas tank up before they left, or a simple blanket, water, snacks, or small food items.

After all, you're traveling through mountains in the 2000 foot range and the snow and ice can be heavy in this region. Many travelers didn't even have proper winter clothing with them either, such as a heavy parka and gloves.

Today, too many people don't plan or think ahead for one minute. They automatically assume by dialing 911 that all their troubles will be taken care of. Luckily for them the first responders in the area are equipped and trained to handle the terrain, but while the turnpike travelers took up the first responders time, they had to leave their own towns unprotected while they dealt with the mess on the turnpike.

Once again a hand full of idiots put thousands at risk because they couldn't be bothered to take the simplest of precautions. There's an Old saying "Fail to Prepare, then Prepare to Fail," and everyday it's proven out by those who will not use their god-given brains to think even one step ahead.

To further illustrate my point, there where people in the turnpike mess who wore their shorts with a thin hoodie. Many of them didn't have long pants with them because, like the rest of these ill-prepared people, they thought they where only going the distance of one or two exits. They figured that the car heater would aptly keep them warm and safe. Never once did they think they could be trapped in a wreck or behind one.

As long as people keep relying on our Nanny State and they continue to think it will not happen to them, 911 will be busier than ever as idiots call whose very actions place others at risk. With things not getting any better in our society, as more and more people rely on the Nanny State, you can expect to see more and more idiotic and dumb things done by people on TV this winter.

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