Highway to Hell

Okay, this is really pissing me off. It started as a pet peeve last winter, and after an eventful drive to work this morning, has turned into a full blown rant. Possibly even involving me fighting City Hall. Well, okay, writing them a stern email, but the same kind of tone might be there.

We're in Minnesota. It is known to be snowy here. It is also a commonly known fact that these are seriously some of the worse drivers I have ever encountered. Not rude, road-rage Massholes or other New England drivers, but honest to God you take your life in your hands every time you get into the car here drivers. Idiots, idiots, idiots. And often with their kids in the car! So, I'm thinking that if you live in Minnesota (and I'm also thinking that if I have noticed things after a year, maybe those that have lived here much longer could notice them, too) and you've come to expect snow and, occasionally, some sleet then you could also expect to follow that with...say...sand and snowplows. Just a natural conclusion. Now I hate to say 'my dog is bigger' and all that. BUT when I lived in KC our plows and sand trucks were out DURING snow and ice (sometimes they'd wait til it was over) storms. It was expected. I'm pretty sure it was paid for, too. By me and thousands of other taxpayers. Hell, Block Island (and by BI I mean Joe and Mike, right?) was always out first thing plowing and sanding the five paved roads. But here in the great metropolis of Rochester, Minnesota it's two days after the snow and three days after the sleet and the roads have barely been touched. Serious major thoroughfares, other than the highway, have seen nary a plow. The usually seven minute drive to work today took me almost 25 minutes and most of my way was a solid sheet of ice. I was on a heavily used road. It's almost 3 pm and I STILL haven't seen a sandtruck or plow.

I cannot even begin to tell you how little I think of this city's infrastructure. There's 87,000 parks and playgrounds, sometimes every two blocks, but I guess we don't have enough money for a frickin' road crew.

Now on to write that stern chastisement to City Hall.