December 2008 Storm --consolidation thread (Seattle, Everett: apartment, credit, neighborhood)

[MaikeerinWA]

Looks like the winds will be a little lighter than feared. Keeping my fingers crossed...

[allforcats]

Originally Posted by seattlenextyear

I grew up in IcySnowtown, NY

Ahh, I remember that town well! Near North Tonawanda, right? Ah yes.....

[allforcats]

You should see the chains doing their thing on the icy NON-mountain roads in icy NON-mountain Bellevue today! Chop chop chop crush crush crush!!
This whole area is so hilly -- even the very small grades send non-chained cars careening around. Snomolition derby!

[MaikeerinWA]

Hopefully things will get better at the airport by Monday. According to the news, lots of people sleeping there Saturday night due to cancelled flights and lack of hotel rooms nearby.

Not sure what was meant by "AirportShuttleExpress" in the original post. I know that Shuttle Express really cut back on their service this weekend, based on what I heard on the radio.

[ElektroDragon]

I moved here from upstate NY 6 months ago, so its my first winter. In NY, even the smallest snow would have crews plowing and salting even side roads. Here, with what is considered a "major" storm (but laughable by NY standards), I was shocked that NO ONE salted or plowed anything, not even the 405! I've endured very many Northeast winters, but never have I driven in such poor road conditions! I love my new state much more than NY, but what's the deal here? Is this what NY spends all that state income tax on? I only observed the region from Kirkland to Lynwood, so I can't speak for the city, but considering that the Eastside is maybe 3 times more densely populated that where I came from, this is just sad.

[JoshB]

Wow, That's sad... I can't believe they would jeopardize someones well being just to save a few bucks.

[allforcats]

Salt pollutes the land and waterways and corrodes the undersides of vehicles, so salt is not often used anymore.

Plowing requires equipment, maintenance and salaries, as well as often the widening of roads. If you're willing to pay a lot more taxes and/or make individual contributions to state, county and city coffers, you can have all the plowing you want. Go for it!

P.S. Thought you might find this article interesting, about how taxes and fees are going up everywhere in NYS.
http://www.236.com/news/2008/12/21/d...rson_10826.php

[allforcats]

NOON SUNDAY:
Flights are still being cancelled at SeaTac because heavy winds are making it too dangerous to fly.

[Jennibc]

We don't have the equipment. I am sure someone at sometime did a cost-benefit analysis and determined the cost outweighed the benefit. This is your first winter here so you probably don't realize this is REALLY unusual. I've spent eighteen winters here (missing 1996-2000) and I have never seen anything like this here. This is more like what goes on east of the Cascades. And there, they have snow removal equipment.

[jr75]

Originally Posted by ElektroDragon

I moved here from upstate NY 6 months ago, so its my first winter. In NY, even the smallest snow would have crews plowing and salting even side roads. Here, with what is considered a "major" storm (but laughable by NY standards), I was shocked that NO ONE salted or plowed anything, not even the 405! I've endured very many Northeast winters, but never have I driven in such poor road conditions! I love my new state much more than NY, but what's the deal here? Is this what NY spends all that state income tax on? I only observed the region from Kirkland to Lynwood, so I can't speak for the city, but considering that the Eastside is maybe 3 times more densely populated that where I came from, this is just sad.

Because this rarely happens here. Why would the city invest in snow plows etc.. if this happens once every ten years or so. In NY you can expect to have snowy winters every year and thus preparation for them.