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News and notes from Reston (tm).
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Hey, Guess What? It Snowed. Again.
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News and notes from Reston (tm).
DEAR LEADER
Macaroni Grill Doomsday Clock
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You know it's going to scary when the weatherman is scared...because the don't know what the hell is coming!
ReplyDeleteHahahahaha "Whatever happens, we blame Al Gore"
ReplyDeleteTrue enough!
What is it about drivers and snow? Over the weekend, while it was snowing, I took the kids for a walk up to Fox Mill Shopping Center for some lunch. Just like every other bout of snow, we walked along the plowed four lane roads by the curb.
ReplyDeleteUsually this is no big deal. When there's a single file of cars, they'll move over and when there's a double file of cars, we'll step up onto the curb or out of the plowed areas. Pretty simple system.
This last weekend, people were refusing to move from the right lane to the left lane, although both were equally plowed. And it's not as if there were an endless stream of cars either. In many cases, it would be a lone car. There was even one fat bastard who was wildly gesturing for me and the kids to get out of the road (we were walking single file along the curb already), slowed down to pass us and then stopped his SUV when he got just beyond us. I figured the dumass was going to get out of the car and say something. I guess he thought better of it when he realized that he was stopped near the bottom of the hill on Reston Parkway and snow plow was starting to make its way down toward us. Whatadumass!
And then there was the lone lady coming down South Lakes Drive who started flailing her arms for us to get out of the road at least 100 yards away. She was clearly a menace because every time she would get that one arm waving, the other would jerk the steering wheel and the car would jump. Jeez, it would have just been easier to move a little to the left WHERE THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS. And keep both hands on the steering wheel where they belong.
Are people really that cranky because they're now snowbound on *gasp* their days off that they can't share the road with others who are equally snowbound and actually like to get out in this weather? My advice: if you can't deal with the snow, then don't go out in it until the roads have been cleared completely.
Yep. Reston is such a "progressive" community though on the front of pedestrian- and cyclist-friendliness though, right? I endured similar problems with the weekend snowfall. I needed to walk from Charter Oak to the Northpoint Blockbuster to return some videos. I had to walk IN Reston Parkway between Temporary Road and Baron Cameron Avenue, and people were getting visibly irked that I was in their way as I walked and tried to stay out of their way. News flash: Plow the trails, build MORE trails to more easily access areas currently underserved, or, gasp, "Arlingtonize" Reston with a few sidewalks! Ahhh!!! With a potential repeat of the December storm on the way this weekend as well I can only imagine how difficult it will be to walk around the community AGAIN!
ReplyDeletewalking on back roads is one thing, no problem there. But walking along Reston Parkway, a 45mph zone in the snow? First off you are crazy, secondly you are a idiot. Next time get some snow boots dumbass.
ReplyDeleteLike I said, if you can't deal with sharing the road on a snowy day, better to stay at home until the roads and the sidewalks are clear.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree that walking in Reston Pkwy in the snow is bordering on suicidal. What if someone was trying to share the road and skidded? You are assuming that everyone drives well in the snow, and there are no hidden patches of black ice. It would be cold comfort to know that you were right if you or one of your kids was run over.
ReplyDeleteI tell you what. You get the county or RA to clear the sidewalks like they clear the roads and I'll be only to happy to stick to the sidewalks.
ReplyDeleteStay off the sidewalks too! That's where my car is, sideways at 45mph.
ReplyDeleteSo that was your car, Anon? I'm very sorry the door handles and everything but the Little Convict really had to urinate badly and that was about the closest we were going to find to privacy on Reston Parkway.
ReplyDeleteOn the bright side, I didn't know he could arc a stream up quite that high. I guess I had forgotten what it's like to be young and have a very full bladder.
Actually, if you look at the FFCTy website where it talks about snow clearing, it says that sidewalks are not cleared by the county and that while residents are not legally required to do so, it would be a kindness to others...
ReplyDeleteIn other words, they aren't going to do squat. I think where there ARE sidewalks (and a lot of places in Reston do not have them), they fall under the county's jurisdiction...so you're S.O.L.
This fact is really highlighted when you see kids waiting for school buses. In the street. In the dark. The irony is that when asked why more kids don't walk to school the elementary schools say, "oh it's dangerous without sidewalks." And they wonder why our kids are obese...
BiCo they do plow the paths. Have you ever even walked on one of them?! Sheesh!
ReplyDeleteYou could easily have walked on the pathes from Charter Oak to Northpoint.
Unbeleiveable!
It would've been easier to take the underpass to get to the Spectrum side of Reston Parkway. There are crosswalks on that side which are governed stop signs and stoplights. You won't have to plead with drivers to share the road. There should be one long sidewalk on that side of Reston Parkway that runs from Home Depot all the way to Route 7.
ReplyDeleteDoug Hill's latest forecast just called for 12 to 16 inches of snow this weekend.
ReplyDeleteBlame it on Al Gore -- it's more fun than blaming Canada.
Speaking of Canada, the winter weather policy of the Reston, Manitoba, school district is that schools close ONLY when the temperature is colder than minus 40 Celsius (which is the same in Farenheit), or the wind chill is colder than minus 45 Celsius.
Convict, you narcissistic sociopath, this isn't about 'sharing the road,' it's about common sense and common courtesy. Please stay home this weekend if it snows.
ReplyDeleteDo any remember the Reston ski slope with T bar lift? Yup there really was one and it looked great to prospective buyers.
ReplyDeleteMt. Reston!
ReplyDeleteIt was a blast going there as a kid, though the t-bar was gone when I was there as a teen-ager.
Wow. I've got my own Anonymous troll. I feel honored.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't deal with foot traffic, stay off of the roads. Remember, pedestrians have the right of way.
Common sense and common courtesy would seem to dicate, BTW, that if you're in a four lane divided road with pedestrians in one lane and no other cars around, then you move to the other non-pedestrian lane. If you doubt that, I would suggest that you go down to the North County sub-station and ask one of Fairfax County's finest.
ReplyDeleteAnd If I'm wrong, I'll be happy to pay the jaywalking ticket and go get my car instead.
I went to Harris-Teeter tonight and the shelves are already starting to get picked bare. They were out of so much I also had to go to the Fox Mill Giant, who have plenty of stock and few customers.
ReplyDeleteI recommend all Restonianites prepare to crack open each others skulls and feast on the goo inside.
Actually Convict, pedestrians do not have the right of way in Virginia. Ask the police. That's who told me. They said you only have the right of way if you're a pedestrian if you're crossing the road and are already in the middle of the road when a car approaches. If you and a car approach a four-way stop at the same time, they have the right of way. It's the opposite in the state I'm from (pedestrians have the right of way no matter what) so this greatly confused me when I moved here. Enough to ask Capt. Burnett at the Reston police station.
ReplyDeleteConvict, I think you're beat on this one. Common sense dictates that the vast majority of drivers are not aware of your rule that pedestrians can occupy one lane on snowy days. And if most people have not heard of your rule, it's simply not safe. I suggest you get some boots and walk in the snow before something really nasty happens.
ReplyDeleteConvict, even if yo9u are 100% correct, is it worth risking your life over? Better to admit that some people drive badly and life is just plain old unfair rather than to have one of your kids killed by a sliding car.
ReplyDelete(gives literal meaning to the phrase "is this the hill you want to die on?")
A Yankee watches Restonians try to drive in the snow - a Haiku
ReplyDeleteFoot off power brake
Wheels locked Toyota won't steer
unless you let it
Was the Reston ski slope off of North Shore accross from Golf Course Island Pool and later to be known as King Kong Hill?
ReplyDeleteNo it was on "Mt Reston" which is the hill behind the Unitarian church on Whiele directly opposite Fairway drive.
ReplyDeleteBut I'll be on King Kong hill come Saturday!