January 20, 2005

Worst Drive Home.... Ever

Posted by Larry Karnowski at January 20, 2005 10:26 AM

Yesterday Raleigh and Durham got a light dusting of snow that instantly became ice on the roads. The cities didn't get any warning though, and so they didn't prepare the overpasses, off-ramps, and bridges. Then all the surrounding counties cancelled school for the day, about 2pm. Everyone left the office between 2 and 5pm.

I left the office at 5pm. It normally takes me thirty minutes to drive home -- about ten minutes on I40 and then twenty minutes on I540. It took me nearly eight hours to drive home last night. I got home at 12:45AM. Do the math -- seven hours and forty-five minutes. No bathroom breaks, no news on the radio, no reason given whatsoever as to why we were backed up, and no alternate routes available. No dinner, no drinks, and did I mention... no bathroom?

When I finally got to my exit, I found there were around two dozen cars, smashed up or just abandoned, littering the exit. A cop was directing people around and through the maze. Then I found out why there were so many derelict cars -- the exit was a solid sheet of ice.

I got home safely, though, and got to sleep in my own bed. There were folks staying in offices last night, and I've heard reports this morning of schools that kept kids overnight, sleeping in classrooms. (How'd you like to do that, Saundra, Miss New-Teacher-And-All-That?) So I won't call myself "lucky," but I survived, obviously. I think I wrote a whole new definition for the word "cranky," though.

Comments

I bet you were cranky, no bathrooms!!! Glad you got home safe, son, and I'm also glad I didn't know about this untill it was over.:O} lub u

Posted by: Mom at January 20, 2005 4:15 PM

glad you made it safe - sorry i missed you at the christmas party...apparently you just had just left!

Posted by: sarah at January 20, 2005 4:47 PM

Oh Dear Lord that would be my worst nightmare... I kid you not... I would risk life and limb to get home rather than sleep in a classroom with some of mine... Sweet Jesus!

Posted by: Saundra at January 20, 2005 4:52 PM

hehehe

Posted by: larry at January 20, 2005 4:54 PM

It's really NOT a laughing matter.... seriously.

The mere thought of it makes me shiver...

Posted by: Saundra at January 20, 2005 5:29 PM

Glad that you made it home safe and sound. I made it here to the land of the crescent moon and star without any incidents. the weather is pretty nice, like late march or early april. Send emails to my guard address.
later

Posted by: frank at January 20, 2005 9:47 PM

I told Beth about your ordeal, and about teachers having to spend the night at school with some kids, and she said, "oh my gosh, thats my definition of hell!". mine too!

Posted by: Mom at January 20, 2005 10:17 PM

What a nightmare. Once an icestorm here turned Pellissippi Parkway into Pellissippi Parking Lot but nothing like you went through. As an aside, your singing voice IS very nice, good job.

Posted by: Uncle Tom at January 20, 2005 10:51 PM

Oh man, I read an AP story about this last night at work and wondered if you'd gotten stuck in it. Apparently, yes. I'm glad you made it home, though.

The upside of people getting stuck where they were, according to the AP story, was some got stuck at a 24-hour grocery store and it sounds like the owners let those people have run of the place while they were there. Woot! Let me at them Fritos!

Posted by: Stacy at January 21, 2005 4:09 AM

I bet from now on you'll always keep some sort of empty bottle in your car...no bathroom breaks. I'm glad you're safe though, I know that I would have freaked out big time if I'd had to deal with that. Love you!

Posted by: Cassidy at January 21, 2005 11:38 AM

I still marvel at how things turned into such a disaster there, and we northerners all chuckled at the thought of a little snow crippling a city. However, we also know how dangerous icy roads can be.

I'm glad you made it home safe... I'm glad you didn't run out of gas!

Posted by: John Duprey at January 24, 2005 11:25 PM

WOW, eight hours! I spent about 45 minutes on Davis drive trying to get to 40, said screw it and took a back road over to 55 and was home within an hour including stopping at Whole Foods in Cary. Was no ice or traffic at all on 55...

Posted by: eviljason at January 27, 2005 1:09 PM