The Blizzard of '07
Blizzard? I have been hearing about the intense winter weather the US has been having and have been wondering if ever I was going to see some here in Northern Europe. Last week we finally got to experience what happens when a city is completely unprepared for a snow storm. We had a "blizzard" hit Copenhagen yesterday. I'd say it dropped a solid 3 inches; however that combined with some pretty gnarly gusts of wind created some pretty good snow drifts. Anyways, chaos ensued.-I allowed for an extra half an hour to make my usual 20 minute commute, and I was 20 minutes late for class.-Denmark's S-trains, which is their main commuter rail, was apparently designed by Italians... you know those people that live in a generally snow free Mediterranean climate... So these S-trains barely function in ice and snow. Next thing you know the system that is meticulously efficient and planned out to a tee just falls apart.-I spent 30 minutes standing at a bus station that I usually never have to wait more than 3 minutes for, all the while watching busses and cars skid all over the road.-None of the restaurants or shops in the city are clearing the snow from their sidewalks, so you can barely traverse the slush/snow/ice stuff without boots on. Now I've seen towns and cities get bogged down by snow before... but this was 24 hours after a storm which couldn't have dropped even 5 inches of good snow.
Blizzard? I have been hearing about the intense winter weather the US has been having and have been wondering if ever I was going to see some here in Northern Europe. Last week we finally got to experience what happens when a city is completely unprepared for a snow storm. We had a "blizzard" hit Copenhagen yesterday. I'd say it dropped a solid 3 inches; however that combined with some pretty gnarly gusts of wind created some pretty good snow drifts. Anyways, chaos ensued.-I allowed for an extra half an hour to make my usual 20 minute commute, and I was 20 minutes late for class.-Denmark's S-trains, which is their main commuter rail, was apparently designed by Italians... you know those people that live in a generally snow free Mediterranean climate... So these S-trains barely function in ice and snow. Next thing you know the system that is meticulously efficient and planned out to a tee just falls apart.-I spent 30 minutes standing at a bus station that I usually never have to wait more than 3 minutes for, all the while watching busses and cars skid all over the road.-None of the restaurants or shops in the city are clearing the snow from their sidewalks, so you can barely traverse the slush/snow/ice stuff without boots on. Now I've seen towns and cities get bogged down by snow before... but this was 24 hours after a storm which couldn't have dropped even 5 inches of good snow.
1 comment:
That surprises me, I'd figure they'd be more prepared than that. Gotta love the winter weather though! C~
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