Friday, January 16, 2009

Salt of the Earth

We don't usually have a lot of trouble with snow here. Yes, they have delayed openings more often than I think they should, yes, things shut down for a day when it snows hard, but it's usually not more than one day that is affected (which really cracks me up when I happen to be at a grocery store before a predicted big storm. People are shopping like the world will end and they have to stock up!).

The reason our roads stay pretty good? They salt the dickens out of them. I had to be on the Garden State Parkway yesterday, during the snowstorm. The road was wet, not even slushy. But there was SO MUCH SALT that I had to stop and refill my washer fluid because it was hazardous to drive without cleaning your windows every five minutes. My car is a mess (I might take a picture in a bit. It's cold outside!). It looks like the Bonneville Salt Flats!

When the roads and sidewalks are crunchy because of all the salt, then you know you might be using a bit much. Or, maybe not.

1 comment:

Jill in MA said...

Yeah, the salt is pretty bad here, too. I tried to get my car washed today because the roads are dry and I figured that the car wouldn't immediately be covered in salt. But the car wash was closed, I guess because it was too cold.

You could move to New Hampshire. After the last snow, my friends and I went to brunch in NH. The highways turned from black to white at the border. They don't tax there, so they can't afford salt.