comment #1

erniesouchak says ...

I agree. I had the same experience in Manhattan in the blizzard of '95. The city seems like another, better world for a short time.

comment #2

vansmith says ...

i remember the blizzard in Manhattan, it was late December and the first few days of 96, the snow opened the front door of our building and was in the lobby that morning, incredible, like being on another planet..

comment #3

austin111 says ...

The same could be said for most situations that come along unexpectedly and leave people stranded or in inconvenient circumstances, sometimes perilously. People are forced to slow down, look around at their fellow humans and relax their guard for awhile.

comment #4

themutilator says ...

Maybe the warnings and advisories aren't directed at you...maybe they are directed at people travelling, the shut-ins, people with limited mobility, the visually impaired, people that rely on meals-on-wheels, people in the rural areas that get much more snow, people that have no heat in their homes, people that dont have homes...What?!?! No stories on toboganning?!?!?Those bastards!

comment #5

Midwest Doug says ...

Here in Michigan, every projected snowfall of more than an inch is treated by the media as if it were a massive blizzard. The good thing is, after we get a huge snowfall (like today), the media tends to calm down about the next 3" of snowfall.

comment #6

p.Vice says ...

It's quite obvious that television news is designed to promote fear no matter what the topic might be. Going to the grocery store? Your food might be poisonous! Taking in a baseball game? You could be hit in the head with a ball! Snow? It's a killer, just like out other friend the sun! It's mind control.

comment #7

joncro says ...

This thread reminded me that I took some photos in that 95/96 blizzard in NY, so I uploaded them-

http://www.flickr.com/photos/leolondon/2115365436/in/set-1991/

comment #8

Chuck Latovich says ...

Absolutely right, Jeff. And they start predicting Armageddon days in advance. People start hoarding. And the laugh is that even in the worst circumstances, you can get anywhere you need to in under 24 hours...

comment #9

George Prager says ...

The Boston anchors can't wait for the winter. They spend the rest of the year saying things like "A Revere man is in jail tonight, accused of eating his neighbor's dog..." Or "A barroom brawl turned into a night of terror for one Lowell pre-schooler."
The snow coverage is a welcome relief.

comment #10

Bilge says ...

All of this may be true, but there's also something you're ignoring, which is that for people with homes (as in, not apartments) snowstorms and other kinds of heavy precipitation can often be a problem, causing flooding, clogged sewers, leaking roofs, etc. that can result in thousands of dollars worth of damage. That's not to say that snow isn't beautiful, which it is...

comment #11

The Winchester says ...

I like in LA, when the newscasters treat rain like a blizzard. I think that's more offensive.

Then again, when it rains, people out here turn into idiots, so maybe it's justified.

comment #12

christian says ...

Oh, you gotta love the one hour of rain LA gets in winter that forces everybody to drive like epileptic possums. Scaaarrrry.

comment #13

John Y says ...

My goodness, just move to the east coast already. You made it pretty clear that you hate L.A. and spend the majority of the year bitching about it -- why not just move away?