Monday, January 26, 2015

Rant: Snowmaggedon & Deflategate

As a fan of the New England Patriots, I'm looking forward to their Super Bowl appearance next Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks, I think it's going to be an excellent game, a true clash of football professionals. Unfortunately, the media has been over-saturated with the issue of Deflategate, partially due to the NFL's slow progress in their investigation. As such, it seems I should dedicate this week's Rant to Deflategate, but that isn't going to happen. There are much more important issues to address, rather than talk about some deflated balls.

Snowmageddon! Snowpocalypse!

The weather reports are indicating a potential blizzard to begin tonight and continue all day tomorrow. We could potentially receive more than two feet of snow, sending plows out all day and night to try to remove snow from the roads. Individuals may be using shovels or snow blowers to clean their driveways or parking spots. It will be an inconvenience, and travel on Tuesday could be difficult. Some of your plans might be disrupted for that day.

In preparation of that potential blizzard, the supermarkets yesterday were packed, and today, they will likely be packed as well. It happens before every possible storm. A sudden rush for bread and water, a stockpiling of alleged necessities. You would think people were preparing for being locked in their houses for a week or more, or that they expected the supermarkets to shut down for a week. Is all of that necessary?  Not really.

For the vast majority of us, these snow storms won't be any more of a single day problem. The city's response is quick enough that the roads should be accessible within a day of any snowstorm. Even if homeowners lose their power in their home for an extended time, they will still be able to drive to a supermarket, restaurant or hotel if necessary. A repeat of an extended shutdown, like that caused by the Blizzard of 1978, will probably never happen again. And if we are only looking at a single day problem, then there is no need for the urgent stockpiling.

Who doesn't have enough food and drink in their home to last through a day or two? There are too many people stockpiling food who really don't need to do so. It is far too often based on an irrational fear. And it can be a problem for those people who might actually have a true need to purchase basic supplies. Stop the unnecessary worrying each time a storm approaches. If you live in New England, you should be used to winter storms, and have prepared for them long before they even approach. Stop crowding the supermarket the day or two before a storm, picking up food and drink that you probably don't even need.  

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