1. Sleepless in SSF on December 20, 2007 2:15 PM writes...

"And although I've spent the last twenty years moving to higher and higher latitudes, I have yet, it seems, made it far enough North to where traffic doesn't go to pieces when it snows."

I was born and raised in Canada and although I never lived in the far north I have visited lots of northern locales in winter. Trust me, the only latitudes where people don't drive like idiots when it snows are the ones where there are no roads. And even there, they drive like fools on their snowmobiles.

2. milkshake on December 20, 2007 2:38 PM writes...

Car is not much use for geting around in the Boston area. (Even worse than NYC). But the greater Boston public transport system is pretty decent, for an american city. But in time like this one may want to take a par of cross-country ski on the train.

Drunken fools on snowmobiles - I heard somewhere that bleeding away on the snow under a pine tree can be a peaceful way to go/ Happy holiday!

3. KC on December 20, 2007 3:46 PM writes...

Like Poster #1 said, I'm up here in Fairbanks (AK), and people are still idiots on the road. I know, I'm one of them (much to my chagrin!). The differences are in how much snow it takes (or how much cold!) before people start freaking out, but the insanity will happen none-the-less.

And Snowmachines... gosh, it's real common to get drunk and wrap yourself around something or worse on a snowmachine. Not pretty.

4. Lou on December 20, 2007 5:19 PM writes...

My experience living somewhere where there is deep snow (north Hokkaido, Japan) is that drivers either get used to skidding a lot, or drive slower. It's quite amazing comparing the speeds during winter and summer.
Actually, pedestrians walk slow too, because they might fall and hurt themselves when crossing the icy roads.

And generally, cities where snow can be expected, but doesn't happen often (e.g. London or Tokyo) are always ill-equipped to deal with it. Whether it is because of not including that in the budget, or because they don't know what to do, I don't know...

5. John Spevacek on December 21, 2007 9:51 AM writes...

Here in the Twin Cities, the first snowfall (or even a later snowfall if it's been a month or more since the last one) is always an adventure. With recent experence, things go much better: right after Thanksgiving, we had three snows in a week, so the 2nd and 3rd one, people were doing o.k. But you always stay clear of cars with plates from Florida, New Mexico,...

6. devices R us on December 22, 2007 2:21 PM writes...

Even in Southern California where snow is a 100 year event, a small rainstorm, particularly the first one in a while which floats some of the oil on the roads is lots of fun to watch. Big crashes, and the normal 15 MPH commute becomes 5 MPH

7. Colby Cosh on December 27, 2007 1:39 AM writes...

Be sure to ring me up when the tectonics of your career bring you to Edmonton. I don't think you can get further north and still work in the drug-discovery business unless you change hemispheres...