Friday's "snow?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares where people on this discussion learned to drive. A decision put kids, drivers and others knowingly at risk.

The point is that there's a common misconception frequently repeated on dcum that schools in the northeast only open because of much better snow removal. That's false. Anyone from the northeast or midwest will tell you people just understand they can drive on snow.

People drive in snow because they have to get to work and rely on wages to pay the bills. Doesnt matter where you live. Friday's decision in MONTGOMERY COUNTY Maryland put students and drivers at risk.
-someone who lived in all those regions

It didn't, though, as indicated by what happened. The experience demonstrated opening was safe. Getting stuck on a bus for a while isn't a serious safety issue, not
nor are late buses. Those happen for a variety of reasons throughout the year, as do more serious accidents.

School districts in areas that get plenty of snow close for cold they don't want students waiting at bus stop for long periods. MCPs was okay with kids waiting at bus stops for long periods? The Tuesday "apology" stated safety. So what happened Friday morning and the safety of students and employees?

It was over 20F without much wind. That's not a safety issue, that's a comfort issue. Kids go outside for recess in that.

No, they do not go outside for recess in that temp. Stop the lies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

Except the bus that did have an accident and another that got stuck

No serious injuries. Minor accidents happen all the time. And serious accidents can happen on warm, nice days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares where people on this discussion learned to drive. A decision put kids, drivers and others knowingly at risk.

The point is that there's a common misconception frequently repeated on dcum that schools in the northeast only open because of much better snow removal. That's false. Anyone from the northeast or midwest will tell you people just understand they can drive on snow.

People drive in snow because they have to get to work and rely on wages to pay the bills. Doesnt matter where you live. Friday's decision in MONTGOMERY COUNTY Maryland put students and drivers at risk.
-someone who lived in all those regions

It didn't, though, as indicated by what happened. The experience demonstrated opening was safe. Getting stuck on a bus for a while isn't a serious safety issue, not
nor are late buses. Those happen for a variety of reasons throughout the year, as do more serious accidents.

School districts in areas that get plenty of snow close for cold they don't want students waiting at bus stop for long periods. MCPs was okay with kids waiting at bus stops for long periods? The Tuesday "apology" stated safety. So what happened Friday morning and the safety of students and employees?

It was over 20F without much wind. That's not a safety issue, that's a comfort issue. Kids go outside for recess in that.

No, they do not go outside for recess in that temp. Stop the lies.

>20F with no wind chill? Yes, they do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No one cares where people on this discussion learned to drive. A decision put kids, drivers and others knowingly at risk.

The point is that there's a common misconception frequently repeated on dcum that schools in the northeast only open because of much better snow removal. That's false. Anyone from the northeast or midwest will tell you people just understand they can drive on snow.

People drive in snow because they have to get to work and rely on wages to pay the bills. Doesnt matter where you live. Friday's decision in MONTGOMERY COUNTY Maryland put students and drivers at risk.
-someone who lived in all those regions

It didn't, though, as indicated by what happened. The experience demonstrated opening was safe. Getting stuck on a bus for a while isn't a serious safety issue, not
nor are late buses. Those happen for a variety of reasons throughout the year, as do more serious accidents.

School districts in areas that get plenty of snow close for cold they don't want students waiting at bus stop for long periods. MCPs was okay with kids waiting at bus stops for long periods? The Tuesday "apology" stated safety. So what happened Friday morning and the safety of students and employees?

It was over 20F without much wind. That's not a safety issue, that's a comfort issue. Kids go outside for recess in that.

No, they do not go outside for recess in that temp. Stop the lies.

They don't go outside for recess in the rain either. If we start closing school whenever they can't have outdoor recess there's going to be chaos.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

Then you were close enough you could have walked if you were that worried about the roads. And if you're clumsy, you can walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. But obviously they weren't bad enough to be slightly inconvenienced by the extra time of walking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

Then you were close enough you could have walked if you were that worried about the roads. And if you're clumsy, you can walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. But obviously they weren't bad enough to be slightly inconvenienced by the extra time of walking.

That is correct, I’m going to make my clumsy child (developmental coordination disorder) walk 44 minutes (or longer - 44 minutes is the Google maps estimate for the walk, regardless of weather) in cold, snowy weather, with untreated sidewalks, wearing a heavy backpack. Our bad for assuming roads would be safe if schools were opening on time. Now we know not to out blind trust in MCPS’s weather decisions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

Then you were close enough you could have walked if you were that worried about the roads. And if you're clumsy, you can walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. But obviously they weren't bad enough to be slightly inconvenienced by the extra time of walking.

That is correct, I’m going to make my clumsy child (developmental coordination disorder) walk 44 minutes (or longer - 44 minutes is the Google maps estimate for the walk, regardless of weather) in cold, snowy weather, with untreated sidewalks, wearing a heavy backpack. Our bad for assuming roads would be safe if schools were opening on time. Now we know not to out blind trust in MCPS’s weather decisions.

You can get transportation added to the IEP if they're not able to walk safely.

And obviously the roads weren't that bad since he made it without incident. I don't understand why you don't think you should ever have to be careful. Do you try to drive full speed during thunderstorms, too?

[Anonymous]

I drove my kid to school Friday and it was slippery even on the main roads (I’m in the DCC). But I drove more slowly and kept a longer following distance and we got there fine. It just took 5-10 minutes longer than normal. I did slide a couple of times when I was turning a little too quickly.

I would have preferred a delay and that would have been more consistent with Tuesday but I don’t think this was a disaster.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I drove my kid to school Friday and it was slippery even on the main roads (I’m in the DCC). But I drove more slowly and kept a longer following distance and we got there fine. It just took 5-10 minutes longer than normal. I did slide a couple of times when I was turning a little too quickly.

I would have preferred a delay and that would have been more consistent with Tuesday but I don’t think this was a disaster.

This thread demonstrates that there are a lot of people that don't think they should ever have to drive slower. Earlier in the thread some teachers were saying they wouldn't leave home earlier than their normal time, despite knowing that it would (or should) take longer than usual.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

Then you were close enough you could have walked if you were that worried about the roads. And if you're clumsy, you can walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. But obviously they weren't bad enough to be slightly inconvenienced by the extra time of walking.

That is correct, I’m going to make my clumsy child (developmental coordination disorder) walk 44 minutes (or longer - 44 minutes is the Google maps estimate for the walk, regardless of weather) in cold, snowy weather, with untreated sidewalks, wearing a heavy backpack. Our bad for assuming roads would be safe if schools were opening on time. Now we know not to out blind trust in MCPS’s weather decisions.

You can get transportation added to the IEP if they're not able to walk safely.

And obviously the roads weren't that bad since he made it without incident. I don't understand why you don't think you should ever have to be careful. Do you try to drive full speed during thunderstorms, too?

That’s not how we judge safety. The vast majority of times people drive under the influence, they don’t have an accident. That doesn’t mean it was fine for them to drive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drove my kid to school Friday and it was slippery even on the main roads (I’m in the DCC). But I drove more slowly and kept a longer following distance and we got there fine. It just took 5-10 minutes longer than normal. I did slide a couple of times when I was turning a little too quickly.

I would have preferred a delay and that would have been more consistent with Tuesday but I don’t think this was a disaster.

This thread demonstrates that there are a lot of people that don't think they should ever have to drive slower. Earlier in the thread some teachers were saying they wouldn't leave home earlier than their normal time, despite knowing that it would (or should) take longer than usual.

If MCPS doesn’t make the call the night before, you have to wake up to find out what their decision is. Historically, they would have a delay when there’s wintry mix during morning rush hour. I can understand why people didn’t set their alarms extra early. If you didn’t get up earlier than usual, how much earlier could you leave?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Safety was NOT of upmost importance in making the decision Friday

Of course it was. Road safety just wasn't the *only* issue considered. If it was, then we'd never open.

No it wasnt and you know it.

I drove on the roads in the morning. They were fine and it was obvious they would be fine. Things went reasonably smoothly and there weren't majors accidents resulting in serious injuries. It went well.

How nice for you that the roads you drove on were fine. Our high schooler doesn’t have bus service because we’re exactly 2 miles from the school. The roads my dh drove our kid on were not fine. He’s experienced with driving in wintry conditions and never complains about driving in snow, but he said road conditions and sidewalks were very slippery and he maintains that opening on time was hazardous. It’s a big county with residential streets, rural roads, major highways, congested thoroughfares, and heavy traffic. Some roads were prepared better than others. The fact that some people drove on roads that were fine does not negate the fact that others drove in hazardous conditions.

Then you were close enough you could have walked if you were that worried about the roads. And if you're clumsy, you can walk on the grass instead of the sidewalk. But obviously they weren't bad enough to be slightly inconvenienced by the extra time of walking.

That is correct, I’m going to make my clumsy child (developmental coordination disorder) walk 44 minutes (or longer - 44 minutes is the Google maps estimate for the walk, regardless of weather) in cold, snowy weather, with untreated sidewalks, wearing a heavy backpack. Our bad for assuming roads would be safe if schools were opening on time. Now we know not to out blind trust in MCPS’s weather decisions.

You can get transportation added to the IEP if they're not able to walk safely.

And obviously the roads weren't that bad since he made it without incident. I don't understand why you don't think you should ever have to be careful. Do you try to drive full speed during thunderstorms, too?

That’s not how we judge safety. The vast majority of times people drive under the influence, they don’t have an accident. That doesn’t mean it was fine for them to drive.

It wasn't unique to system. System-wide the we didn't see serious accidents- just minor fender benders occurring at lower speeds without serious injuries. We can't say that about many other commutes to/from school. Speed is what kills, not snow.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drove my kid to school Friday and it was slippery even on the main roads (I’m in the DCC). But I drove more slowly and kept a longer following distance and we got there fine. It just took 5-10 minutes longer than normal. I did slide a couple of times when I was turning a little too quickly.

I would have preferred a delay and that would have been more consistent with Tuesday but I don’t think this was a disaster.

This thread demonstrates that there are a lot of people that don't think they should ever have to drive slower. Earlier in the thread some teachers were saying they wouldn't leave home earlier than their normal time, despite knowing that it would (or should) take longer than usual.

If MCPS doesn’t make the call the night before, you have to wake up to find out what their decision is. Historically, they would have a delay when there’s wintry mix during morning rush hour. I can understand why people didn’t set their alarms extra early. If you didn’t get up earlier than usual, how much earlier could you leave?

This is an awfully weak excuse. If they don't make the call the night before, then you should assume they're going to open. Your refusal to wake up early is a terrible reason to close or delay. Grow up and act like a professional.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I drove my kid to school Friday and it was slippery even on the main roads (I’m in the DCC). But I drove more slowly and kept a longer following distance and we got there fine. It just took 5-10 minutes longer than normal. I did slide a couple of times when I was turning a little too quickly.

I would have preferred a delay and that would have been more consistent with Tuesday but I don’t think this was a disaster.

This thread demonstrates that there are a lot of people that don't think they should ever have to drive slower. Earlier in the thread some teachers were saying they wouldn't leave home earlier than their normal time, despite knowing that it would (or should) take longer than usual.

If MCPS doesn’t make the call the night before, you have to wake up to find out what their decision is. Historically, they would have a delay when there’s wintry mix during morning rush hour. I can understand why people didn’t set their alarms extra early. If you didn’t get up earlier than usual, how much earlier could you leave?

I managed to order snow boots three days earlier and woke up early on Friday because I knew my kid would be excited to play in the snow before we drove very slowly to school. You don't need to have a crystal ball to plan ahead a little bit. But I guess it's different for me because I don't associate a chance of 1 inch of snow with getting to go to work late or not having to work at all. It often means scrambling in the morning to figure out child care coverage with my DH and reschedule meetings if needed.