It snowed in Atlanta yesterday. Roughly two inches and the fall out (sorry!) continues. As a city, the governor, mayor and residents all pretend we know how to deal with snow. We don’t. We can’t. And we never will. It doesn’t snow enough year to year. The last big snow we had in 2011 turned from snow to ice, and we were iced in for a week.

This year when the snow began falling, schools and business remained open. The weather folks reinforced the fact it was snowing, and everyone looked outside.

“Oh, my gosh! It’s snowing and hard!”
“We need to close now! Parents come pick up your kids.”

What happens when metro Atlantans get on the road at the same time? A predictable jam on the expressways and major streets. Rush hour here is bad enough on a daily basis when we drivers stagger the times we head home from work and school. But all at the same time? Think Halloween trick or treating on a school night. As I write this, there are still unfortunate individuals stranded in vehicles, cars abandoned on the freeways, students in shelter at schools and a rolling gridlock, thanks to the iced over streets from yesterday’s snow.

One day our governor, mayor and we Atlantans will get it. We’ll embrace the fact we aren’t in Minneapolis, Chicago, or New York. We don’t have enough snow removal, salting or other snow equipment. And taxpayers won’t foot the bill for plows that aren’t used but every 3-4 years.

So, next time it’s going to snow, governor and mayor, declare a State of Emergency. Put the word out on the news and social media — stay home until further notice. Sleep late, make a big breakfast, play outside with your kids. Build snowmen. Sled. Anything! But PLEASE stay home and off the roads!