Morning Commute: Rain

Snow can be many things. Snow can be fun (to ski on or play in). Snow can be beautiful (if you see it on a mountainside). Snow can be tasty (snow cones...mmmmm, tasty). Snow can be wet (ok, snow is always wet). Snow can be annoying (like if you get stuck in traffic). But in Boston, snow is none of these things.

Here in Boston, snow can only be described as one thing: dirty and long-lasting. Ok, that's two things. In Boston, snow can only be described as two things. See Boston is extremely quick to respond to snow. They have the plows out on the road before it even starts. The problem is, there is zero drainage for the melted snow. The plows clear the roads by pushing the snow out into 6ft high piles of dirty snow that sits on the side of the road until it melts.

Now, if we got a flash snow in April, when its warm, that might be fine. But in November, its brutal. These piles of snow don't melt for months. Does the city come collect them? No. But what about when they finally do melt? That's when the flooding begins. Last time we had snow, in late November, it was followed quickly by rain. As a result, street puddles began forming. And these aren't the type of puddles little kids go stomping in. No, thanks to the amazing drainage on Boston city streets, these are they types of puddles that kids could drown in. My entire street had 3 inches of water on it...for two days! I can only imagine what it is going to look like this time.

If it warms up, maybe I should break out my denim colored bathing suit from Friday.