slow going

Another storm has rolled in, snowing all day up at Alta (reports H: "Phenomenal!") and finally starting down in the valley a little before 4:00 p.m., even though it was expected around noon.  The roads got pretty bad pretty quickly - it was warm when it started and then the temperature dropped quickly, leaving a skim of ice under the new snow - but people were driving cautiously.  So cautiously, in fact, that it took me THREE HOURS to do my 15-mile commute.  Seriously.  I can run faster than that (only just).  Our average speed was in the 5-10 mph range; I topped out doing 25 mph for about a block.  Because of the slow speeds, you really couldn't tell how bad the roads were ... until we all had to stop because people couldn't make it up the icy hills. And then the streets just turned to parking lots until the stuck cars got a push. 

In my three hour sojourn, I had some time to think:

1. Where were all the snowplows?  In three hours, I saw nary a plow or salt truck.  No wonder the streets were so bad.  It's not like they didn't know this storm was coming - they've been talking about it for four days - so why weren't the plows out keeping on top of things?
2. If you live in northern Utah, why the heck would you drive a rear-wheel drive car, especially in the winter?  So many people stuck on the iced hills, spinning their silly wheels.  Front-wheel drive at the very least, people.  And how about some studded tires?
3. Three hours in those horrible Subaru Forester seats was not what my back needed, although I kept the seat-heater cranked and it was almost like a heating pad.
4. For all the complaining I do about that Forester (seats, tires, rust, etc.), that little car had NO problem getting me up those hills where everyone else was stuck.  Bravo, little Subaru, bravo.