suicide bridge

The weather has been not only treacherous but just plain horrible.

As I write, we are expecting two feet of snow. The snow came earlier than predicted. It is coming down fast and furious not only icing up the roads but the windshields as well.

It sucks being out.

I dread going out but I have to. One of my clients is away on business so I need to go over her house a few times a day to feed and let her dogs out.

Last night wasn't too bad other than the residue ice and snow on the roadways and the freezing wind. I took Riley and KD out for their evening poop/pee stroll after dinner. Riley was more hyper than usual yanking me down the street. The road is not cleared and full of icy patches. Not only that but there are these huge snow mountains creating blind spots for cars to see. I wear a headlamp so cars can see me and I keep the dogs on a short leash close to me.

Mission accomplished as of way of that the dogs got fed, they got a little exercise and they did "their bathroom business". I was debating on whether to drive back home via highway over the Whittier bridge in Newburyport (which is faster) or go the back-roads which, for me, is better to see although it is more time consuming.

I opted for the highway this time because I was anxious to get home.

It was 6:30pm.

The highway to the bridge had ice divots all over the road. I thought to myself, "forget the speed limit, go slow, this is dangerous". I could feel the rear-end of my cruiser swinging a bit. I was thinking to myself that I was glad I did not have my ford ranger truck. There is no weight in the rear end of the truck making it feel like you are walking on ice wearing high heels. I drove slow and steady yet I still clipped one of the snow-banks entering the bridge's mouth.

I nearly shit my pants looking overlooking the side the bridge into the icy brine.

"Shit"

"I cheated death again".

"No one would be able to survive that plunge especially with water temps at 36F".

I made it safely home.

I turned on Fox 25 news just before going to bed.

Some guy from New Hamphire was not so lucky that night.

His car hit the snow bank at the mouth of the bridge. He went over the guard-rail into the Merrimack river at about 8:00pm.

The poor bastard.

You think to yourself, "was he going fast?. Did he have snow tires? Was he texting or talking on the phone? Was he drinking?"

I tend to believe none of these was a factor.

It was just bloody dangerous road conditions.

Jeeze....