Yes, nothing like waiting for the bus in the snow. But at least I had my coat, my hat, and my iPod, where the headphones I use are large enough to cover my ears and therefore keep them warm. And what a wonderful sight this was:
Yes, the 51 was there, and only like two minutes late – well within the acceptable range. Ride-On has a reputation for reliability in my book, especially when compared to Metrobus, where the posted schedules are merely decorative, and the Y5/Y7/Y8/Y9 comes whenever it darn well pleases.
But it snowed, all right. Metro’s snow removal crews hadn’t completely cleared the Takoma platform, and so there was an inch or so of snow at the far outbound end of that platform, where it’s not covered by the canopy. The guy in the orange coveralls was working a little further in, sweeping the snow away.
Still, it’s days like this when I’m glad I don’t drive to work. The worst part of my commute in both directions today was the final walking segment. I was walking very carefully along P Street this morning, trying not to slip and slide on the way to the office (by the way, two years’ worth of protests have worn my Chuck Taylors’ soles to a level of smoothness you shouldn’t see on sneakers), and then the worst part of my evening commute was after I got off the 51 and onto my street, where the sidewalks were just packed snow. Not fun, especially since I was carrying a package on the way home.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is supposed to be another wintry day, as there is a winter storm warning until midnight tonight, and then it’s supposed to be on-and-off freezing rain before changing to plain old rain in the afternoon. Remind me to bring my umbrella to work tomorrow.