Thursday, December 17, 2009

Where have all the plowers gone?

Apparently Belgium does not own a snowplow. Or road salt. We were up in Waterloo this afternoon. Yes, the Waterloo. It snowed…oh, maybe 3 inches. It took us 3 hours to make the 35-minute trip back. Even once we had spent 2 hours to go less than 2 miles to the R0 (Brussels' beltway), that four-lane interstate-type highway was covered in crusty, icy, snow. No plow in sight. No salt anywhere. Just lots of cars moving very slowly.

Oh, and the Belgians have discovered that if you press the pedal all the way to the floor on icy roads and make your wheels spin really fast…you don't go anywhere. But they keep trying, like this time might be the time it works and my car leaps forward. Straight into the car stopped dead 10 feet in front of me.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Once again it is left to me to teach you, my older brother. So, the lesson today is--How to drive on snow/ice with no plows or salt. First, find bar, preferably by a hotel. Second, go in bar. Third, inquire with bartender on accomodations nearby. Fourth, drink. Fifth, repeat step 4. After repeating step 4 several times, have bartender help you to the previously discussed accomodations. Sixth, get up, try again tomorrow. If necessary, repeat 4. Remember, never take 3 hours to do what you can normally do in 35 minutes....donald

Pop said...

So you went to Belgium to see snow? Had you been in Maryland this past weekend, you would still be digging out from a two foot snow storm in the DC/Maryland area. There's been no report on whether the snow plows were operating or not. It probably didn't make a lot of difference. They did have to haul snow out of the Redskins stadium on conveyer belts to prepare the field for a Monday night game.