Feb
25
2005
cause and effect
Washington Post columnist Steven Pearlstein offers an interesting take on D.C.’s response to winter weather: Does coddling Washingtonians’ winter wimpiness only make it worse?
What we are witnessing, I believe, is a self-reinforcing cycle of falling expectations and herd mentality. Because of increased coordination among officials in all local jurisdictions — normally a good thing — closings in one community now subtly encourage closings everywhere else. And with each new round of closings, people feel less urgency about the need to clear streets and sidewalks, or learn how to drive in snow, or develop the tricks necessary for maintaining their daily routines. This degradation in skills, in turn, demands more closings.
(“Washington, The Nation’s Weather Wimp” - 02/25/05)
![[Photo]](http://photos.morethanthis.net/images/2008-09-13/thumbs/IMG_0272.jpg)
Comments
A few years ago I had the pleasure of living in Fairfax County over a couple of winters, after a lifetime in Toronto. Let me say this: Pearlstein is on crack. If he’d ever been forced to wait for a bus on a windy corner with blizzard snow stinging your face in “feelslike” MINUS 30C because EVERYONE ELSE is doing it he’d just get a blanket, find the cat, make a nice pot of tea and enjoy the Mental Health Day.
Why should we brave the snow? Because of the ecomony, because of some bent macho-bravado that proves our mettle. And why should we care? Because we don’t want to give up our awesome American Power, we don’t want to sign Kyoto and drive smaller cars, and we don’t want to stop comsuming, buying, and living as if the treadmill we have built is the only reality remaining on Earth.
I’m not an anarchist, or a leftist or anti-money. I’m just suggesting that a day or two of *chill* has some inherent value.