No fun like snow fun

On Wednesday, we were graced with the first significant snow storm of the season. One of the benefits of living in a condominium is someone else deals with snow removal. Typically, our landscaping firm plows the streets and shovels the porches and sidewalks. They do a fair, but not stellar job.

This morning, when I turned out of my court onto the downward sloping street that leads out of our development, I ran into a patch of ice just as I was starting to brake for a speed bump. Unfortunately, I do not possess the best winter driving reflexes. I did not turn into the spin like you are supposed to. So my car ended up embedded in a snow bank to the side of the road, up past the front axle.

I was so pumped up from the terror of losing control of the car. Just before I lost control I noticed our resident state trooper walking his dog about thirty feet down the hill from where I ultimately stopped. I had mixed feelings about his presence. Part of me was embarrassed that I hadn't reacted the way I should have to prevent my snow-boundness. The other part of me hoped that maybe he would help get me out of the snow bank. After all, police officers live by the edict of "to protect and to serve".

My mixed feelings quickly changed. As soon as I got out of the car to assess the situation, he looked me in the face and said, "Not for nothing, but what if my dog and I had been standing right there?" Not knowing how to respond to this unexpected statement, I merely gaped at him. He then said, "There are no accidents on the road, only crashes." Again, I could think of nothing to say to this lecture I was receiving after I had scared myself so severely. After another minute he stoically asked if I needed any help. At this point I was kind of angry with the guy for lecturing me, so I replied shortly, "No, thank you." He then asked me if he could call anyone for me. I again replied shortly, "No, thank you, I have a cell phone."

He then continued up the hill with his dog, and I tried to back my car out of the snow bank. When it wouldn't budge, I walked back up to my house and retrieved my snow shovel. As I dug a trench around the front and side of my car, I noticed the trooper watching me from the top of the hill.

After I thought I had moved enough snow away from my wheels, I tried again to back out my car. It barely moved. As I sat there, the trooper returned, sans dog, and knocked on my window. I rolled the window down and he said, "Pass me your shovel and I'll help dig you out."

My pride got in the way momentarily and I said, "That's O.K. I can manage."

He then graciously offered, "I apologize for my tone earlier. I get a lot of vehicles headed at me at highway speeds, and I overreacted."

I was still a little sore, so I still resisted, "I really don't want to delay you."

He said, "It's not a problem. I'm just coming off my shift."

Great. That also may explain his initial lack of concern. The guy was probably tired from working all night, and knee jerked his initial reaction. So, I backed down and accepted the help, handing him my shovel.

The trooper dug some more snow from under my car, and then directed me when to come forward and when to back up. He also pushed the car as I backed up several times. He really was a big help in the end.

After the car was free, he introduced himself. And I reciprocated. I thanked him and offered him a handshake. He sent me off with a trooperly, "Drive safely."

I was still keyed up and annoyed. However, I may not have gotten out of that mess anytime soon without his help. Hopefully, we both learned something from the situation. I learned to be more careful when driving on snow covered roads. And maybe he learned not to lecture someone in a bad spot, even if they may have contributed to putting themselves there.