Snow + Parking Lots = Selected Memory Disorder

Snomaggedon, snopocalypse, or if you don't care for hype, the large snow storm that began on Tuesday and ended Wednesday is over. The part of Michigan where I live had roughly 8 inches on average. Nothing to laugh at but certainly not the worst we've ever had and less than we expected based on the incessant weather forecasts. I have to believe that most meteorologists are nice people who are told by their station managers and network affiliates that it is their job to whip the viewing public into a frenzy before the first snowflake falls. I'll end that rant before I begin. Those of you who live in snowy areas probably know exactly what I am talking about. Those of you who don't probably face other weather issues where the forecasters do their imitation of Chicken Little (the sky is falling! the sky is falling!).

After being housebound a few days, I was more than ready to get out today and run a few errands. Sidestreets have packed snow on them but are easily navigable and main highways are completely clear with visible pavement. And so are the pot holes, but that would be another rant. I'll save that for another day, or better yet, spare you altogether.

Driving today was no problem at all. Drivers did as expected. It was very pleasant.  Until I pulled into my first parking lot.Some of those nice, pleasant drivers lose all sense of lanes and parking slots once in they are in a lot.

The photos in my post today were taken from the internet and aren't local but they serve my purpose. It isn't unusual to see parking lots that look like this one. After a while, there is no place to put the snow that has been plowed in a parking lot. If it was one lot and one company plowing, perhaps they could relocate the snow to some field but remember, every busy wants their lots cleared ASAP before customers arrive. The plow drivers often work through the night clearing lots. For some, this is a second job as we don't have snow that needs plowing every week in this part of Michigan. In a time crunch, the plows do well to clear as much of a lot as possible before moving on to their next job.

I was in three lots today. Some weren't clear all the way to the pavement as the one in the above photo so the lines designating parking slots were obscured. I can understand a little error in judging where the lines might be, especially for the first cars to arrive in the lot, but what are some people thinking when they park any old way? 

This photo is a mild example of the crazy pattern some people create. At least no cars in this photo are blocked in by a car in front and behind them, a situation I actually saw today!

The only thing worse than walking to your car after parking in a mess like this is trying to wheel your shopping cart full of groceries through the snow, slush and worse, sometimes frozen slush that has ridges from tire tracks in it.

I'm thinking snow belongs on ski slopes. I don't ski and there aren't any mountains here, so snow....be gone! Ice is good in drinks. I usually drink diet Coke, but after the parking lots today, I'll take a nicely aged Scotch on ice please.