be winter nice

There’s been a lot of winter happening lately. (Hey, all you people who adore snow? Please remember this winter the next time you start hoping for snow, mmkay?)

We’ve had mounds of snow, bullets of sleet, layers of ice. And it keeps coming. Honestly, it snows here about once a week now. Sometimes twice.

To be honest, even though I don’t like snow, I’ll take the cold weather over the sweltering summer heat any day. But it’s surprised me how many people don’t know how to behave in snowy weather. I’ve decided I’ll help them out. (Isn’t that so nice of me?) So here are Halee’s Rules of Snow-etiquette.

1. Clean the snow off your car.

I know it seems straightforward – I mean, you have to see the road. The problem is, you’ve gotta clear off the top of your car too. I know it’s tough to reach and a freakin’ mess when you’re standing there in professional clothes and a great pair of heels.

If it’s too hard to reach, at least pull a few donuts in the parking lot or hit some speed bumps to knock it off. Otherwise, when you’re on the highway and you hit 60, your car is gonna be launching snow boulders at my windshield. Not cool, guys. Not cool. Makes me feel like I’m in Oregon Trail, dodging boulders in the Colorado River. Nobody needs that on their morning commute.

2. Don’t order 5 drinks in the Starbucks drive-thru.

While it’s way sweet that you’re getting drinks for the office, park it and schlep inside. Seriously. When my car’s not moving, there’s not a whole ton of heat being produced. So it’s not the warmest situation. The longer you take, the colder the rest of us get. And the more we glare at you as you sit at the window for 5 minutes. The temperature is cold enough already without icy glares from un-caffeinated people.

3. Brake early, not often.

We’ve all seen them, the constant brakers. They ride those brakes like a kid who just got out of training wheels. So if I’m behind them, I get to ride my brakes too. And while they may think they’re being cautious, they’re actually making the situation more dangerous for everyone else.

If you’re not comfortable going that fast, lay off the gas and get to the far right. You should, however, brake earlier than you think. Why? Because there’s often stuff on the road (ice, sand, salt, you name it) that will impede your ability to brake like you normally would. Repeat after me “brake early, not often.”

4. Don’t share your snow-citement.

Yeah, I know. Some of you are snow dorks. You can’t get enough of the snow and every time the sky dumps more on us, you squeal with delight. You’re gonna want to keep that squeal on the inside. Why? Because you’re surrounded by harried parents whose kids haven’t been to school in a week, drivers who barely made it to work because of all the flying snow boulders, and humans who wish they could breathe outside without feeling like their lungs will collapse. So talking about how great snow is? Yeah, not the safest choice.

5. Handrails are your friend.

I know you really don’t want to look like an old person, clinging to the hand rail when the angle of the incline/decline is all of 10 degrees. But just do it. You’d surprised at the places ice hides. And if your workplace is anything like mine, you’re lucky to make it across the snow-covered parking lot. So whenever there’s a handrail, embrace it like your long-lost teddy bear.

There you have it. Five simple rules to ensure we all survive what’s left of this winter. Be winter nice, people.

Bet you’ll never love spring more than you do this year!

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