I swear Atlanta is the biggest pansy town....

[Queasy]

The temperature in Atlanta drops down to 8 degrees with no snow and no ice and guess what happens? They close the freaking school systems. This after closing the school systems yesterday for just a little snow and ice. What a bunch of stinking pansies.

Granted, this made my drive to work much easier cause I don't have to fight traffic with all the parents shuttling their kids to school but still. God forbid children in the area get a little cold stepping out the door to go to school.

 

[alm99]

Tell me about it, I love how the news here dramatizes everything. This is the "Snowstorm of 2003," Snowstorm? What fvcking snowstorm? Where was I? Are they talking about the dusting that happened? Grow some fvcking balls Atlanta.

 

[LakAttack]

Here's the deal: If one school bus hits a patch of ice (I know there isn't much, but I saw a few spots on the way to work this morning) or a car hits a patch of ice and hits a school bus, 45 parents are suing Fulton County schools for a bazillion dollars. Then lawmakers are saying they need to raise property taxes to buy school busses snow tires. Then the news media starts saying we need salt trucks and snow plows. It is just cheaper in the long run to shut stuff down for 2-3 days a year when the weather is like this.

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Isn't Paris bigger?

 

[ElFenix]

i wish it snowed here. -5 degrees and we can't even have proper precipitation

 

[mpitts]

I agree. The people down here suck when it gets cold. Schools close at the PROSPECT of snow. It ins't even going to snow today and schools are closed! Holy crap! I grew up in Michigan, and unless a foot of snow fell overnight, you went to school.

And don't even get me started on the local media. I blame them for it. They blow it completely out of proportion (surprise surprise). Idiots.

 

[xospec1alk]

Originally posted by: LakAttack
Here's the deal: If one school bus hits a patch of ice (I know there isn't much, but I saw a few spots on the way to work this morning) or a car hits a patch of ice and hits a school bus, 45 parents are suing Fulton County schools for a bazillion dollars. Then lawmakers are saying they need to raise property taxes to buy school busses snow tires. Then the news media starts saying we need salt trucks and snow plows. It is just cheaper in the long run to shut stuff down for 2-3 days a year when the weather is like this.

back in the day, in nyc, the schools didn't shut down unless there was at least 6 inches of snow on the ground, even nowadays, they'll just delay opening and wont actually shut down all the schools...but the private schools shut down if the news even mentions the possibility of snow...

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: axiom
I think it's safe to close schools if it gets too cold. A region is only equipped to handle so much in temperature swings. The cost to heat a school on such a cold day is probably pretty high to begin with. But fears of ice on the roads and other cold weather dangers it is better to be safe than sorry. These are children we're talking about.

Well, I'm not that old, only 28, and can remember going to school when it snows in the south. They'll close Atlanta schools simply for the threat of snow. Now they're closing schools because the LOW temperature hits 8 degrees. The high today is going to be in the low 30s.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: axiom
I think it's safe to close schools if it gets too cold. A region is only equipped to handle so much in temperature swings. The cost to heat a school on such a cold day is probably pretty high to begin with. But fears of ice on the roads and other cold weather dangers it is better to be safe than sorry. These are children we're talking about.

There are no fears of ice on the roads. Holy crap, go look at the Doppler for Atlanta. Not a cloud in the sky. It is just cold out.

 

[pandapanda]

You know, it is the south. Cold weather can cause more problems than just ice on the roads. Maybe the heat was out in a lot of the schools. Maybe the heat was inadequate for the temperatures there. Maybe they didn't want kids standing out on the street corners waiting for the bus in inadequate clothing. Maybe the water pipes froze. It's not just a "wahh it's cold" thing.

 

[Saltin]

Im from Toronto.
If they closed schools here b/c of the "threat" of snow, the school year would about 5 months shorter.

 

[Fausto]

Originally posted by: pandapanda
You know, it is the south. Cold weather can cause more problems than just ice on the roads. Maybe the heat was out in a lot of the schools. Maybe the heat was inadequate for the temperatures there. Maybe they didn't want kids standing out on the street corners waiting for the bus in inadequate clothing. Maybe the water pipes froze. It's not just a "wahh it's cold" thing.

No, it is just a "waaaaah, it's cold" thing. We stood out waiting for the bus in this kind of weather or worse all the damn time growing up in Michigan. It's just not that big a deal; put a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves on the kid and send him/her on their way.

 

[Queasy]

Originally posted by: pandapanda
You know, it is the south. Cold weather can cause more problems than just ice on the roads. Maybe the heat was out in a lot of the schools. Maybe the heat was inadequate for the temperatures there. Maybe they didn't want kids standing out on the street corners waiting for the bus in inadequate clothing. Maybe the water pipes froze. It's not just a "wahh it's cold" thing.

Nope, it is none of those things. Atlanta City schools are closed along with most of the outlying suburb counties and private schools.

You think the kids back in the 40s and 50s had adequate heating!? Hell, I went to sh!thole school in Alabama for a little while in the 80s and wore two to three layers of clothes in school when it was cold.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: pandapanda
You know, it is the south. Cold weather can cause more problems than just ice on the roads. Maybe the heat was out in a lot of the schools. Maybe the heat was inadequate for the temperatures there. Maybe they didn't want kids standing out on the street corners waiting for the bus in inadequate clothing. Maybe the water pipes froze. It's not just a "wahh it's cold" thing.

The heat is not out in schools. The schools were closed LAST NIGHT. I am sure that a school has an adequate heating system, just like the building that I work in, or that my wife works in, etc.

 

[Supermercado]

Similar conditions in Clemson, not quite 2 hours up I-85. Everything's open as far as I know. At least, I've not gotten an email from the school saying I don't have to go to class. Crazy southerners

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: Fausto1

Originally posted by: pandapanda
You know, it is the south. Cold weather can cause more problems than just ice on the roads. Maybe the heat was out in a lot of the schools. Maybe the heat was inadequate for the temperatures there. Maybe they didn't want kids standing out on the street corners waiting for the bus in inadequate clothing. Maybe the water pipes froze. It's not just a "wahh it's cold" thing.

No, it is just a "waaaaah, it's cold" thing. We stood out waiting for the bus in this kind of weather or worse all the damn time growing up in Michigan. It's just not that big a deal; put a coat, scarf, hat, and gloves on the kid and send him/her on their way.

Exactly. Everybody who lives here seems to agree that the people are pussies and wet their pants when it gets cold out.

 

[Kyteland]

Hey I remember a time a few summers back when Chicago was having "Heat Emergencies" when it was barely 100F outside. My relatives down in Georgia were scoffing at us for quite some time...

Just remember what you say here 6 months from now when the thread gets posted "I swear Chicagois the biggest pansy town...." for whining about the heat.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: LakAttack
Here's the deal: If one school bus hits a patch of ice (I know there isn't much, but I saw a few spots on the way to work this morning) or a car hits a patch of ice and hits a school bus, 45 parents are suing Fulton County schools for a bazillion dollars. Then lawmakers are saying they need to raise property taxes to buy school busses snow tires. Then the news media starts saying we need salt trucks and snow plows. It is just cheaper in the long run to shut stuff down for 2-3 days a year when the weather is like this.

and like that's not the case for a million other towns dealing with snow?

 

[LakAttack]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: LakAttack
Here's the deal: If one school bus hits a patch of ice (I know there isn't much, but I saw a few spots on the way to work this morning) or a car hits a patch of ice and hits a school bus, 45 parents are suing Fulton County schools for a bazillion dollars. Then lawmakers are saying they need to raise property taxes to buy school busses snow tires. Then the news media starts saying we need salt trucks and snow plows. It is just cheaper in the long run to shut stuff down for 2-3 days a year when the weather is like this.

and like that's not the case for a million other towns dealing with snow?

Exactly. People in the north know how to deal with it because they've lived in miserable conditions their entire lives. People in the south are just used to superior weather conditions. Cities in the north spend money preparing for cold weather. We don't have to in georgia. Like I said, it is just cheaper to shut down. I'm telling you, I'm 25 years old, and I've driven on icy roads like 10 times. I'll admit that it makes me uncomfortable. But that is one of the reasons I live in the south. I don't have to worry about "in my day, we went to school in 16 feet of snow." Can the nostalgia; that isn't romantic - it sucks. That's why we all moved here in the first place.

 

[mpitts]

For all of those doubters who seem to think that we are sending children to their imminent demise, go read this and tell me people aren't overreacting.

A quick excerpt:

Most school systems remained closed throughout North Georgia.

No ice was reported on major roadways, according to a State Department of Transportation spokeswoman, and traffic was moving smoothly through the early morning rush hour.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: LakAttack

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: LakAttack
Here's the deal: If one school bus hits a patch of ice (I know there isn't much, but I saw a few spots on the way to work this morning) or a car hits a patch of ice and hits a school bus, 45 parents are suing Fulton County schools for a bazillion dollars. Then lawmakers are saying they need to raise property taxes to buy school busses snow tires. Then the news media starts saying we need salt trucks and snow plows. It is just cheaper in the long run to shut stuff down for 2-3 days a year when the weather is like this.

and like that's not the case for a million other towns dealing with snow?

Exactly. People in the north know how to deal with it because they've lived in miserable conditions their entire lives. People in the south are just used to superior weather conditions. Cities in the north spend money preparing for cold weather. We don't have to in georgia. Like I said, it is just cheaper to shut down. I'm telling you, I'm 25 years old, and I've driven on icy roads like 10 times. I'll admit that it makes me uncomfortable. But that is one of the reasons I live in the south. I don't have to worry about "in my day, we went to school in 16 feet of snow." Can the nostalgia; that isn't romantic - it sucks. That's why we all moved here in the first place.

Sure. I would agree with you.. If there was ANY CHANCE IN HELL that there was ice on the roads. But guess what? There's not! Go read the article I linked to from the AJC's website a few posts up and see how bad it really is.

 

[Nemesis77]

In Finland, when temperature drops to -20C (-4F), only thing they do is to allow the students to spend their breaks indoors instead of outside. To my knowledge, schools were not closed down even when temperature dropped to -40C (also -40 in fahrenheit).

 

[LakAttack]

Crews in north Cobb County were salting roads after vandals opened four fire hydrants in Kennesaw, causing icy roads in the area.

Smart kids!

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: LakAttack
Crews in north Cobb County were salting roads after vandals opened four fire hydrants in Kennesaw, causing icy roads in the area.

Smart kids!

Now that is funny. I wish I would have thought of that back in the day in Michigan.

 

[ElFenix]

something funny (in a sick sort of way) the weathergirl said one day, in regards to northerners poking fun of southerners, "we may shut down the city when we have a little bit of ice, but at least people aren't dying when the thermometer hits 90."