I demand my mag chloride

or "what exactly is Denver's list of priorities?" or maybe "where is the money spent?". Granted Denver does not plow side streets; gotta cut costs somewhere (remember the snow storm a few years back when G couldn't get to work for 3 days b/c he couldn't get out of our street?) But wouldn't you consider Holly & Florida to be fairly busy main streets? Both were unplowed as of this morning and thick with visible ice. There was a fender bender on Florida & Dahlia as I took Madster to school. No big deal.

But you know, last night I slid trying to stop at that light. And the car behind me barely stopped in time to not rear-end me. In fact, when I heard my tires stop in the snow, I almost thought the sound was that of the car behind me tapping my fender because her headlights were nowhere visible in my rearview mirror, but were right up close to my rear fender. Yeah, probably why she drove so cautiously & far behind me after we got through the intersection. You know that feeling when all the blood rushes to your legs (or out of them?) when you have to stop suddenly or when you get pulled over? Alot of that feeling going on last night, I'm sure.

Anyway, there was an ambulance at the scene on my way back. Didn't look like an "emergency" -no flashing lights, no police, etc. Maybe 5 minutes later I hear an ambulance siren -going from the scene or maybe a totally different vehicle. G leaves for work 5 minutes after that & calls to tell me an ambulance had driven into the wooden fence at the Montessori school on the corner of Holly & Florida. hmmmmmm. I leave for the store a few minutes later w/ the girls & witness the ambulance in the fence & the car it hit. The car in front of me skids to the right & straightens out. I slide & aim for the right turn lane & finally stop. I see the car behind me start to slide & drive into the parking lot to avoid rear ending me (luckily no oncoming traffic, as she went across lanes to get to the lot.) Okay, no biggie b/c it happens all over the country at this time of year.

My point is that it probably could be avoided if the city saw fit to plow & de-ice more than just 4 or 6 lane boulevards. I'm not complaining about side streets, mind you; I just think that well-traveled main streets should be made safe for drivers (& pedestrians).