Can't Get There From Here... Not by Transit

Last night, I had planned on taking public transportation to work this afternoon, but while listening to the local all-news radio station, I learned that the county bus system had cancelled service for the day, due to the weather.  Typically, I would take the 25 bus to the Yonkers train station, and take the Metro-North Hudson Line train to the vicinity of my workplace.  I found myself in a 'can't get there from here' situation, and was trying to figure out the best way to go south to go north, using the NYC Subway.  This would have entailed walking to the Woodlawn terminus of the 4 Train, then transferring to the downtown Number 2 train at 149th St, and taking the 2 to 96th St, where I could transfer to the uptown 1 train, taking it to Marble Hill, where I could catch the Metro North train, several stops south of my beloved Yonkers.

Doing the math, and noting that the temperatures were in the teens, making both walking and waiting on various platforms unpleasant at best, and fraught at worst.  I decided to brave the roads.  While small, my car is a little workhorse- it has front-wheel drive and a manual transmission, so it handles pretty well in the snow.  

The worst part of the drive was the hilly street on which I park- it hadn't been plowed, but there had been a significant amount of traffic, judging by the wheel ruts in the snow.  With low gear, and facing downward, I was able to maneuver out of my parking spot and into the wheel ruts, then drove to the bottom of the hill to the fairly well-trafficked road, timing it perfectly to make the traffic light.  I really try to avoid having to stop, and more crucially, start, when driving in the snow.  From there, I made it to the main commercial drag, where the roadway had been plowed relatively well.  I drove to the Thruway service road, and once I merged onto the Thruway, it was smooth riding.  Exiting from the Thruway, I stuck to major roads.  There had been lower snowfall in these northern parts than in my beloved Yonkers.  When I arrived on the job, the lot had been plowed, and a local DPW plow/salt truck was parked in the lot as the driver took a break. This was a most welcome sight.

I'm working a double overnight, because my coworker covered the graveyard shift I typically work.  Besides, who the hell wants to be on the road at midnight after a heavy snowfall and subsequent deep freeze?  Better to let the plows and salters work unimpeded throughout the night.  Right now, I am contemplating whether to drive home or not, mainly because I suspect that finding a parking spot tomottow morning might be an ordeal... I might have to park six blocks away, near the local school.  I have all night to ponder this dilemma, by which I mean finding out if the buses are running.  

So, now, it's time to hunker down, brew a pot of coffee, and be glad that I'm inside.