Column: Naughty Winter Drivers

I should probably preface this column by saying these have words have been brewing for awhile, perhaps creating a “storm inside”.

The first winter snowstorm of 2017 was a doozy and blanketed Whitehall with over a foot of snow in a little over 24 hours.

The winter weather led to some horrific road conditions not only locally, but through the entire Treasure State.

In last week’s Whitehall Ledger, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Report was full of accidents that were a result of the horrible mess of snow and ice.

Having grown up in Wyoming and now a resident of Montana for nearly three years, I understand that sometimes the roads are going to be bad, but what I cannot understand is the way some people drive.

I don’t care how big your truck is, nor if it is a four-wheel drive --- if there is snow and ice on the road and you are going too fast for conditions – you are not being very bright. While driving on the Interstate the past couple of weeks, we have had over 100 people pass going way to fast. When someone makes the decision to drive like a bat out of hell, they are not only endangering themselves, they are putting the lives of others at risk. It takes only a small patch of ice to send a vehicle out of control and that can cause chaos for anyone around it.

I just don’t understand how people have experienced winter for numerous years and still drive without a care in the world. I don’t care if someone can drive better than Dale Earnhardt Jr., there is not much that can justify going too fast on bad roads. If there is an emergency, do what it takes, but 99 percent of the time this is not the case.

I have some wonderful advice for everyone that likes to go too fast. Picture a world that will not change if you are a little bit late for something. Imagine getting into the grocery store at 7:15 instead of 7:00 taking a look around and seeing that the store has not changed one bit. The shelves are still stocked and you can purchase whatever you would like. For all the people that may be speeding because they are late to work -- this advice may really blow your mind. If you leave a few minutes early because of the road conditions – you will arrive on time. Wow, isn’t this crazy?

The column sure is snarky this week, but I am just so over how stupid people are in the winter.

In just the past two weeks, I have had three cars pass me only to find them off the road in a few minutes. I hate to see that happen, but sometimes if you are putting your life at risk there are going to be consequences.

This naughty winter behavior also extends into parking lots.

I’m not quite sure why snow makes some people forget common courtesy or how to park. I’m pretty sure that even without being able to see lines it is not that difficult to park in a descent manner. It snows every year, it’s not that hard to park or figure out where a line might be. This is Montana, not the Virgin Islands, I’m pretty sure that people should know how to drive according to conditions.

I’m also all for anyone who helps out with shoveling walks with their ATV, but that does not give them the right to drive at max speed because they are giving a helping hand.

I saw someone going about 30 miles an hour in front of my house in a supped up “rhino” and nearly took out a kid. I would rather have the sidewalk or driveway a mess than this nonsense going on.

Please just slow down and make it a lot safer for everyone who actually care about other people. Nobody wants Krampus to visit for Christmas and take all of the naughty drivers away in his burlap sack. Although maybe having Krampus visit is a positive.