Okay, before I start, let me just say that my Beloved Mini Cooper saved my life, and if I was in anything else, I do not think I would have faired as well as I did, and I want to get everything down so I will post pictures and maps in a bit.

Okay, so here is the story.

Premise: On December 31st, 2006, I recieved a speeding ticket traveling on I-80 West at mile marker 256. 90 in a 65. I decided to fight it. My court date became Thrusday, February 15th, 2007.

Thrusday, 06:00

I wake up in my apartment, estimate it may take me a long time to get to the court house in Surgarloaf, PA. I do not look at the weather report or eat breakfast because I am nervous.

Thrusday, 06:30

Leave Williamsport, PA. Get onto I-180 East. If you have ever driven on rough, bumpy ice, you will understand how I was. It is as if I was driving on unmovable gravel. And you could not go faster than 30 MPH.

Thrusday, 07:15

Exit I-180 East onto I-80 East. This was my first inclination that something was wrong when I dove into a snowdrift of an unplowed exit. At this point I should have turned around and headed back home.

Thursday, 07:55

Approched the SEA OF TRUCKS This is the only way to describe what I saw. There were hundreds upon hundreds of trucks on the side of the road, blocking the road, and on the exit ramps. I am approaching Bloomsburg (where my girlfriend lives) and I call her. I ask her which is the best way to get to Surgarloaf. Her mother tells me to get off at Bloomsburg and get on Route 11.

I feel terrible admiting it, but I got in the left hand lane (because it was open) and drove till I found an opening between the trucks. If you do not know how truckers operate, they do not like to creep up a hill, they like to wait and take large leaps at a time. I cut in front of a truck to get to the shoulder and road the shoulder down to the exit.

Thrusday, 08:15

Get on Route 11 North. I was not the only one who tried to get on 11.

Thrusday, 08:45

Finally reach Berwick PA, and turn right onto Route 93 South.

Thrusday, 09:15

I hit traffic on 93 South, there was this Large Semitruck with trailer stuck under the over pass of I-80 in the deep snow. It was trying to get out with this small Chevorlet pick up trying to tug it out.

Thrusday, 09:25

I reached the courthouse in Surgarloaf, and wait for the judge.

Thrusday, 09:45

The officer was not going to show, although the judge said he was on his way (all of the state troopers were out helping people stuck on the roads) and the judge offered to drop it to a lesser violation. I was tempted to call their bluff, but decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Thrusday, 09:55

I attempt to shoot back up Route 93. That truck I mentioned earlier was still stuck, and the South bound traffic was not going to be stopped to allow for the North bound traffic to be let by. I decided to turn around and head south. I have a friend who lives in Tremont PA, and decided to go visit him.

Thrusday, 10:00

I stopped back at the courthouse and got directions. I set out heading south on Route 93 towards I-81. I call my friend and get instructions on which exit I must get off of (Exit 112. Then I took Route 25 to Route 205 to his home)

Thrusday, 10:20

The one and only time my Mini got fully stuck in the snow, I could not go back or forth, fortunatly, the other lane was free, so I managed to get sideways and take another route up a hill.

Thrusday, 10:25

I reached I-81 and head Southbound. Fortunatly the ramp was cleared by bigger trucks before hand and I could get on the road. Keep in mind the roads are still rough and uneven ice. Its disheartening for me to think of what was happening to my shocks.

Thrusday, 11:10

I reached mile marker 112 and get off the highway. I got stuck slightly behind a large FedEx that was stuck in the snow. I manage to get around him and to my friends place.

Thrusday, 11:45

Arrive at my friends place. Catch up with him.

Thrusday, 15:30

I decided to leave to "beat the darkness" As you will read, this was a terrible idea. I decided that getting back to Williamsport will be a lost cause, so I choose to get to my girlfriends place in Benton, PA. My friend and I planned a route up Route 54 which I would take an exit two exits from 112.

Thrusday, 16:00

I returned to I-81 and drive up north to my planned exit. The exit ramp was blocked by very thick snow, so I decided to keep on going north. I realized that most of the ramps were packed and I could not get off any of them. At this point I was getting thristy and hungry (I had not eaten or drank since Wednesday at around 18:00) so I decided the first place I could get off, I was going to take.

Thrusday, 17:45

I decided to try Route 93 North again, but the exit ramp was lined with cars and stopped. The two left hand lanes were moving. I was getting too exhausted and frustraited so I moved back into the moving lefthand lanes and discovered that a jackknifed truck was blocking the Route 93 exit.

Thrusday, 18:30

Traffic...STOPS. No movement at all. I was 10 miles away from the closest exit (around the Hazelton area) So I was not going to walk anywhere. At this point I am drifting in and out of conscienceness. Every now and then waking up cold to start the car and warm up (about every half hour). The dash thermometer claims -5*F. I put on more clothing (I just happened to have pajama bottoms in my bag from an over nighter I spent at a friends eariler that week)

Thrusday, 19:45

I got out of my car, walked in front of a volvo, waved at them to turn off their lights. They comply, and I pee. Come back and listen to my Ipod. I can see PennDot clearing the South bound road.

Thrusday, 22:00

Ipod dies. Turn on laptop

Thrusday, 23:15

Laptop Dies

Friday, 00:00

Realize that it is Friday, feel my stomach contract and make odd noises. Very dry mouth sensations feel my body.

Friday, 01:30

Hope! I can see cars ahead of me starting to move (the police are there knocking on windows and allowing people to travel one car at a time on this horrible road) I start to move and see all sorts of jackknifed trucks and burried cars.

I am unable to get off at any exit because of the ramps being packed with snow. I try I-80, however I fail miserably. I was worried that my front valence would fall off. I decide to just keep going north on I-81 till I find an exit that is relitively clear for me to get off of this god for saken road.

Friday, 02:00

I find an exit that I am able to get off of. There is a Sunoco at the bottom of the ramp that many other cars were camping out. The Sunoco was closed and the pumps were inoperatable. I decide to chance it and take many back roads looking for another all night gas station that I could get gas and drink.

I failed and returned to the Sunoco by the highway and park with other cars. Right before I park, I go to an exit that was being blocked by police cars I asked an officer for water. He gives me a bottle of water and I drink it as I was feeling my kidneys shutting down.

Friday, 03:30

A guy in a lifted 1500 Ram comes by all of the cars and asks us if we would like to go to the shelter. I say yes I would, and I follow him (with a row of cars behind me) further North to Mountain Top, where the American Red Cross (wonderful people) had set up a shelter.

I get something to eat and drink, however no sleep, all of the cots were taken at that moment.

Friday, 05:30

A cot opens up and I fall asleep on it.

Friday, 07:00

I feel my pocket vibrating, and answered my cell phone. It was my girlfriend's mother, checking up on me.

Friday, 07:15

I hang up the phone and walk into the gymnasium, where the TV was on the News channel. I watch and became aware that I-81 North was opened. I sprinted to the closest person with a map and try to figure out how to get south by going north, and plan a route.

I hear people saying that they were going to wait there till Noon or later, I decide to chance it and thank the Red Cross People and sprint to my car.

Friday, 07:25

I get on I-81 Northbound to the Route 29 Exit (the roads are now cleared of snow, and there were not many cars either). Having no idea where I am going.

Friday, 08:00

Route 29 lead into Route 11. I took Route 11 south bound. The roads are still clear, and mostly no cars or trucks.

Friday, 08:55

I get off Route 11 and head North on Route 239, which leads to Benton, which I can get to my girlfriends home from there.

Friday, 09:30

FINNALLY!! I got to my girlfriends place. She is waiting there for me with warm food and drink. She goes off to school and I fall in a deep sleep in her warm bed.

-----------------------------------
NONE OF THIS STORY would have been possible if I was driving anything other than my Mini (well, at least any other car I own). My car saved my life by not chugging lots of gas and being the great handling car that it is.

I love my Mini

*tears of Joy*


Total time in the car: about 16.5 hours...

I will put up pictures of the nondamaged Mini and maps in a bit. Im tired

 

Damn Man! Glad everything turned out alright in the end.

MINIs are AMAZING!

 

I was getting worried when I started reading about snow and bumpy ice, and a sea of trucks. I was really hoping not to see a crunched mini. I'm glad you made it home in one piece. I bet you know the area a bit better now.

 

Wow, that is some story. Glad you made it okay.

Zip

 

Let me get this straight... You're on your way home from the courthouse, and you realize that it's going to take you much longer than usual to get home due to the horrible driving conditions and all the accidents caused by the snow. So, you decide to turn around and go visit your friend who lives two hours in the opposite direction? Ever hear of getting off the road when conditions are bad, instead of taking spontaneous multi-hour road trips? This just sounds like bad decision-making to me, although I admit I didn't read the second half of your tedious epic.

 

Catastrophe! What a scary story!! Those of us in the rest of the US have seen a few stories about the incredible mess in PA, but your first-person tale really drives it home (sorry for the bad driving pun)!

 

What a day man! Next how much gas did you have in the tank when you finally got to the misses (or a gas station that was open)? And did the cop ever show?

 

I could not read the entire story... How about a 1 sentence summary?

 

The decision to visit a friend wasn't so bad. Deciding to head back on the road before dark wasn't so good though... might have been wise to spend the night there and give the plows and the salt/road chemicals a chance to clear things up. Leaving the next day around 10:00 am would have been the thing to do, IMO.

Still, hindsight is always better and Catastrophe went through quite an ordeal. Let's not be too tough on him.

Glad you are okay, Catastrophe ! I once got stuck on the German Autobahn for 9 hours in a nasty snowstorm (with a hungry 6 month old baby with me) so I can somewhat relate.

 

^Exactly what he said^


I went south to get to the closest place I knew I could get warm and rest for a couple hours. (Also part of the descision to see him is that I hadnt seen him in 2 years)

The stupid part of me was to leave. I should have camped out there for the night. (the only radio he has is XM (not that it would matter since you cant get any good radio stations at his place) and he doesnt have television) but I didnt know how bad the roads were. I shouldnt have gone any way, with a lil common sense

 

Great overall turnout with your story Catastrophe! Very scary! , and yes you do have to love the MINI = (a reliable friend)

 

I do not completely understand creep vs. take large leaps over a hill. Since you know how big trucks do things I figured I would ask. I owned and operated eighteen wheelers not that long ago and just a little confused.

FWIW, next time you see a "sea of trucks" parked and shut down (engines idling) on the on and off ramps or if the truck stops are full in the middle of the day let that be a "very big sign" of road conditions. This would help very much with hindsight. Since big trucks talk to each other on the CB you can find out what is going on several miles head and being the professionals of the road 'most' know when it is safe to continue and when to call it a day.

About cutting off a truck....since again you know how they operate you also know this is the number one leading cause of jack knives. Not a good thing to do in this kind of weather, not to mention any kind of weather. Then driving down the shoulder is not a very good idea either. There is usually garbage on the shoulders that could lead to tire, wheel, and body damage. Then if you are passing trucks on the shoulder you also realize that is where 80,000 pounds of metal is going if they have a problem. The chance of them seeing you on the shoulder where you are not supposed to be is also another bad thing. But then again you know how big trucks operate.

Glad you're safe and that day I believe NOAA knew about this storm and it did not take them by surprise. Next time there is nothing wrong with getting a motel room for the night.

Get home ides is a very dangerous thing when it comes to any form of transportation.

Again glad you are safe and that was good news about the traffic ticket.

 

When stuck in traffic, truckers do not like to creep with the traffic, if you ever see a long line of traffic going up hill, you will see some trucks waiting till the traffic opens up while at the bottom of the road. Its easier on the clutch, and we all know it takes more energy to start the truck up the hill over and over again than to start it and take the hill one big leap up the road.

Yes I realize this. However I really needed to keep these points off my record. I am possibly getting an internship in May with Mercedes. Yes yes, I shouldnt have been speeding in the first place, blah blah. I get it and yes, since then I have slowed down.

Yep, I know, but freakin PennDot didnt shut down the damn road until after all of the trucks got stuck. Morons should have shut it down before they got on the road. That was most of the delay of clearing the roads, getting stuck cars and trucks off of it so they could plow. And when I was at the Sunoco I did try to get a motel room, but 309 was packed with trucks too wher ethe Motel 6 was and i couldnt get there.

 

Actually I never did this and we do not us our clutch when shifting we just use the clutch to get going from a stop. I would rather have the truck in third or four gear on the low side creeping and not stoping and going. I would do this by keeping several car lenghts between me. We have 13 to 18 gears to go through. But then again you should know this...since you know how trucks operate. Sorry for sounding like a **** but there are two things that **** me off in the world and that this when people pretend to know how airlines/airplanes operate and how turcks operate/how dangerous they are. :impatient

 

A bit of hyperbole but a good story.

You felt your kidneys shutting down. I dont know what that means... what does that feel like

 

Why do you have such an arguementive tone? You just said the same damn thing I said. "use the clutch to get going from a stop". I dont get it?

BTW, I have two friends who drive for FedEx, and a friend who spent a whole night talking to me about driving his peterbiult (he was very depressed, I just sat there listening, letting him vent and just talking about nothing) Both confirmed what I just said about taking the whole hill at one time instead of stopping and going up a hill. Not all truckers do it, but the ones I know personally confirm that.

 

Dude, I do not really know. I must not be very happy with my life right now. :impatient Maybe I should talk to your Pete friend and we can on each others shoulders.

Sorry

 

Sorry, but the morons were the ones attempting to drive on the road, not the DOT. People aren't always going to "shut down" things that are dangerous for you. Sometimes you have to exercise some judgment and common sense.

 

So let me get this straight...

The roads were a disaster on your way to your friends house, it's still snowing, and you think they may have gotten better for the trip back.

Good username...hope it's not a self fulfilling prophecy

 

But MOE4me... the friend only has XM radio, and no television. How long can one reasonably remain under such conditions? Weather be damned! :impatient After all, if you know how phones work, they actually can't be used to transmit weather information. If you try and tell someone the forecast over the phone, all they hear is a commercial for Skippy peanut butter. Try it out!

 

So quick to critize, by assuming things.

No cingular service there. XM is his only luxuary, paid for by his parents for his birthday. No land line phone there, no reliable internet. Yes, there are people on this planet and in the US who still live without these normal admenities.

 

Well I hope you've leaned a few lessons here.

Some winter tips.... Always keep a road map in your car. A Delorme is the best. Keep some water & snacks in your car. Keep some warm clothes in your car. Those last few things would've made you a heck of a lot more comfortable. But now you already know that.

Oh one more. Next time call the courthouse & tell them you can't make it because of the weather. They would've understood that.

I'm glad you survived your ordeal. Mother Nature can be a tough old girl.

 

^Yeah, I called them a few times on the road saying Ill be late, but I should have called them and never left. Rescheduled

 

I've never heard anyone, anywhere, defend or softmouth PennDot; not even their mothers. Allow me to savor the bizarreness.

 

Haha, you know how penndot is, lol