The Upside of Cabin Fever

February 20th, 2010

Recently the east coast experienced a truly extraordinary snowstorm, which blanketed a number of major cities and left D.C. buried under 24-plus inches of snow. After a day and a half of steady snowfall, people all over the city were stuck in the house and unable to escape the relentless snow.

Being trapped in the house with two roommates for a week of impromptu snow days quickly went from exciting to boring to torturous. Food was running low; an impending power outage was headed our way; and we’d been sitting together in the same room, in the same pajamas, for what seemed like a month.

One of us had the bright idea to dig the car out and make a trip to the only place that might be open during a blizzard – the grocery store. Unfortunately our plans were quickly foiled after we realized we didn’t have a working shovel. So we took to gazing out the window at the unlucky drivers attempting to maneuver through the tundra that had once been our busy street.

Within 30 minutes, we witnessed two cars slide through a stop sign, a car get stuck in the snow and then a messy altercation following an unavoidable accident. I was instantly thankful that my roommates and I were stuck in the house dealing with cabin fever, and not a driving disaster. Lesson learned — in bad weather conditions, it is smarter (and safer) to avoid driving altogether.

Ryan

Keep Your Eyes on the Road

February 15th, 2010

Gone are the good ol’ days when people met through mutual friends or coincidental encounters. The new pick up spot – the road?! Yeah, I don’t think so. Read the rest of this entry »

Valentine’s Day

February 3rd, 2010

In elementary school, we passed Valentine’s Day themed candy around the classroom. In high school we sent pink and white carnations to our classroom crushes. And as we get older, we’re given roses and expensive chocolate, and maybe even the chance to go on a dinner date. But then what? Over the years, don’t the same Valentine’s Day traditions become a little cliché? Flowers. Candy. Dinner. Except for the diehard romantic, the same routine has the potential to become something of a snooze. Read the rest of this entry »

Mama knows best

January 26th, 2010

When’s the right time to drive alone? The day I got my license, I was sure my mother would hand over her car keys and turn me loose on the road. Why wouldn’t she? I had passed state-mandated written and performance tests, and I had undoubtedly proven to her (and more importantly the state) that I could drive. Read the rest of this entry »

Morning Rush

January 19th, 2010

It’s bright and early on a Monday morning. My friends and I rush to get ready and leave the house. One of my roommates wakes up late, someone else decides to take a longer than average shower in the wrong bathroom, and I can’t find my house keys – it never fails. Read the rest of this entry »

Allow Me to Introduce Myself

January 15th, 2010

With the biggest grin I’d ever mustered, and the millisecond long flash of the camera, my life had become complete. It was my 16th birthday, and at that point, the happiest day of my life. I had just received my graduated driver’s license. That little piece of plastic featuring my dime-sized photo was much more than permission to drive without my mother’s presence. To me, it was the beginning of what I thought would be a very liberating and exciting life. Read the rest of this entry »

Be safe this winter!

January 7th, 2010

The holidays are officially over. Luckily, I still have a few weeks to relax and try my hardest to do absolutely nothing at all. Read the rest of this entry »

Holiday Season

December 23rd, 2009

For this holiday season, there are three things I’d like to mention:

The first: Holiday traffic. It is absolutely nuts. Yes, I am mainly referring to my mall experiences, as I never have to make pilgrimages to visit family in nearby or far off states. Parking lot stalking is at its seasonal peak, jumping out in front of oncoming traffic is more popular than ever, and avoiding fender benders seems to take the backseat to glancing down at lists and checking things off. Just sayin’. Read the rest of this entry »

Welcome Eric to the Driver’s Seat

November 4th, 2009

When I first saw the Safety Scholars contest online, my first idea was to make a video about the dangers of texting while driving. A few of my friends have gotten in minor crashes, simple fender benders while they were texting and driving, and I thought the accidents could’ve been way more serious. Read the rest of this entry »

Stay Awake!

October 12th, 2009
It is probably one of the scariest feelings in the world:
That moment when you realize you almost fell asleep while driving.
I’d never had a problem with this in all my years of driving until last week. Last week I had an interesting line-up of events which made for a series of nights featuring very little sleep: The Killers concert, a Mae concert and a Disney birthday celebration, all an hour and a half away from home. So each time, after a full day of school and work, I’d head over with some friends to Orlando, Fla., — town of magic — and partake in the spectacle of activities. Needless to say, with 8 a.m. classes on the following days, I got from 3-4 hours of sleep per night and spent about $100 in gas in three days. Ah, the price we pay for epic experiences.
If you’ve been in this situation before, you know how it gets when you’ve been standing for five hours straight and jumping up and down constantly for two. Then you have to drive back. For an hour and a half. Did I mention I got up at 6 a.m.? Exactly. An hour into the drive, the lines on the road started to blur, the loud and upbeat music wasn’t doing it anymore, and I was desperately taking sips from a Steak N Shake milkshake in hopes that the sugar would go straight to my brain and re-energize it. This sucks. And is EXTREMELY dangerous. I mean, going 70 mph while exhausted should probably be as illegal as driving drunk, but I guess they just don’t have a way to breathalyze exhaustion.
So, after experiencing this firsthand several times that week, here’s what I did. And then, here’s what I decided I should do next time.
What I did (in order):
Sipped Steak N Shake milkshake – effective for a short period of time.
Blared Upbeat music – effective mainly while singing.
Slapped my face – hurts. Not that effective.
Turned off all music – somewhat effective, snapped me out of my musical trance.
Talked to my sister – MOST effective. Talking to people when they’re asking you questions is quite helpful.
What I should do next time:
Switch drivers, if possible.
Pull over at the nearest McDonald’s and set a 10-minute alarm. Nap!
Here’s to staying awake,
Sarah

It is probably one of the scariest feelings in the world:

That moment when you realize you almost fell asleep while driving. Read the rest of this entry »