Snow and Society

Tuesday was a day of epic proportions. Portland was blessed with a beautiful blanket of snow. This blanket was only like 1 inch but it caused a night of interesting events.
There were many happy Jamba employees at 4 pm on Tuesday. We kept running out to see the snow! Snow that we hadn't seen for a year! I got off at 4:45 and learned that Clifford wouldn't be picking me up because our car was stuck in our parking lot. We like all other North Westerners were unprepared for the weather we were having. I will spare you the gory details, but it took me five and half hours to get home that night.  Four of which was spent on a bus that was stranded right outside of down town Portland.
The night was a long, cold one, however it made me realise a few things.
It really amazed me how unprepared the city of Portland was. Most years we get a day of snow and its usually gone by the next morning. Last year we had a week or more of snow. So, I would think that there would be at least a game plan for when we get this kind of weather. I didn't see that they had any game plan on Tuesday. Everyone was caught off guard, I get that, but really.. there were at least four buses stuck around me.. tons and tons of people stranded with no other way to get home and we all had the city to grumble about. Don't get me wrong, the Trimet system is pretty dang good in my opinion. We can get anywhere without a car which is comforting. But it was crazy to me how a LITTLE snow turned everything upside down.
It was also crazy to me however how strangers bonded with each other. Its rare in this day in age to see strangers talking. Everyone is paranoid including me. I try not to make eye contact with anyone on the bus, especially shady looking ones. Judgemental on my part yes, but I've watched too many Law and Orders and read too many true life crime books not to. On this particular snow day, however, many were stranded with only the bus as a viable means of transportation. It was great to see how many people were talking and joking with each other. I was talking with a few people around me and we were even planning on maybe calling a taxi and splitting the cost. I later sat next to a lady on the bus and we were stuck together for four hours. I learned that she just moved from SoCal, she is new at her job and they all jokingly blame her for the snow, she loves pancakes and she desperately tries to convince her sister to move here all the time. She was a nice, funny lady and it was refreshing to talk to someone who was a complete stranger. I saw this happening all around me and it made me smile.
I have always believed that people are inherently good. It's saddened me that throughout my years I have become suspicious of strangers around me, I don't trust many. I know this is for a good reason, for there are many out there who want to hurt others. But, it was so nice to bond with strangers around me. Sitting stranded on a bus for four hours could have been an awful experience, and although it wasn't Disneyland, it was still a good experience and one that I smile at.