Icy Monday - But No FCPS Delay

J S January 23, 2012 at 03:52 pm

As I drove my child to school at 6:40 am watching children slide down sidewalks in the foggy dark mist, I was so glad to know that all the Government employees were safe a warm at home!!

Michael January 23, 2012 at 04:25 pm

The roads were fine - but even at 8:00 I saw several children slip and fall on totally uncleared sidewalks on the way to bus stops.

Bob January 23, 2012 at 04:36 pm

We are a nation of wimps.

Frank Sogandares January 23, 2012 at 04:43 pm

the roads were pretty clear at 4AM. No need for a delay.

CR January 23, 2012 at 05:05 pm

The roads were fine. As for children slipping on sidewalks... property owners should be properly treating the sidewalks!

Lara January 23, 2012 at 06:02 pm

Please remember that some of the HS students get picked up by bus at 6:15. My middle school daughter gets picked up at 6:40. Few people are going to treat that early and after ice throughout the night, well you get my point. I drove my daughter to the bus stop and she still wiped out getting to the bus.

Ann H Csonka January 23, 2012 at 08:02 pm

There are also a number of roads that DO tend to be icy ... especially when they are winding through woods and/or are hilly. Oh, well, there aren't that many . . . let school buses in those areas wipe out if they do. No problem.
As for being wimps ...that applies in many situations.

Debra McKeown January 24, 2012 at 01:28 am

I know a West Potomac teacher who was in a ice-related two-car accident on the way to school.

terri morgan January 24, 2012 at 11:47 am

I'd rather be a wimp, who's children are safe at home for two extra hours; than attending funerals, or visiting hospitals and ER's for minor fall related injuries.

Chipperson January 24, 2012 at 11:49 am

Kids should be more careful. I know that if it's icey I'll take my time and plan each step - and if the precious snowflakes slip and fall they will have learned a lesson.

J S January 24, 2012 at 01:47 pm

Kids should be more careful!!! Are you kidding me!!??! What about the fat lazy Government workers?!?!? Glad you were comfortable and warm at 6:30 am.
You clearly do not have children......thank God!!!

Donna Parker January 24, 2012 at 02:31 pm

While the main roads were fine, our neighborhood roads were slippery. We have no sidewalks to be cleared, but I know several kids actually fell on the road itself trying to cross to get to the bus at 6:15 a.m. I slipped and almost fell getting to the mailbox. Fairfax County has lots of neighborhoods like mine, and they weren't safe that morning. A two hour delay would have made things much better.

Cathy Hosek January 24, 2012 at 03:02 pm

If it weren't a Monday when we already get out at 1:10, perhaps. It wouldn't have counted as a whole day for elementary schools! What's the point to go for 2 hours?

Michele January 24, 2012 at 03:12 pm

I am split on whether there should have been a delayed opening. Many of the sidewalks in my area are on state roads, not the responsibility of a homeowner, so they are never treated/cleared. The sidewalks when I walked my dog at 7 am still were icy a little, BUT they were actually less icy than they had been when I walked the dog the night before!

Tom Butts January 24, 2012 at 04:05 pm

No, we're a nation of excessive litigation. Blame it on the lawyers.

Frank Sogandares January 24, 2012 at 04:50 pm

yes. it's a big joke. kids should not be more careful. they should rely on their helicopter parents. it's a funny, funny joke. ha. ha

Kim January 24, 2012 at 07:58 pm

Wow - lots of bitterness about children's safety. Either I throw my kid out the door and tell him to try not to slip and crack his head open or I'm a helicopter parent - nothing in between?

Michele January 24, 2012 at 08:24 pm

I was talking about this with a friend, and the basic conclusion we came to was if the government has a delayed opening, so should the schools. If they feel that the roads are not safe for employees, then our kids should not be out on them.
The issue of icy sidewalks is really different in many ways though. If you delayed school every time there was a little ice on the sidewalks or roadsides, school would be closed still - I almost fell on a slick spot walking this am! Should schools still be delayed or closed?

Ann H Csonka January 24, 2012 at 08:36 pm

What a shame that your children will learn about "fat lazy Government workers".
Some folks clearly have limited unfortunate exposure to federal workers. There are deadbeats in every group of people, but your characterization of govt workers is both ridiculous and incorrect. You have benefited from countless competent-to-outstanding hours of free service (unpaid overtime) just from the hundreds of professional employees I know personnel (NASA, NOAA, FWS, USGS, Smithsonian).

Amelie Krikorian January 24, 2012 at 09:28 pm

If there is a two hour delay on a Monday, the kids go to the end of the day instead of being released early. That's probably part of the reason that FCPS did not do a delay: many elementary school parents plan their kids' doctors appointments, after school activities, etc, for that open afternoon.
The streets were OK when I left home at 7:30, but my teenager walked on the grass instead of the sidewalk to get to his bus stop, because the sidewalk was totally covered with ice. Yeah, at 6:15 in the morning few had put ice melt out... particularly the large number of government workers we have in our neighborhood who were enjoying the ability to sleep in. And who can blame them? I would have slept in too if FCPS had been delayed.

judith LOTHER January 26, 2012 at 03:37 am

Growing up in northern Wisconsin I can't recall how many times I wiped out during the winter. It was just a part of life. And what is meant by that previous comment regarding state-owned sidewalks not being cleared? If you have a sidewalk in front of your house, that's the homeowner's responsibility. Believe it or not the homeowner should do a little something for their community. In many cold weather jurisdictions fines are imposed if the sidewalks are treacherous.
And regarding the fed gov't being closed. It was a surprise, but I think OPM was trying to prevent last year's disaster when it took hours to get home (it took me 6 hours). Or the ice storm on primary day in 2008. Many feds live 60 miles or more from their office.

Ann H Csonka January 26, 2012 at 05:47 am

Rules about sidewalks vary in different jurisdictions and in different neighborhoods...AND there are often stretches of road (with sidewalks) that are not the frontage of someone's home (i.e., debatable responsibility for clearing). And who wants to pay more taxes for more snow-clearing state or local workers anyway?
It can be difficult-to-impossible for older folks to clear their section of sidewalk (certainly not before school buses) but they often hire someone to clear -- OR people are just plain neighborly and help 'em. My teenaged kids used to shovel snow for older neighbors -- DO YOURS? One thing that is troubling is the amount of salt or other material dumped all over parking lots and sidewalks. All the salt/other chemicals are great for preventing falls, but terrible for plants, trees, and water quality. I.e., the stream at the outlet of your storm sewer is probably your drinking water supply, too -- not even counting the aquatic life in stream, pond, or river. Judith – Wisconsin is a great place, wipe-outs and all.

Michele January 27, 2012 at 12:39 am

In my part of town, there are no homes on the main roads through the development - all homes face side roads. Especially the corners are often park like areas. there is no one responsible for these areas. They are not the HOA's responsibility, as we found out during the huge snowstorms past. They are VDOT controlled roads, and the sidewalks technically belong to them as well....
In my neighbrohood, we take care of each other and especially the several elderly/infirm neighbors. But I know other streets in my area people do not watch out for each other the way we do.... And when on the main road, you are on your own. I grew up in NJ, and wiping out while walking to school taught us to be careful and leave extra time to get to school on icy days, but that was a different time :(

Fairfax Resident January 27, 2012 at 03:01 pm

As a parent of 3 school aged children and 1 preschooler - whenever we have inclement weather, I either walk with my children or I drive them. Why are parents sending their kids out on their own? I'm amazed at how many of the kids that I saw slipping weren't even wearing gloves or a hat! Come on parents - do your part before you ask the county to make delays. Our county use to be delay/cancel happy and they got the same number of complaints. You can't have it both ways.