Streetscape, winter storm

 The mayor of Atlanta came over the airwaves Tuesday evening, pleading with people to stay indoors during the winter storm. He said emergency crews were fully committed, and it wouldn’t help if citizens were out playing bumper cars. The message struck me as tactless.

Within two hours, 17 abandoned cars were visible from our window.

The snow fell on frozen streets. There is no naturally level ground in the Georgia Piedmont, so cars going up the hill — any hill — slid backward, unless they slid sideways.

I used to contend that the Texas Constitution should prohibit Texans from driving on ice or snow. I find myself thinking more broadly these days.

And, on second thought, I think the mayor put the matter honestly, rather than tactlessly.