Winter weather is beautiful in theory: large, fluffy snowflakes falling gently as the crisp air cues the cravings for cups of hot cocoa. Reality, especially in Athens, is a lot harsher. It usually doesn't snow, but rather, some icy form of precipitation falls and is almost always accompanied by wind that's strong enough to sting your eyes and send scarves flying into the great unknown.
Among students, there's the general acknowledgment that winter weather in Athens can be, well, a nuisance, but there's no redemption because Ohio University hasn't had a snow day since Feb. 17, 2003.
The grand exception is the CATS bus. The Campus Area Transit Service had a snow day last year. But the students, including yours truly, were stuck in slush up their ankles.
I remember the first time I took advantage of free busing on campus. What a delight to hop aboard near my home (Bromley) and cruise down to Mill Street to get access to my car for a weekend trip home to Youngstown! But honestly, I loved the convenience of the CATS bus and wondered why more people didn't utilize it.
Then came that fateful slushy day. I had just run all over campus for class and was soaked with ice water from my feet to my mid-shins. I stood at the bus stop in front of Haning Hall and waited for my warm chariot to whisk me off to my Cavalier, Tabitha (yes, I'm one of those people who name their cars).
I waited ... and waited ... and - you get the idea.
Finally, I called the number listed on the bus sign because it said that hours were 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and I was there during those specified times. The girl who answered the phone said that the buses weren't running because of the weather, even though the university was not closed.
And that's when I knew that the CATS bus was a fair-weather friend.
Before you hit up urbandictionary.com, let me say that a fair-weather friend is one who is only a friend when they need you or when it's profitable for them. So again, CATS bus is (literally) a fair-weather friend.
The CATS bus does post exceptions on its Web site: No service is provided on weekends
quarter breaks or University holidays if there is a level 1 or 2 Snow Emergency please call our offices to see if the shuttle is running. We will NOT run under a Level 3 snow emergency.
Now clearly it wasn't a Level 3 snow emergency, because if it had been, classes would have been canceled. If I recall correctly, it was mostly slush on the ground and flurries in the air on the day the bus left me high and not-so-dry.
I also realize the CATS bus was probably making the safest decision, but if people rely on it for transportation to and from campus and it can't safely perform that role, shouldn't class be canceled?
Overall, the CATS bus has a lot going for it. No OU ID is required, arrival times are marked at each stop, it's handicap accessible and it's free. So, keeping the positives in mind while still hoping for a snow day, I plan to give you another chance, dear CATS bus.
Just don't punk out on me again.
Ashley Luthern is a junior studying journalism and the Culture editor for The Post. Send her an e-mail at al324805@ohiou.edu.
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Opinion
Ashley Luthern
