Not all are Drones

When a government does work for the benefit of the people, the critics still keep yelling. Is it any wonder the people doing those jobs become cynical and jaded? What I have in mind is the State of Wyoming and more specifically the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming State Patrol.

Wyoming weather can be and often is, horrible. Year around the wind can gust to 65+ mph. Snow, blowing blinding snow and black ice is a fact of life. Thunderstorms in the summer can bring intense rain.

Wyoming, the least populated state with a population under 600,000 has three Interstate Highways. The expectation of “outsiders” is for Wyoming to keep them open for the benefit of the rest of the country no matter what weather problems occur.

Like most states, Wyoming collects fees from trucks passing through. Unlike other states, Wyoming actually spends those fees on their highways. Every summer the potholes are being filled, the frost heaves dealt with, guard rails repaired, etc. By contrast, Illinois anyone?

Outsiders tend to ignore the actual residents of Wyoming like to have their secondary roads plowed and maintained. Selfish, aren’t they?

Colorado, where I live, has ten times the population of Wyoming. I-70 is closed often in the winter and Vail Pass looks like something found in a third world country.

Another challenge for WDOT is hiring snowplow drivers. Wages are low and the skills need high. Working conditions?

Then you have the idiot drivers. I once ran hotshot freight and made frequent trips to the coal mines near Gillette. One night returning I should have stopped in Douglas and got a room but pressed on in a one ton 2wd van. The road was black ice with about 4” of snow and the night was blacker than a (P)regressives heart. Some idiot in a Jeep Compass passed me going a lot faster than me. Further down the highway I saw it about 50’ down the embankment. The headlights were bright so I knew the engine was still running. I also knew my old fat body wasn’t going to make it down that ice covered ground and then get back up to the road. Cell phone out, I made a call. I couldn’t give a mile marker as all were coated with ice. In the distance I could see the lights of Cheyenne and emergency vehicle coming. When they arrived I drove on.

My sister is an insurance adjuster and is called by some truck companies to accidents in Wyoming. She has a 4wd vehicle and years of experience driving in adverse conditions. Even for her, getting to the scene is challenging. Well known to the State Patrol and the tow truck people, she is allowed through even when the roads are closed. I don’t envy her that task, especially when there are fatalities. She knows just how dedicated and professional are the Wyoming state employees.

The point of this rambling post is people doing their best, regardless of their employer, need to be recognized and applauded. Think, before you criticize.

As always, YMMV.