Please read editor note at the bottom. 

I nearly had a heart attack coming home from school Friday. Another day of fresh snow means another day of shaky, scary driving on our beloved Main Street. This long stretch of road through farmland and the small town would not be so bad during the snow if it were not for one thing.

The roads are plowed like my grandma’s driveway. And she is incapable of removing snow from it. Apparently so are the snow plow people of Huntley.

Coming home I drove at the quite safe speed of twenty miles per hour. Thankfully there was not anyone behind me, I am sure I would have gotten some angry drivers.

But there was oncoming traffic and I was not ready to slide into the left lane. So I kept my speed, all while on the slick, snowy road. My eyes were tightly fixed on the road while a song I do not even like droned on the radio because I was too afraid to reach down and change the song.

Some people might not think that this is bad, and laugh at how Main Street is nothing to fear. But those who have experience in the horrors of what snowy conditions can cause, they know where I am coming from.

In retrospect, just a few weeks ago, on the very first real snow of the year, I was driving home like everybody else. It all happened so fast, I slid uncontrollably into the guardrail on the bridge and went into oncoming traffic. Before I knew it, I was in a ditch.

I was going fifteen miles an hour. I was then seen as what looked like a dummy that cannot drive and drove into a ditch. That just made my day!

This was my cue to become cautious of Main Street.

I became a very careful driver after this, especially on Main. I have to be extra careful anyway with passengers. It is such a narrow country road, one slip up and you could be in a ditch.

During snowy conditions I’ve noticed that there are two kinds of drivers. There are the extra careful drivers like myself who take extra care not to slide on snow.

I know, wimpy.

And then there are those few crazies who go thirty on turns and race down the snowy Main Street like it is the Audubon of Huntley.

Those are the people who drive really close behind me and eventually pass me.

Unfortunately when I was coming home Friday I saw a three car accident where all three cars were on the side of the road. There was a police car there, but the circumstances are unknown. Likely because the conditions.

More likely because of the poorly—or none at all—plowed street.

My friend and I thought, wow, that could have been us. Oh wait, that was us a few weeks ago.

Well thankfully, my friend and I made it home safe. We only slide once when stopping and that was when I made a stop at a stop sign. That’s one too many slides on snow.

With the added traffic of high school rush hour, it is a recipe for disaster.

Let’s face it, every high school driver is a reckless driver, even the seemingly cautious ones. People fight to get out of the parking lot and home as fast as they can. Like it is some kind of race.

The snow does not even seem to bother some people, which baffles me. But I think everyone can admit that Main Street is poorly plowed during snow.

I do not know if it snow plows are too big for the narrow street that is Main, or if they are just lazy, but evidently it is the passageway of most teens of Huntley High. What does that tell you?

Personally, as I have said, I hate driving on Main Street regardless of snow. I hate it even more with snow. I hate it like how the cat hates the mouse. I hate it like how Harry hates Draco. I hate it like how Congress hates getting things done (BURN).

So please, protect us Huntley High School drivers and our wonderful neighbors of Del Webb. It is 2.7 miles of danger, with an icy bridge and a town teeming with cars and people.

I do not know about everyone else, but I really do not want to die on road innocently named Main Street.

Editor note: The Village of Huntley has implemented a snow removal plan to make sure that roads are cleared in a safe, effective manner. The plan was written in response to the 2011 Blizzard. The Public Works department is responsible for the maintenance of Village roads during a snow storm. Parts of Main Street are considered Unincorporated McHenry County and is not the responsibility of the Village of Huntley. As with all myVoice and opinion pieces the Voice and Editorial Board does not support or disagree with the claims in this article. They are the sole opinion of the writer. 

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