Tuesday, July 31, 2007

RAIN?!?!?!? In Phoenix ?!?!?!?!? No way !!!!

Well, after 16 months, 2 weeks, and 6 days of riding the Segway to work every day, I *FINALLY* had a weather event which delayed my commute. I had gone through wind storms, dust storms, ice on the sidewalks, medium rain, light rain, fog, darkness, 115 degree days, etc. But about 8 minutes into my commute yesterday, with a big rainstorm visible to the east of me, the rain started coming down on me. HARD and FAST rain - not some normal little Phoenix sprinkle. By the time I got across the Salt River bridge and to an area which had a little business strip mall and an available dry area under an overhang, I was soaking wet on my left side. My right side was mostly just sprinkled on, but I was drenched on the left side, which was the direction the rain had been coming from.

I parked the Segway and stood around waiting for it to die down - rainstorms in Phoenix, even in the rainy season which is now, are usually very short. If you get 5 minutes of steady, solid rain on you, consider yourself lucky. But this rain was hard and persistent. That first "rain-forced stop" was about 15 minutes. When it had died down a little and was raining slower, I took off again. Made it about 5 blocks and the rain started coming down hard again. I took shelter under a good, thick tree canopy and waited about 5 minutes, where it slowed again. Made it about 2 blocks this time before I had to take shelter under another overhang at a doctor's office. This time it slowed down to a mostly hard sprinkle and I was able to make it all the way home. So the rain managed to delay me about 25 minutes total.

Last year I purchased a rain parka JUST for this moment - but of course it was home in my closet, not in my Segway bag where I should have had it. NOT ANY MORE IT'S NOT !!! I packed that puppy this morning and if this happens again (which it of course WON'T now that I am prepared for it) then my parka will save me. BRING IT ON, MOTHER NATURE !!!