Potomac Confidential

Washington's Hour of Talk Power

Post Metro columnist Marc Fisher was online Thursday, Feb. 15, at 11 a.m. ET to look at how local governments dealt with this week's ice event, the "Gum Game" ( Post, Feb. 15) that Montgomery County school children played in health class, and Gov. Tim Kaine's very early endorsement of Barack Obama for president. that Montgomery County school children played in health class, and Gov. Tim Kaine's very early endorsement of Barack Obama for president.

Check out Marc's blog, Raw Fisher.

In his weekly show, Fisher veers wildly from serious probing to silly prattle, and is open to topics local, national, personal and more.

Archives: Discussion Transcripts

A transcript follows.

____________________

Marc Fisher: Happy ice day, folks. Except of course that there's almost no ice on the major thoroughfares. Yet virtually every school system in the region chose to shut down--the better to make a long President's Weekend into a nearly-week-long vacation perhaps?

Yesterday's closings and delays were certainly justifiable--the combination of ice and a late, somewhat unexpected bit of snow made for a messy morning rush hour, but the major routes around town were in perfectly decent shape and business generally proceeded on a reasonably normal basis.

But today? Can anyone explain why today's closings make sense?

Many of you want to talk about the gum game, the lesson on peer pressure that was taught in Montgomery County schools until a couple of weeks ago--it's the subject of today's column and I'd love to hear your views on it.

Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia will announce his endorsement of Barack Obama for president on Saturday, a mere year before the primaries. I know we're deeply into campaign mode and the political news media are acting as if it were March 2008, but is anyone who's not paid to follow this stuff really that involved at this ridiculously early date?

On to your many comments and questions, but first, the Yay and Nay of the Day:

Yay to Rep. Tom Davis, the Fairfax Republican who has now changed his mind and is endorsing the notion of putting Metrorail underground as it wends its way through Tysons Corner--a move that would give that mishmash of an Edge City a decent chance of remaking itself in an urban, pedestrian-friendly manner. That's something that would not happen if Metro barrels through the area on overhead tracks, a cheaper path that historically almost guarantees a barren, off-putting cityscape below.

Nay to Metro for yet another accident, in this case the tragic death of two women whose only crime was that they were crossing the street--legally, with the light--when a wayward Metrobus plowed into them. Pedestrian deaths are becoming a commonplace around here, and that's scary indeed. Metro this morning announced mandatory new safety retraining for its drivers, but what will that really accomplish? Isn't this more a matter of attitude, of drivers having a sense of just barreling through? I'm not sure what the best way is to fix that, just as we as a society have failed to address the hopped-up, lemme-through attitude of so many drivers. Any solutions, anyone?

Come ahead on that and anything else on your minds this lovely, if somewhat crunchy, day....

_______________________

Leesburg, Va.: I have no problem with sex education being "outsourced," because I think there are some subjects that can be presented more effectively by consultants, presenters, and the like. When I was a kid -- in a parochial school -- we had all manner of such people drop by to present on subjects ranging from traffic safety to, yes, sex ed.

Interestingly enough, our sex ed presenters were not religiously oriented. We were given the facts about reproduction; the sermons were left for church services. So, if a 'Catholic' school could ensure that a serious subject was conveyed in a serious, scientific manner, you'd think that a public school system could do the same thing.

So, it's not the gum that sticks to my craw, it's this outsourcing to a group with a hidden (or not-so-hidden) moralist agenda.

washingtonpost.com: Don't Gum Up Sex-Ed; Leave Instruction to Professional Teachers ( Post, Feb. 15)

Marc Fisher: Yes, the worst part of this is that the outsourcing is to a group that's engaged in a bit of subterfuge--the fact that the abstinence educator told me she routinely announces to each class that they can come in to her center for a free pregnancy test (while leaving out the fact that the free test comes along with a pretty heavy-handed anti-abortion education seminar) reveals the group's real purpose in gaining access to public school kids.

But the whole question of outsourcing the teaching of sensitive topics--generally centered around sex--bothers me. If these subjects are going to be taught in the schools, and there's a strong social reason for using schools to get across some basic information, then it's the public apparatus of school boards and professional educators who should work with parents and taxpayers to decide how to navigate those tough and divisive issues, such as basic sex ed, abstinence, contraception, homosexuality and so on.

Mortgaging that responsibility by hiring outside groups--some out to make a buck, some out to press a particular political or social agenda item--seems to be a slap in the face of parents, who need to be able to trust that schools will seek a popular consensus and then decide the best middle course to take in approaching sex questions.

_______________________

Missed the point on "gum game": Marc, two things: One, I think you missed the point on the "gum game" -- I've seen the presentation before (to a group of 20-somethings, actually) and would join all the students who gave it high marks: the point is, if you think it's gross, yucky, etc., to chew a piece of gum after one (or 2, or 10) other people have had it in their mouths, why would you not have that same reaction to sleeping with someone after 2 (or 10) other people had already had sex with them? The list of gross, yucky consequences possible from multiple sex partners is surely higher than from sharing a piece of gum, your overwrought Montgomery mom's reaction notwithstanding. I think the exercise does a great job of making this point (it's not really about peer pressure).

Second, you said, "Those outsiders have a hidden agenda of their own." No, the agenda's pretty upfront: encourage kids to choose abstinence partly by showing the myriad possible consequences of teenage sex. I don't see anything sinister or objectionable about that.

Marc Fisher: I have no objection to the lesson that the gum game teaches--it's perfectly reasonable to try to drive home to teenagers the impact that peer pressure can have on very important decisions such as when to engage in sexual activity. But while the drama of the gum game is appealing, it is at the least unsanitary and perhaps even dangerous, and there's just no call for the use of such tactics when there are so many other teaching techniques that don't ask kids to do gross stuff under the auspices of the authorities that they should have some trust relationship with.

_______________________

Damascus, Md.: The gum game did do one good thing. While talking about the incident with my husband, my middle schooler (who will be going to Damascus), said, "GROSS!" And then we were able to have a very good discussion about how you never have to do something that makes you uncomfortable, even if it is something a teacher is asking you to do. Specifically, we would ALWAYS back her up, even if the school got upset. Of course, this doesn't mean she can suddenly start saying spelling homework gives her the creeps (oh, wait, that isn't in the middle school curriculum -- but that's another complaint), but it did give us the chance to talk about something important.

But, she was right. Gross!

Marc Fisher: That's great! And I think you're right--this nutty little incident will indeed prompt some excellent discussions between kids and parents, discussions that could have every bit as important an impact as the gum game itself, without the revolting bits or the undermining of teacher and school authority.

_______________________

St. Mary's City, Md.: In my view, the reason that the Pregnancy Center went to such gross and disgusting lengths is because the group is convinced it is doing "God's will." I cringe at the thought of my children being educated by zealots from any religion. Whether there is a god and what that god might want, those issues do not belong in public schools.

Marc, you are exactly right to ask why this group was chosen. I suspect that either the group camouflaged its hidden agenda, or a few in the school system placed their religious beliefs ahead of their duty to parents and taxpayers.

washingtonpost.com: Don't Gum Up Sex-Ed; Leave Instruction to Professional Teachers ( Post, Feb. 15)

Marc Fisher: Camouflage may be exactly right--I've just checked back through the program guide that the Pregnancy Center provided the county school system when it was seeking approval for conducting abstinence lessons in the public schools, and there's not a word about the center's faith connection or its mission statement, which is there for all to see on its web site and says that the whole idea behind the center is to bring people to Jesus and to advance the anti-abortion/pro-life cause. They certainly have the right to work for their beliefs, and they're upfront about that on their site and in their work at the center; I think it would only be fair for them to have also been upfront about it in their efforts with the county. But while we're pointing fingers, we should also ask why the county didn't know who the Rockville Pregnancy Center really was when they granted it the right to teach health classes in the public schools. It's not that hard to find out what they're really all about.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Marc -- Did you look into the overall effectiveness of abstinence pledges? It is no surprise that students who make pledges are no less likely to engage in sexual behavior than their classmates who refuse to make the pledges.

Marc Fisher: Right--there's a lot of "Sure, whatever you say" teenager attitude in the comments I see on the evaluation forms that kids filled out after going through the Pregnancy Center's abstinence lessons.

_______________________

Marc Fisher: More on the gum game a little later in the hour, but first, let's delve into the snow and ice a bit.....

_______________________

Greenbelt, Md.: What is OPM thinking?

Yesterday, they open two hours late while all local govts ask people to stay off the roads so they can be cleared.

Govt employees who drove often had their cars trapped by walls of increasingly solid sleet/ice/snow from plows as they were working.

Walls of slush two feet wide and a foot or more high at street crossings last night were sure to freeze solid by today and it's not melting. How are workers supposed to vault over these icebergs to cross streets or even walk in from parking lots to GET to work?

Marc Fisher: Um, wear boots?

I know many folks think me insensitive or callous on this issue, but let's be real: I was just talking to a guy in Rochester, NY, where they've got a very impressive 100-plus inches of snow. That's real hardship. That's a reason to close schools for a few days. We have an inch or two of ice and snow mix. Three salt trucks just rumbled by my house a few minutes ago; this thing is well under control. The streets are generally clear; it's just a matter of taking a bit of extra care out there.

_______________________

NoVa.: Your constant kvetching over the school closings is more annoying than the terribly annoying weather people. Get over it.

BTW, my driveway and a lot of the sidewalks in my neighborhood (which were shoveled yesterday) were solid ice this morning, so that's why schools are closed in the burbs.

Marc Fisher: Maybe we could retire to a special chamber in which the TV weather folk and I could annoy each other all winter long.

In the meantime, however, let me say this about that: Sure, driveways and sidewalks are icy--and it's each homeowner's responsibility to do something about that. Seems to me the government is doing its job, clearing the main thoroughfares so commuters and others can get where they're going. Then it's up to the rest of us to make things passable to get to those streets.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Fenty was nowhere to be found as D.C.'s streets were the worst in the region yesterday. I know he likes going door to door, but even if he had a shovel in hand, it wouldn't have made a difference.

Marc Fisher: To the contrary, I kept hearing from folks who were traveling around yesterday that the District more than held its own and that many of the major roads in D.C. were in better shape than some of their counterparts in the burbs. The city did fall behind on attacking the neighborhood side streets, which Fenty attributed to inaccurate forecasting--they were prepping for ice and sleet and they got a bit more snow than the weathermen had anticipated. But Fenty was out there, driving around in three wards of the city all morning.

_______________________

Rockville, Md.: The school closings make sense because, while major thoroughfares are open, many side streets that school buses use to pick up kids are icy beyond belief. Up here it is pretty wicked on any number of residential streets. One of the reasons I'm glad I use Metro by and large.

Marc Fisher: Easy (too easy?) solution: Why not have kids come out to the nearest major roadway on such days?

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: I don't know if it amounts to "hysteria," but one of my pet peeves about the local television news response to weather events is the interminable list of closings that scrolls at the bottom of the screen. I attended a parochial school in PG county growing up. The school had an ingenious plan for announcing closing: they told us whatever PG county is doing, so are we. Now, they have to show us the status for every separate school, academy or local agency, even though I suspect many of them employ the same policy as the good sisters of St. Mary's elementary school, ca. 1970. A couple of years ago my Internet was down so I was dependent on the local news to tell me whether Arlington County schools were late or closed. I watched Newschannel 8 for nearly 15 minutes waiting for this, because every time it got close to where Arlington would be listed they went to commercial, but the ticker kept moving during the commercial. I knew what Potomac Massage Training Institute was doing that day (opening at 10), but not Arlington County. And the station that claims to be "all local" felt compelled to post the status of every school district in a 200-mile radius. These lists have lost their simple purpose of conveying information and become vanity postings, like when they announce on the scoreboard at the stadium "and today we welcome the students of the Potomac Massage Training Institute."

Marc Fisher: I wonder what purpose those crawls of closings serve when most schools and colleges now use Web sites and email to get the word out directly to their own communities. It's certainly true that there are still a good number of people who don't do the Inter Web, so there has to be some other mechanism for getting the closings info out, but most classes and other such groups have phone trees for that kind of alert. Seems to me the TV stations should focus on the closings for the big, major school systems and colleges, and put the smaller stuff on the web. Come digital TV and radio, it should be easy for stations to use a second channel to list all that stuff.

_______________________

Annapolis, Md.: I understand your concern about children missing school but, on my way to work today I drove on three roads that were down to one lane from two. The three roads were in worse shape today than they were yesterday. Broken branches and ice from the trees on the roads. The major highways are in great shape but the secondary road which school buses have to travel on to pick up their charges are not.

Marc Fisher: I wonder if there isn't a vicious cycle at work here: Do the county authorities hold back on clearing some of those secondary roads because they know the school system will just close up shop? I'm not trying to be especially harsh here, just noting that in most places that get snow every winter--which we do, too--this is simply not an issue: The roads get cleared, the schools stay open, and everybody goes to work, unless The Big One comes, and then we all get to stay home and have fun.

_______________________

Slushy street: We all like to make fun of the knee jerk folks that close school at any hint of snow, but do you think that the government should have required all of those people with kids out of school and those with out to risk life limb and car by staying open? What is one day's work in the grand scheme of things?

Is it Urban myth or is this all on the major?

Marc Fisher: Sure, everyone loves a snow day--we had a slew of kids over yesterday and it was a lovely day of hot chocolate and sledding and the like. So, sure, when we get a good wallop of snow, let the kids run and play. But to shut schools willy nilly plays unnecessary games with people's work lives and schedules and, not to be too dramatic about it, sends a terrible message about being weak and wussy in the face of minor inconvenience.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Here are my snow rants. I am struck by all of the federal employees who are aggrieved by the government's decision to open two hours late yesterday instead of closing. My theory is that the snow hysteria is in large part caused by the lowest common denominator approach of federal employment. Why can't the standard be that those employees who can come in do, and those who cannot take leave? We have tons of people living and working near Metro or in D.C. and close in suburbs, most of whom have no problem getting to work if they tried. There is a reason why many private sector companies long ago stopped following what the feds do. It seems that many federal employees want to be treated like children and have the attitude that they should not have to go to work if it might take them longer than usual or cause some inconvenience. If it's too tough in your neighborhood to get out, take a leave day. Stop wanting and expecting something for nothing. The two-hour delay was the correct call. Those whining that the government did not close are ridiculous.

Also, roads do not have to be plowed down to bare pavement to be driveable and safe, and kids can get to school even if some roads are icy or snow-covered. It also seems that on snow days when so many people allegedly cannot get to work or school that the malls and movies are packed by 11:00a.m.

On the positive side, kudos to those U.S. Immigration employees in Merrifield who made it in yesterday (the roads were not that bad by 9:00 a.m.). The many people who had appointments and showed up appreciated them being there. Also, kudos to Arlington, Alexandria, Falls Church, and Manassas schools for opening today. The roads were fine.

Marc Fisher: The two-hour delays are generally an excellent way of dealing with the wintry mix/icy conditions that we get so often around here. The sun really does solve a lot of these problems.

And you're absolutely right about the mall and the movies--while some folks simply won't venture out if there's any white stuff to be seen, most seem to treat these as vacation days and head out to do all sorts of fun stuff, which indeed indicates that they could have made it to work or school.

_______________________

Kingstowne, Va.: Re: School closings

It's irrelevant if the major roads are free and clear. School buses take the back roads, and the ones I've seen are virtual ice rinks. Keep the kids safe.

Marc Fisher: I'd much rather that we collectively show the kids the value of making your own way and dealing with complications. Safety is enormously overrated in this country these days. Nobody wants anyone to be hurt, but the degree of coddling that has become the overall social goal is counterproductive.

_______________________

Vienna, Va.: Getting away from the sex-ed and snow for a minute:

The escalators at the Vienna Metro station have been undergoing "renovation" for some time now. One escalator that usually took people from the platform to the station entrance has been blocked off for like six months. This means that there's only one escalator up from the platform, and one down from the station. Big jams of people, especially during the evening rush, trying to get off the platform. No sign that this "work" will be done anytime soon.

Arrrgghhhh.

Marc Fisher: Escalators, before this rash of pedestrian accidents, have been the bane of Metro's operations for all too many years. The heart of the matter is the shortage of well-trained escalator technicians, another bit of evidence that we have neglected technical and vocational education for way too long.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Marc, thanks for linking to those historical archive photos of D.C. in the 40s-70s. I love stuff like that ... I'm always getting sidetracked on the way to the bathroom in restaurants around town that have old-timey photos of D.C. on the walls. I just find them fascinating. Do you know of any other places that have more pictures like those available for perusing?

So a "yay" to the D.C. Dept of Transportation for putting those online.

washingtonpost.com: The Not-So-Changed Face of the City ( Raw Fisher, Feb. 15)

Marc Fisher: Thanks--they are indeed cool. I hate to say anything remotely good about that infernal drug store chain that ate Peoples and Dart and a zillion independent pharmacies, but CVS has used wonderful archival photos of D.C. as a defensive weapon in its efforts to take over all sorts of historic spaces--movie theaters, especially--and turn them into cookie-cutter drug stores. The stores generally put the photos up in their front windows as a way to try to connect to the communities they are so busy undermining.

_______________________

Cleveland Park, Washington, D.C.: Marc -

Today's Post article about the Kaine endorsement says this: "Kaine will sign onto Obama's presidential team ahead of the senator's appearance at the Virginia Democratic Party's annual fundraiser Saturday night, according to sources familiar with Kaine's decision. The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they do not want to preempt the formal announcement."

To me, the disclaimer about the sources did not go far enough. It should have said something like this: "The sources spoke on condition of anonymity because they do not want to preempt the formal announcement, and they are apparently too dumb to realize that by divulging this information to a reporter for The Washington Post, the information would be printed in that paper and would in fact preempt the formal announcement."

washingtonpost.com: Kaine to Back Obama's Bid for Democratic Nomination ( Post, Feb. 15)

Marc Fisher: Well, not quite. On a story like this, the sources--I have no idea who exactly they were on this particular story, but I've seen a zillion of these come down in other campaigns--are the folks running the campaign, and they very much want that story to be out there, and they've selected a venue such as the Post in an effort to reach people with a particular interest in things political.

They insist on anonymity to protect themselves from the wrath of other news organizations whom they have stiffed by giving the early word of the story to the Post.

_______________________

The Political Landscape: Remember "Clinton Fatigue"? Well some (many? most?) of us have "Bush Exhaustion." I can't wait for the next presidential election. The early start of the campaign takes our minds off what we have and our hearts on some possibility of an optimistic future.

And, right now, I'm definitely in the Obama camp.

Marc Fisher: Ok, that makes sense, but won't this just mean earlier onset of Campaign Fatigue? In this era of supposedly short attention spans, how can it be that all the smart folks who run political campaigns believe they can sustain voter interest and passion over the course of two full years?

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Thanks for making your Nay of the Day about an issue that's very important (Metrobus drivers killing people out of carelessness).

Have you seen any reporting on the consequences for Metrobus drivers who have complaints called in to Metro? Also, is it even possible for a Metrobus driver to get a traffic citation when they do something illegal (at least in the jurisdictions outside the District that believe in traffic citations)?

Thanks!

washingtonpost.com: Metro Bus Operators Will Be Required to Undergo Safety Training ( Post, Feb. 15)

Marc Fisher: I've actually seen Metrobus drivers being ticketed! Warms the heart.

But you're right, they do sometimes seem to get away with stuff that most of us would be nailed for. Zooming through a red light after all the other traffic has stopped, for example.

It's an important topic and I know our Metro reporters will be paying extra attention to it in the coming days.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.:

Marc, do you have kids? Do you homeschool them or something?

Send the kids out to the nearest main road? You're not serious, right? What do you have against giving kids time off?

You must not have had many friends as a youth.

Marc Fisher: I do, and I sent one of them out this morning to walk the neighborhood to check on the condition of the sidewalks-- a bit of reporting, if you will, and he loved the job and came back with a very good report: For the most part, people have gotten out the shovels and cleared the path for you and me. If enough people do that, then why not have kids walk to the nearest major road and catch their school bus there?

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Marc, have you ever held a real job where your decisions affect folks' lives? Have kids walk out to main road. Smart move Marc, think it through bubba. Obviously you have always been a journalist or you would be able to analyze a situation and come up with the pluses and minuses. This country is lucky we have never elected a journalist prez! Those that can do, those that can't teach, those that can't teach or do become lawyers and those tragic few who are left become journalists!

Marc Fisher: Educate me, oh Person With Real Job--what's the down side of walking out to the main road? Oh my, someone might slip and fall! They might have a good story to tell, or they might meet someone and have a great time.

_______________________

Pedestrian bias: Your response to Greenbelt, "Um,wear boots?" shows the same ingrained bias against pedestrians prevalent everywhere in this area. You say "the roads are clear, so get a grip." Have you checked the sidewalks? Are they clear too or would you let walkers fend for themselves in the right lane like so many out here in Montgomery County seem to think is normal?

Marc Fisher: The more people who head out and walk, the more community pressure there will be on our neighbors who fail to fulfill their responsibility to clear their sidewalks.

_______________________

Gaithersburg, Md.:"Why not have kids come out to the nearest major roadway on such days?"

Perhaps I'm missing something obvious here, but wouldn't getting the kids to the major roadways involve driving on the lesser roadways, which are still a sheet of ice (at least in my neighborhood)? The sidewalks are buried under solid ice, so walking probably isn't the best idea, either. I usually roll my eyes when Montgomery cancels school, but I think it was perfectly justified today. And I lived in Minnesota for four years, so I know a bit about winter weather.

Marc Fisher: I am increasingly alone in my defense of walking or, heaven forfend, going outside in a time of snow, but I'm sorry, folks, much as I too can do without taking a big spill on an icy sidewalk, it's really not much of a hardship, and the kids would probably love it.

_______________________

The Stic, KS: Marc, you said:

"I'd much rather that we collectively show the kids the value of making your own way and dealing with complications. Safety is enormously overrated in this country these days. Nobody wants anyone to be hurt, but the degree of coddling that has become the overall social goal is counterproductive."

But with our over media-covered society, all it takes is one incident (bus sliding off the road, kid hit while waiting for a bus), and everyone would only say, this could have been avoided if only ...

So the real driver of the closing is fear. Fear of media scrutiny, lawsuits, death/injury, etc.

Also, it is important to remember the reduction in traffic schools closing can have, which makes the roads more passable for the rest of us, even if it provides some level of inconvenience to you or damages your sensibilities or pride in living here.

Marc Fisher: You hit it right on the button--this is far more about lawyers and liability fears than it is about the right thing to do.

I only quibble with one piece of your good post: This society is far from over-covered by the news media; in fact, the opposite is true. In the guise of covering news, most news organizations yammer on and fill time and space with the frilliest and cheapest of nonsense, because hiring real reporters and covering the most essential aspects of people's lives is expensive and difficult, and it's so much easier and cheaper to go 24/7 on the death of some bimbo.

_______________________

Derwood, Md.: I'm one of the parents who participated in the track and field event profiled in yesterday's paper and the whole thing is just plain nuts. Surely they could spread it over two days or hold it on a Saturday? Montgomery Co. prides itself on being brighter and better organized than neighboring jurisdictions, but this really argues to the contrary.

Marc Fisher: That was a fascinating story, one in a series that our Sports folks have been doing that really get at the core of the overemphasis on youth sports and the spending--in both money and time--that has become so prevalent in the big business of kids' games.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Re: The Gum Game

You know what, after reading this I want to know what is wrong with teaching kids about sex, pregnancy and a woman's reproductive cycle, the problems that may come with sex in a matter of fact manner. I had it as a kid and can't say it made me want to run out and have sex because they taught it.

The truth is you, learn to decide if you want to have sex or not from your parents, the values they give you, your community and television, etc. Learning about the biology behind it would be better for the kids and leave the rest of it to the parents.

Marc Fisher: No question: The answer to most divisions on sex education is just to teach the science. That's true whether the topic is STDs, homosexuality, contraception or abstinence. Teach the basic science and teach about the current research and what scientists are looking into and why--and leave the political overlays to all the outside groups on all edges of the issues.

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: Escalator breakdown. Isn't that why they put those overexpensive covers on top of the entrances that look like the back of a preying mantis?

Marc Fisher: Yes, indeed. But Metro is starting to show its age, and a lot of the original equipment is in need of overhaul, with or without those Space Age canopies.

_______________________

Waldorf, Md.: The corner of 7th and Penn was an accident waiting to happen. There is a lot of traffic on 7th that needs to turn left onto Pennsylvania Avenue, but no arrow ... so the cars and buses back up as pedestrians cross the street and while waiting for southbound traffic on 7th. If there were a left-turn arrow (both green and red), while left-turning traffic has the right of way, pedestrians would not be permitted to cross.

I ride a commuter bus out of Maryland and my driver runs that light (turning left onto Penn) almost every morning along with numerous metro buses and cars. It was only a matter of time before there was a tragedy there.

Marc Fisher: Very interesting--I should go down there and watch for a while. The width of the streets is also an issue around there--makes it very menacing and chancy for pedestrians.

_______________________

McLean, Va.: Hey, Anna Nicole wasn't just "some bimbo." She was America's Bimbo.

Marc Fisher: Pardon me.

_______________________

Ft. Wash, Md.: Your easy solutions never make sense. I lived off East-West Highway growing up. There is no place on that road to safely coordinate a bus stop on short notice. I currently live off Indian Head Highway, again how in the world would kids navigate those back streets to reach Indian Head? How would buses coordinate stops on Indian Head? Would drivers tearing up and down these main thoroughfares account for the new distraction of buses frequently stopping to pick up kids who may or may be crossing the street safely? Please think about that "easy" solution.

Marc Fisher: Any change would require accommodation, but it could work if there were a consensus to make it work (which, judging from this crowd, there sure ain't). Think of how school buses navigate rural roads, using lights and signs --as well as meaty fines for those who dare to pass a school bus-- to alert others to the bus's frequent stops.

_______________________

Dayton, Ohio: Marc, I usually agree with you on stuff like this, but having kids "walk out to the nearest main road" is crazy. I grew up 3.5 miles from the nearest "main road." Literally. There was not a regularly plowed road within 3.5 miles of my house, and there were a ton of kids in my neighborhood, and in the neighborhoods between me and the main road. Not everyone lives on a side street four blocks off of Connecticut Avenue, so cut the Montgomery County people some slack, please.

Marc Fisher: Sure, in rural areas, you'd have to have different standards. But inside the Beltway, and even in many communities outside our favorite Interstate, most subdivisions are designed so that no one lives more than a few blocks away from a feeder road of the sort that gets plowed relatively quickly.

_______________________

Detroit, Mich.: I'm with you, Marc, on the whole school closing issue. So what if kids have to walk through a little snow to get to the bus? What are they going to do when they grow up and go to college? I went to a Big Ten university, and we had ZERO snow days in four years. I have some fond, and not so fond, memories of walking through calf-deep snow to make it to 9 a.m. classes.

Marc Fisher: That makes two of us.

_______________________

In Washington, D.C.!: I saw a woman driver, pulled over on the SE/SW Freeway by an MPD officer, being made to clean the snow and ice off the top of her vehicle! Yay, MPD!

Marc Fisher: Very cool! And I saw that as an occasional offender on that front (I admit it: I love watching and listening to the big old cake of roof snow sliding off on my first big turn of the morning.)

_______________________

Washington, D.C.: I never thought I would say this about D.C., but I think they did a pretty good job on salting and snow removal. And I say that as someone whose street was not salted or plowed as of last night, but I don't expect every small street to get covered. Ice AND snow together require a salt and plow approach and I think they hit all the main roads. When in doubt, take Metro. I did yesterday and no delays! Also, I love the new snowplow map. I am more annoyed by the businesses and private citizens who shovel their walks!

Marc Fisher: You meant who DON'T shovel their walks--and yes, that's my Peeve of the Week, too. It just shows a basic disregard for others, he said in schoolmarm mode.

_______________________

Silver Spring, Md.:"it's really not much of a hardship, and the kids would probably love it."

No, Marc; if you're making the kids go to school, I think it's a safe bet they're not gonna "love" walking out to the main road. Even if it looks like it might be a fun thing, the specter of school looms over them.

Marc Fisher: Then you need to focus on making their school more effective and attractive.

_______________________

Snow daze: Just because MoCo and others have snow days in the bank doesn't mean they have to burn them, does it? Isn't an extra day of education valuable to anybody?

Marc Fisher: Right. If this were, say, Tuesday or Wednesday of a week without any holiday coming up, there'd be school today.

_______________________

G-burg, Md.: Marc, are you sure you mean Rochester has 100 inches of snow? That's not what they have right now on the ground -- that's what they get in an average year.

Marc Fisher: Rochester itself didn't get it nearly as hard as points north--Oswego and the like, closer to the lake.

_______________________

Chantilly, Va.: Hi Marc: How about a Yay for the newest local celebrity, a youngster named James who hails from Fairfax Station and just won a big competition up in New York?

Oh that's right, James is just a dog. Nevermind.

Marc Fisher: Huh?

_______________________

Baltimore, Md.: Apparently people aren't so afraid of lawyers/liability that they are compelled to shovel their walkway.

Marc Fisher: Luckily, there's still a difference between how normal people make decisions about their lives and how big institutions govern themselves. Heaven help us if regular folks start basing their daily decisions on liability rather than common decency.

_______________________

Anonymous: I am already tired of the 2008 election. The only hope is that we get something really exciting, such as Guiliani vs. one of his ex-wives, or, the dream match-up of charisma, Kilgore vs. Kucinich.

Marc Fisher: Hmm, or maybe the ultimate in anti-charisma matchups, perhaps Gilmore vs. Biden.

_______________________

Maryland: Okay, I probably missed you, but if you are still taking comments -- about today being a snow day, I live in AA County, and there are about 40,000 of us still without power, including the schools. That's a good enough reason for me.

Marc Fisher: I'm going to break character and go out on an ice-encrusted limb and say that yes, if your community is without power, that's a reasonable excuse to close schools. (Though, come to think of it, if the school has power, a lot of parents might like the idea of getting the kids into a well-heated and lighted place while the juice is still out.)

_______________________

Missing point: Snow Days R Fun: Marc -- you Grinch.

Snow days are fun and no child's education (despite my headline) was harmed by missing a dozen days of school a year.

Have you ever tried to teach children during the first real snow of the year? A fractious bunch of 3rd graders become a monsoon of pent-up energy the second snow becomes a possibility. Plus, the educational value of 2-hour delayed day is dubious at best.

Relax. Let the kids be kids. That's why a few extra days are built into every school calendar.

Marc Fisher: There's nothing in our divisions on this topic that wouldn't be solved by... more snow. Give us 20 inches and I'll join you on the sledding hill.

_______________________

Re: Government staying open: Can I ask for a raise since I am childless and throw away gobs of money on rent to live close to work? I was busy yesterday!

Marc Fisher: Thanks for all your work. You get paid extra in the form of time to spend as you wish, without childraising responsibilities. And the rest of us thank you for your tax dollars.

_______________________

Wilmington, Del.: Whatever became of plans for the National Capital Medical Center?

Marc Fisher: The replacement for D.C. General Hospital? It seems to have died in the face of D.C. Council and public opposition to the idea of adding an unnecessary full-scale hospital. What remains to happen is the development of what is needed: More clinics to take care of the daily issues that too often end up in emergency rooms.

_______________________

Insensitive About Snow and Ice?: Yes, Marc, I do think you are bit insensitive about this. A lot of folks in our area are not comfortable driving on snow and ice (and I sure got more than 1-2" in Arlington), whether it is because they are not use to it themselves or because they don't trust others on the road.

I know what it feels like to sit in an office when it is snowing/icing outside and being afraid to leave because I will be seen as a wimp.

Ultimately, if I venture out trying to get to work and have a accident, damages will be my responsibility and not my employer. Employers talk about concern for safety but leave employees on their own in these instances, and do not make it acceptable to leave work early or take a day off in bad weather.

Marc Fisher: Sure, employers should be accommodating--they should organize carpools or assist with transportation, and they should be flexible about folks working at home or seeking other arrangements. Many employers do some or all of that, and they generally take a far more flexible approach than do governments.

_______________________

James: Must be talking about the dog that was Best in Show at Westminster

Marc Fisher: Ah.

Dog shows: Not a sport.

Which reminds me of the new evidence on a similar topic: The return of James Hylton, age 72, at the Daytona 500 gives great strength to those who have long argued that auto racing is not a sport either.

_______________________

Election '08: Is this the year for a Larouche/Nader ticket?

Marc Fisher: Nader would never accept the #2 spot.

_______________________

Wiredog: Looking out the window here at the office, on the grounds of Dulles Airport, I just saw 30 plus trucks running up and down the North/South runway (the one on the west side) clearing it. 24 plus hours since the snow ended and they're still clearing the runways and taxiways.

Leaving McLean this morning I noticed that many side streets, which school buses normally drive down, were sheets of ice or still covered with (now solidly frozen) slushy sleet. I can imagine the wackiness that would have ensued if someone had tried to run a school bus through, say, Pimmit Hills this morning.

Marc Fisher: It's a big job plowing out there, and despite all my carping about getting things open, I stand (ok, I sit) in awe of those who work through the nights treating and clearing the roads.

_______________________

Clifton, Va.: Maybe if parents spent more time teaching their kids about sex and less time whining about this sex education class we wouldn't have this problem! Did any parents out there use this as a teaching opportunity about STDs and AIDS! Doubt it. They just put their heads back in the sand!

Marc Fisher: Some parents have done just that, and used this bit of news for all the right purposes. So MoCo and the Pregnancy Center actually did some good.

_______________________

Arlington, Va.: Marc,

I don't drive much, but I do like beer. Why is it do you think, that we can have open beer containers in a car, but it is illegal for me to 'walk' down the sidewalk with an open beer?

Marc Fisher: Virginia's a wacky place sometimes.

_______________________

Marc Fisher: That kicks things in the head for today. Be careful out there, but do get out there.

Thanks for coming along. More in the paper on Sunday, including an interview in Sunday Arts with the director of one of the best movies of the past few years, "The Lives of Others," which should be a lock for Best Foreign Film. Plus the column in Metro and, as ever, Raw Fisher is on the big website.

Cheers.

_______________________

Editor's Note: washingtonpost.com moderators retain editorial control over Live Online discussions and choose the most relevant questions for guests and hosts; guests and hosts can decline to answer questions. washingtonpost.com is not responsible for any content posted by third parties.