Going With the Snow
Summary: Talking with some Pittsburghers who embrace the philosophy, "when Mother Nature hands you snow, make snow cones!" Reporter: Andy Sheehan, KDKA Channel 2 Airtime: 1 minute, 19 seconds on Feb. 6 Visuals: * A woman wiping out on her new skis -- but laughing as she goes down. * A dad pushing his happily chirping two young children in a double-wide stroller through the Winter Wonderland. Highlights: * When anchor Stephanie Watson tells us to "Forget planes, trains and automobiles: If you wanted to get around today, you had to find another way. We found many people around Pittsburgh who did just that." * When Sheehan posits, "No car? No bus? No cab? Well, people do the next best thing. How 'bout cross-country skiing, on Fifth Avenue, in Shadyside?" * When the young, ski-wearing woman says, "I just got 'em for Christmas this year from my parents. [They're] great so far -- faster than on foot." * When a woman meandering by in the background hollers Mr. Rogers' creed: "It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood!" * When Sheehan also points out, "And there's always running, like this young woman training for a triathlon." She says, "I can't believe I'm running down Fifth Avenue. There's nothing else to do. Everything's closed, and I'm a grad student, so it's either this or study." * When a cycling man from ahta 'tahn brags, "I'm here from Ann Arbor, Michigan, visiting my friends. In Michigan, this would be no problem. We all ride mountain bikes in the wintertime in Michigan. * When Sheehan draws our attention to the coziest travelers: "But it's always best to ride. And these two tykes were bundled up and going in style." * When he ends his peek at "Pittsburgh's brave" with this: "And so, for a day at least, people have had to park their cars and do their best to get around. But at least the people we've spoken with say they've managed to have a little fun along the way." What We Learned: That apparently -- unbeknownst to most of us -- many Pittsburghers are getting to work via train. Unanswered Question: How did you travel that day, Andy? News Value: 7. The only problem I have with the story is Watson's misleading introduction, a perpetual problem: Being in Shadyside is not "around Pittsburgh." But Sheehan showed us the handful of people he could, in the corridor he was in, and I always appreciate a look at those who can make the best of a situation.
