So long, blooming flowers: Vancouverites react to 'snowmaggedon'

When the flakes fall, we fall back on some common gripes

Image | Transit SkyTrain winter

Caption: The Monday morning commute turned into a headache for many after heavy snow fell on Sunday, raising complaints about transit preparedness. (Kevin Eastwood/Twitter)

Vancouver has been all too smug this winter. While the polar vortex walloped a good chunk of Canada, we rode our bikes and strolled among the blooming flowers.
Then, on Sunday, the snow hit. And our lush dreamscape suddenly turned into a snowy, slushy mess, straining our transit system and testing our collective patience.
Like the grass turning green when it rains, there are some things you can expect when it snows in Vancouver. Here's what some people had to say online.

Transit woes

Snowpocalypse. Snowmaggedon. Just some of the terms used to describe the Monday morning commute, which, by some accounts, seemed like journeying through the nine circles of hell.
TransLink took a beating from riders. The transit authority tweeted that the snow had caused a "slight reduction" in SkyTrain service. But the photos shared told a different story.

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Some people felt like TransLink should have been better prepared.

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Give them some slack, others suggested.

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Vancouver is not, in fact, all of B.C.

Ask Canadians outside the province to describe B.C. and they might say balmy and coastal.
But B.C.'s South Coast is just a sliver of our vast province. CBC's Andrew Kurjata is based in Prince George, and as he reminded us Monday, snow and cold are the norm in Northern B.C.

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The umbrella debate

And now, for a question that gets some people riled up.

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You'll find two camps here. First, those who argue that the snow on the South Coast is wet and an umbrella is an effective shield.

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And then those who say it just looks weird.

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Where art thou winter tires?

Last, but never least: bad drivers and ill-equipped cars.

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Should cars without winter tires be allowed to drive on the road? Is it even worth buying winter tires for just a few days of snow?

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The B.C. Ministry of Transportation warns that, yes, you should have chains and proper winter tires on hand.
Regardless, cars are still careening on Vancouver's slippery roads. Twitter user Phil Doty caught an especially treacherous moment.

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Enjoy, Vancouver. We get to do it all again on Tuesday.