| The one thing in the world that none of us ever | | | | another part of the state. |
| want to have to experience is having our car | | | | To give another example of why it is always a |
| break down. It is unfortunate that our vehicles | | | | good idea to have an emergency kit with you |
| tend to malfunction when we least expect it. | | | | when you travel; if you remember, a few years |
| When your car breaks down, there are several | | | | ago, North Carolina was hit with a pretty bad ice |
| things that you want to have before hand just in | | | | storm. The ice storm caused a lot of damage to |
| case. After all, it is better to be safe than sorry, | | | | power lines and knocked trees over, causing a |
| right? That being said, when you have a car, you | | | | great deal of property damage. However, when |
| should always make sure that you have a little | | | | all of this weather began, people were rushing out |
| emergency kit packed and stowed somewhere in | | | | of work early to get to their homes. The state |
| your vehicle for emergency situations. | | | | of North Carolina was not prepared for the |
| In my own Jeep, I have a cheap plastic bin with a | | | | weather, and the roadways had not been salted. I |
| cover on it that I keep in the trunk area at all | | | | was on my way back from Durham, NC and |
| times. Inside of this bin is what I refer to as my | | | | should've been home in what would normally have |
| emergency kit. Inside of the kit are: a pair of | | | | been a thirty minute drive. However, because of |
| sweatpants, a sweatshirt, a couple of pairs of | | | | the heavy amount of traffic and the freezing |
| socks, gloves, an ice scraper, a first aid kit, a car | | | | snow that was falling, I wound up being stuck on |
| kit (with a flashlight, camera, flares, etc.), a | | | | the road for over eight hours! |
| poncho, a couple of airplane blankets, and extra | | | | I was only too thankful that I had enough gasoline |
| pair of sneakers, a couple of bottles of water, | | | | to get me home, but in the meantime, I was |
| some dry, non-perishable food and a road atlas. | | | | starving. While I sat in what was ultimately a |
| Now, there are some people who may think that | | | | parking lot of traffic, I quickly ran around to my |
| I am overdoing it when I tell them that I have all | | | | trunk and retrieved a couple of snacks and a |
| of these things packed, but the truth of the | | | | bottle of water. Had I not been smart and filled |
| matter is that I spend a lot of time in my car on | | | | up my Jeep with gasoline, I may have ran out of |
| the road traveling long distances. For instance, | | | | gas (like many other people did). In that case, I |
| because I am close to my family, I will often | | | | would have at least had a couple of blankets, |
| make a trip up to New York from North Carolina | | | | gloves and sweatpants to throw on. You just |
| to see them. Additionally, I also go out to visit my | | | | never know, which is why it is smart to pack an |
| grandmother who lives three hours away in | | | | emergency kit! |