Sheesh! We have what amounts to a dusting of snow and ice on the ground, but even *that* is enough to cause a hazard!

PennDOT, in their infinite wisdom (ha ha), opted NOT to salt or plow the southbound left-turn lane that leads to the Park-and-Ride entrance.

When I moved from the cleared center lane to the snow-covered turning lane, I could see I had a red light at the intersection prior to where the actual turn takes place. So I applied the brakes.

And did a slow-motion 180 degree fishtail.

I *do* mean S-L-O-W motion, too, as in, "a person could have walked faster than the car was moving". But it's still creepy to be in a car that's in motion when you don't intend it to be.

Fortunately, the nearest oncoming headlights were about a block away. Thank God that even on Broad Street, the traffic is extremely light prior to 7 AM. Also, thank God I was driving slowly to begin with. That made the difference between having a super-slow-mo unintended turn and an "Oh, *%&$#!!! Hang on for dear life!" moment.

I'm lucky. Though my guardian angel surely has a few new grey hairs, I was none the worse for wear. I just righted the car and went on my way as though nothing unusual had happened. Still, whoever thought that neglecting the turning lane, when South Broad Street was being cleared, needs to be thumped soundly on the noggin with a bag of rock salt. If you see "accident on South Broad Street" on today's traffic report, you'll know that some speed demon attempted to use that left-turn lane, with decidedly worse results than mine.