Trapped in BUF
 

Hey Guys,

I am trapped in teh Buffalo airport due to the snow storm. I have a job interview in NYC later today. None of the airlines are flying out till later tonight.

Any suggestions on what to do?

I am sitting on the ground with my laptop by the entrance to the security checkpoint if you want to brainstorm.

Jared

Amtrak. Yes. Terrible but it might be the only way. I am looking at travelocity news at the CNN Headlines News and it says they "might open up at noon"

You could rent a car and drive (doubt the storm is so bad once you are out of lake effect); might take 10 hours though to reach NYC. Chances are Toronto airport is open (it does not get lake effect snow and often is not affected when BUF is closed), there are buses to YYZ (take about 2 hours plus have to clear canadian immigration and customs). If I were truly desperate I'd go via YYZ (which has dozens of flights a day to NYC).

Stuck in Buffalo as well. They are reporting that this storm is worse than the blizzard of '77.

thanks
 

Thanks for all the updates.

I am a Torontonian who thought he could catch a deal flying out of BUF.

Looks like car rental it is. Now just waiting for the avis desk to show up. Rented a nice big shiney SUV with XM to get me there in style.

Always amazed at how quick you guys can help out.

At last check, the bridge to Canada is closed.

Still sittin by the entrance to security checkpoint for any other strandeds.

Jared

State of emergency is in effect and all roads are either jammed with traffic because of accidents or downed trees/powerlines. The NY thruway is closed from the PA border to Rochester. Some areas are reporting over 3 feet of snow in the airport area of Buffalo.

I am thinking you may want to reschedule that interview...

(speaking as one who grew up in Niagara Falls, ON but lived for a while in Amherst, NY)

Any reasonable employer would certainly understand your situation and re-schedule.

I recommend moving to sunny, southern Nevada.

I'm sitting here at my desk in Rochester - 60 miles east of buffao.

Green grass, sunshine, not a sign of snow.

You don't have to go to Nevada, just get out of Buffalo.

Larry

made it!
 

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know, we made it. Rented a big fat SUV and was here in six hours.

Jared

Six hours! :eek: What, did you end up flying your SUV down? BTW, how was your interview? Hope it went well. You certainly had a story to tell and they had to appreciate your commitment to getting there. ^

Agreed - I don't believe it! :eek:

I used to live in upstate NY, and it took me 5-6 hours to drive from Albany to Buffalo in good weather! And to NY is another 2-3 hours!

Mapquest lists it at about 400 miles, so it's certainly possible if he got out of the bad weather quickly.

People I know there are still using generators. They are saying power won't be back until Monday in some parts there.

Hmmm. I live in upstate NY and I agree it takes me 3 hours from Syracuse to BUF. The thruway was closed also.

I read this earlier and was skeptical. I was in Niagara Falls ONT when the storm hit and ended up crossing back into the US via the Lewiston bridge around noon. I then took a county road back to Rochester before I could get on a main highway. I drive fast and stopped only for gas and quick breaks. I arrived at the Hertz counter in EWR at 9:15.

Now the Hertz story is for another thread :rolleyes:

The thruway was closed in both directions all morning and afternoon on Friday. I'm going to call BS too.

I have to call BS here as well.

I have driven BUF - NYC in the past, even on a good day 6 hrs is pushing it.

Besides, if he posted at 8:20, then finally picked up the car - he didn't leave till 9 ish.

first gotta get out of BUF,
then gotta drive on a closed highway

No way.

I checked using Microsoft Streets & Trips 2006 -- BUF - NYC is possible in 6 hours and 5 mins (627.9 km) if he took I-90 to Syracuse then I-81 to I-380 then onto NYC using I-80 which turns into 280 near NYC. He had to have taken some bypass roads as well if he knew the area extremely well or had a very good map guide (would have to be the case otherwise he'd have a lot longer drive ahead of him)

Sanosuke!

I went to school in buffalo and lived in NJ right near the GWB. It was 380 miles from my house and IIRC it usually took me about 6 hours driving fast with one gas/fast food stop along the way.

I wouldn't take "6 hours" to mean exactly 6 hours but 6++.

Estimating the time by adding Albany to Buffalo and Albany to NYC is not accurate because the Throughway is the longest way to travel between the 2 cities.

Keba

Yeah, all I was pointing out was that it was a possiblity. I have driven NYC to Niagara falls almost 20 years ago, but not since.

I recall being in a car where it was done in less than the more standard 7-8 hours... but that was summer time and the car was going 90-95 mph for a good part of the trip.

Interview on Saturday morning? Very nice prospective employer.

Not to belabor the point, but the key factor is getting out of the airport. The entire area was effectively closed. If one could rent a SUV from Avis at BUF there is no way you could have gone east from the airport. All roads were closed to non emergency traffic. There were no open roads leading east from the time of the storm. The Thruway was closed, Rt 5 was closed. And any other alternative east bound routes that were open were inaccessible from the airport. Particularly due to the gridlock of traffic stuck in the snow.

No way no how.

That's the route I took once I was able to get to Rochester.

Pfft... Can't be worse than X-Mas of '01.

Threads like this will make me feel guilty turning on my air conditioner tonight. :D For a very short while.

Trying to remember why I live in Florida not BUF? Something to do with 20 feet less snow per year, 1999.5 feet less snow per century? Yea, that's it. :D

Stay warm.

Really? Not me. Not even for a second.

But, I am really, really curious as to how Jaredg made it all the way to New York City, New York, after that blizzard in time for the interview. I mean, not only would one have to make the drive in around 6 hours, we haven't even accounted for issues such as getting into Manhattan and to the interview, which can take a significant amount of time! I'd love to hear more details, but, since Jaredg only has three posts in ~2.3 years, two of which came in this thread, I fear we might never get the details! I hate to flat out call BS on someone in this forum, so I will say that I'm impressed!