[Blarg]

That's how it is here in Southern California with rain. A drizzle comes up and people start slamming on their brakes so they can suddenly drop their speed by 30 miles an hour -- AS A SAFETY MEASURE. They start doing all kinds of crazy things that make the roads much more dangerous, like they've never driven in rain or even seen it before. All the ACTION NEWS reporters get in their helicopters and start screaming into their mikes; when they're on the ground they use umbrellas as props even when there's no rain going on at the moment, and promise instant live coverage of the terrifying sprinkle. You'd think it was time to build an Ark and the final judgment was coming down.

The sense of panic is bizarre for someone used to even a little rain.