Mother Nature "delivers" frigid air

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - From letter carriers to emergency road service crews, many were left with little choice Tuesday but to brave the frigid conditions.

"When I signed up it's rain, sleet, snow or dark of night," says letter carrier Rodney Robbins.

But the famed postal carrier's creed has no line about 'neither numbness nor cold of day', although that's exactly what Mother Nature has delivered for letter carriers and others working outside.

"If you stop moving and you're standing out here you're gonna freeze," Robbins says.

So for Robbins it's all about the swift completion of his appointed rounds, emphasis on the swift part.

"Once you get out in it and get to moving it doesn't bother you too much," Robbins says.

Even the sun seemed like it must have had return to sender stamped on it, but for every cold crossing there was some warmth behind closed doors.

"Everybody comes to the door," Robbins says. "One lady says, 'I don't envy your job at all.' I told her the same thing. I wouldn't envy me either."

Especially on a day when bulk describes your clothing as much as the mail your carrying.

"Long johns, parka pants, long johns shirt," are just some of the items Robbins lists off.

For all the letters he's dropping off, the best message Robbins is delivering might be this one.

"Don't come out in the cold unless you really have to, and if you have to, go do what you have to do and go home," Robbins says.

That's where Robbins is headed after all this.

Don't worry, he won't get the cold shoulder when he gets home either.

"My wife's a carrier too so I used to listen to all her stories," Robbins says. "She's better at this than I am."

JUMP STARTING YOUR DAY

Dealing with the cold starts with some warmth on the other end of the line.

"There's a lot of calls everywhere today," says Shawn Cobble with AAA.

Places like AAA in Dayton have seen double the amount of calls for help they'd normally get on a Tuesday. It seems our vehicles don't like the frigid temperatures anymore than we do.

"On these really cold days we get lots and lots of jump starts," Cobble says.

Cobble is the jack of all jump starts. If it's got an engine, he can usually get it running.

2 NEWS went with him on one service call that started because of some diet soda.

A quick trip to the store by three women for a 2-liter took a little longer than planned when the truck wouldn't restart.

Shawn got the truck started, but the battery will have to be replaced at some point.

"If you got a weak battery already the cold weather can get in there and finish it off," Shawn says.

Those in the truck will at least be able to make it back home and enjoy some hard-earned soda.

"We always figured if there's a couple of us women we could get anything done," says Lisa Ballinger, who was happy to at least have the diet soda. "We knew there'd be a way some how."

As for Shawn, it was on to the next call.

"Days like today you never really get warmed up," Shawn says.

To prevent your car from not starting, it's important to get your battery checked if it's getting older. Places like AAA will do it for you.

The agency says flat tires are another big problem in weather like this because the cold temperatures cause a drop in pressure.