Things that would be useful to have in one's car in the great state of Massachusetts

Just in case. You never know. I thought I might do my part to promote safety and compile a list of useful things that probably should be kept in one's car while toodling about in MA.

1. Snow-wiper-offer-thing. Otherwise known as an ice scraper. I think the use of this is fairly self-explanatory. Ice scraper on one end, snow brush on the other. You don't need one of the fancy ones with pull-outs and twisty things that looks like it might transform into Bumblebee at any moment, but a basic one is quite useful.

2. Snow shovel. The small sport kind comes in handy. I mean, in general, one doesn't want to cart around an industrial-strength shovel of epic proportion, but cars do tend to get stuck in large amounts of snow.

3. Salt mixture. Alternately, cat litter. Go ahead and laugh. But, it turns out, cat litter can also absorb moisture (imagine that!) and can provide traction to get out of sticky (icy) situations. Plus, it weighs the car down a bit. For those that have tiny economically-and-environmentally-superior cars, extra weight can be particularly helpful when it comes to snow and ice.

4. Boots. You never know when it's going to rain. Or snow. Or ice. Or freak everyone out and do all three at once. Truth be told, Massachusans (is that the right word?) aren't freaked out by this. They roll their eyes and trudge on to work. It does freak ME out, though.

4. Umbrella. The reason is the same as the one for boots. You never know.

5. Music. Just in case you get stuck. No need to be without music when dire situations arise.


That seems like a fairly comprehensive list, I would think. I also find it useful to keep a steady supply of Diet Coke around, but I suspect not everyone has the same addiction needs as I do. Still, caffeine does come in handy. And that caramel food coloring. That's always good.