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Banning motor vehicle travel during emergencies like this is simply common sense.

Hogwash!

I'm nearly 70 years old. I've lived in the NYC Metro area most of my life. It snows here in the winter. Before five years ago or so I cannot remember politicians ordering everything closed. They do it because they are power crazy and want to pretend that they are in control.

There was an April Blizzard ["life threatening," it was, 20+ inches] back in the 70's where I had tickets for an opera I really wanted to see. I took the 20 mile bus ride into Manhattan along a virtually empty highway. Most people are smart enough to stay off the roads without a politician's order. In Manhattan, only cabs were on the streets. My bus had no trouble. The subways worked. It was a normal trip for me except that I didn't drive my own car.

But some do have to drive. (Hospital workers, policemen, plow drivers, &c.) They know it and for the most part have cars that are equipped to handle the snow. Someone had to drive Christie, de Blasio, et al., around for all those Weather Channel interviews.

ML/NJ

I also live in NYC Metro and work in Manhattan. Last year at this very time, we had another blizzard in the forecast. If you remember, they had the entire area shut down and all travel was banned. That particular storm was not quite as severe as forecasted as most of it ended up going out to sea. Just a few inches fell making it a run-of-the-mill winter event. By the end of the day (that the city was shut down) the sun was shining!

I think "martial law" is an exaggeration but I'm not a fan of the government making the decision as to whether or not I should leave my home and go to work - or do whatever. I think a lot of people are depending too much on the government when they should rely on their own common sense. The storm that happened on Saturday, I chose not to go out and drive in it, but that was my decision.

I also think politicians use events like this to show that they are "in charge" and taking control of the situation. I'm not losing sleep because governors and mayors ban driving during snowstorms now and then but it is a slippery slope we are headed down.