Floridian Cola Rum finds himself in a deadly snowstorm | The Moth

Overview

A Florida driver recounts how delivering new cars nationwide turned his early optimism—“I can’t wait to see winter”—into a month-long crash course in surviving brutal snowstorms. After multiple terrifying moments, including:

• Watching dozens of vehicles wreck near Dallas
• Flipping his car while checking a map in Wisconsin
• Arriving at a supposedly open truck stop only to find it abandoned

…he finally becomes “good at driving in snow.” Still, he admits one major mistake: ignoring weather updates because he was listening to Miles Davis and chatting on the phone.

The Turning Point: I-90 and the Early Whiteout

The story peaks when he leaves Buffalo for Chicago on I-90, planning to beat the snow—only to have it arrive four hours early. Northern Ohio and Indiana suddenly turn to a whiteout. He compares the change to a Star Trek “warp-to-normal” moment—like everything has been dropped into Alaska.

With visibility gone and only one tank of gas, he faces grim options:

• Pull over and freeze
• Risk crashing while trying to find an exit
• Keep driving until he runs out

He chooses to keep going—snow-blind and terrified.

Dark Humor in the Middle of the Crisis

In a darkly funny coping moment, he starts yelling at God, culminating in:

“Fuck it then. If we going to die, let’s die,”

Then he falls silent, accepting what comes next.

The Save: The 18-Wheeler

Just as he’s at his most helpless, an 18-wheeler appears, slides into his path, and lights up the back trailer—guiding him for about 20 minutes to a truck stop.

The Truck Stop: Power Fist and a Hot Shower Ticket

At the stop, the truck driver’s face isn’t shown—only his powerful, out-the-window gesture. The narrator mirrors it in the storm: a silent “power fist” exchange that feels like mutual acknowledgment.

He doesn’t get to thank him immediately, but later he receives help from someone else. Inside the truck stop, a heavyset redneck tells him he:

• “Looks like you just went through a real one”

Then the redneck hands him a free ticket for a hot shower, letting him end the night clean, warm, and alive.

Notable Highlights, Jokes, and Reactions

• An exaggerated “anthrax smoothie” description of cold icy snow (absurd dark humor)
• The confession that he ignored the weather due to Miles Davis and a phone call
• The Star Trek sudden whiteout comparison (comedic sci-fi framing for a terrifying event)
• Cursing God mid-crisis, ending with the defiant “let’s die” line (dark comedy)
• The “power fist” moment—silent but heartfelt in the storm

Key Personalities (as Described)

• The narrator: a Florida driver/escort vehicle driver turned snow-survivalist
• The 18-wheeler truck driver: saves and guides him; communicates via the “power fist” gesture
• “Tom”: helps lead him toward the truck stop front door; part of the staff
• The heavyset redneck at the bar: gives him the free hot shower ticket