A drizzle that quickly escalated into heavy rain on Wednesday morning sent shockwaves through the city’s driver population, who collectively decided to abandon all knowledge of basic vehicular operation.
Traffic on the interstate came to a standstill as motorists struggled to remember which pedal made the car go forward. Witnesses described scenes of chaos and confusion as windshield wipers fiercely fought to keep up. A local driver was found gripping her steering wheel at a four-way stop for 17 consecutive minutes.
“I have driven this route every day for years,” the local driver said, “But add water? Forget it.”
Authorities confirmed that the city received nearly 0.4 inches of rainfall, approximately the amount that triggers a societal breakdown in Southern California.
“We train for emergencies like this,” Sgt. of the San Diego Police Department said. “When the first raindrop hits a windshield, we know it is only a matter of time before someone activates their hazard lights in the middle of the highway for no reason.”
Meteorologists said the storm is expected to continue through Thursday. The National Weather Service advised drivers to “slow down, use headlights and possibly relearn the concept of friction.”
Meanwhile, several residents took to social media to document the phenomenon. One viral post showed a driver wearing swim goggles and a snorkel, sitting fully clothed behind the steering wheel.
“I thought it would help me see through the rain,” the driver, who wished to remain anonymous said. “It did not.”
Experts predict that driving patterns will return to normal once the roads dry and everyone collectively decides that the rain never happened.
