Shortly after noon on Tuesday when we left Attiki Odos at the height of Dukissis Plakentias and after 12 hours of reporting alongside the stranded people we headed to Kennedy Square in Chalandri which was drowned in snow. The first cars had begun to cross it timidly and even in the opposite direction as many pine trees had fallen... In the middle of the street there were few pedestrians as the sidewalks had 60 inches of snow and were impassable.
Go to the... lost
Among the pedestrians we met was Mr. George from Peania who was literally... going to waste. He was looking for someone to relieve him of the suffering he had been living 24 hours.
Mr. George politely asked me if I could give him a lift to his wife's work in Katehaki as there was no point in going to Peania with Lavrion Avenue closed. There was no public transport and he had decided to walk to Katehaki through the snowy streets.
I escaped from Attica after 12 hours but...
«This is nothing. You don't say I got away from Attiki Odos. I was trapped in the car for 12 hours. I was trying to get home to Peania. After 12 hours I did some maneuvers and got out of the car off Attiki Odos at the Penteli exit. From there another great adventure began and so far I'm on the road 24 hours later...».
«I want to go to Peania and I can't»
«At some point the car was not moving because of the snow in Halandri and I abandoned it. I started walking. Now one day after all this I want to go home to Peania but I can't. I feel insecure. I am wandering in my own city. Nothing works, I spent the night at the Halandri Police Station. Bless the children. Kind... because the hotels in Halandri were not accepting me because I didn't have a covid test and that's because I'm unvaccinated and because of the events on Monday morning I didn't have time to get one. Where would I find a covid test in the wilderness with all that snow? Here I found myself on the road will I have the test? I was very troubled. I'll get the vaccine so I don't get rejected again in an emergency or I don't care, and I'm not a denier either.».
«I'll get the vaccine...»
Mr. George left us speechless and as it was natural I asked him for permission to film him, which I did... On camera he told us the incredible adventure he had for a whole day. As he said he lost time and got to the point of thinking positively about getting the vaccine!
«I lived in hell»
«We lived hell (on Attiki Odos). We spent 12 hours in Attiki Odos and absolutely no one passed by to give us even a bottle of water. In front of us was chaos. After 12 hours I managed to get back in the car from the exit of Penteli Avenue and headed on foot through the snow towards Halandri. I stopped at a hotel. I live in Peania. It was 2 in the morning. There was no room in the hotel. I leave and go to another hotel further down in Halandri. There they asked me for a vaccination certificate. I have not had the vaccine. I hadn't done a rapid test so they couldn't give me a room. I told them, guys, I've been stuck for so many hours, I haven't even drunk water. I left and kept walking to see if I could find a pharmacy to do a rapid test so I could get back to the hotel. Finally I had to and I went back down to Kennedy Square and went to the police station. The people were kind, I slept there and now I'm looking for where to go. The car but I couldn't find a hotel. Turns out I should have had the vaccine. At least I would have had somewhere to sleep...».
By Kostas Asimakopoulos
