Down on the Delta

In Biology class in school, we learned that the animals got to be really
big during the Ice Age to compensate for the harsh climate. Well, at
McMurdo it's not the people that get bigger, it's the vehicles. Pictured
is one of the mechanics with a vehicle called a Delta. The Delta is kind
of like a big all-purpose truck on steroids. The mechanic just over
6 feet tall, so you get an idea of how big the truck is. These things
aren't cheap to operate either. One tire alone will cost over
U.S. $1500.00 and when they go flat, the whole vehicle lists
dangerously to one side. This particular model is set up to carry
passengers, (others carry cargo on a flat bed) and are notoriously
bumpy rides. Most windows in the passenger compartments have
cracks in them where people have smacked their heads on a
particularly bumpy trip. They're gearing the Deltas up these days
because in just a few short weeks, they'll be bringing people in from
Pegasus airfield during Winfly. What brand-new people don't know
though (well, maybe now they will) is that the Deltas are very very
slow, often taking twice as long to get back to town as other vehicles.
So as some folks get on the Delta because it looks "cooler" or more
"Antarctic" than a lowly Airporter...little do they know that they
have a very long ride ahead of them.