To Tread Ice Carefully

It has always been a slightly cliched expression to say something. I sometimes wonder who was the first to use the statement. The poem for Vivaldi's "Winter" of the Four Seasons says something quite similar: "We tread the icy path slowly and cautiously, for fear of tripping and falling." Yet this was truly the case for me tonight. I was walking in New York City at quite a late time today in order to get some food for later. As I walked, I saw some people in the distance on all fours, sliding slowly in front of me. It was quite a strange sight. Then as I walked closer, one person shouted "Black Ice!" It was amazing, as I walked forward I found myself sliding as well. After quite a bit of difficulty I was able to go past the seemingly insurmountable iced sidewalk. Finally, as I was buying food from the 24 hour deli, a doctor walked in and was laughing a lot. I asked him what had happened. It was the exact same problem I had encountered earlier. The difference, the doctor gave up much faster, and walked on the street (which had no ice and few cars). He used a much more intelligent albeit dangerous (actually more safe than the ice) method to accomplish the same trek for food.
Happy New Year!
--Eric