Mess in the South

[Speedbag]

Up here you have to worry about the idiots in 4WD vehicles that think they're therefore invincible and can drive whatever speed they want, no matter the conditions. 

[duccarlos]

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/atlanta-snow-storm-102839.html#.UupvixBdV1Y

[Triple J]

I can put the best car driver in the world on a layer of ice with "normal" tires and he will not go anywhere. The biggest issues down here were people not being able to head up hills. Those that tried would wreck and cause even more traffic. Most of the blockage on the highways were caused by 18 wheelers. You will run into dumb people anywhere, even farther north, the difference is that states up there have gravel/salt trucks that treat roads on a regular basis and there is such a thing as winter tires.

Exactly

[DucHead]

...All you guys down south should have got your rockcrawlers out.

Couldn't...too busy watching pro rasslin' and attendin' monster truck pulls.

[Slide Panda]

Up here you have to worry about the idiots in 4WD vehicles that think they're therefore invincible and can drive whatever speed they want, no matter the conditions. 

Yep - a Faceyspace item from a friend of mine and some time DMF'er - this isn't in the south though - Oh/IL

"To my lost love on Route 44:

Yes, you own a large Murican 4x4 pickup, replete with lift kit and larger tires, and a bald eagle over an American flag window decal and your Calvin peeing on all the foreign car brands sticker on your tailgate. I'm sorry my little Japanese car is only a FWD and we were driving in a steady 25 mph wind with gusts up to 45, creating horrible snow drifts and miniature blizzard conditions at random intervals.

And I'm sorry I was going a safe and steady speed for my "damn foreign" car on an unfamiliar country road. Visibility was only about 10 feet, because clearly I was driving way too close to the front bumper of your pristine truck. But I have been coached to be the adult in all driving relationships, so I neither sped up nor slowed down, and I was the adult and did what I judged to be safe.

And when you passed me and "waved" to the little girl with the out of state tags, I remained the adult in the relationship and didn't "wave" back as you spun those 35s and sprayed the front of my car with road grime and sped off frighteningly fast into the distance.

Half a mile later, my lost love, I saw where you had crashed hood first into a ditch so your rear wheels were lifted off the ground. Did I "wave" when you made eye contact with me? Did I point and laugh? Did I pout as I flashed you my impersonation of Marcel Marceau crying?

Oh no I did not - because I am the adult in this relationship. I must confess however, that as you held your cell phone to your ear, staring at your truck in dismay, I smirked as I drove by in my little foreign FWD car still going my safe and steady slow speed.

Tis the driver, my love, not the vehicle. Thank you for proving that, and I'm glad you're okay and that only your property was damaged.

Cheers"

[spolic]

If you are not comfortable driving in snow or bad weather conditions, do us all a favor and take the bus.

[LMT]

Last place you want to be on a snow day is on a bus in Seattle. The operators don't chain up correctly, can't drive and slide all over the road. The articulated buses are fun to watch.

Go to about the 2:40 mark:

Sliding Cars in Seattle Snow on 11/22/10

[Triple J]

Even when they do chain up, the articulated buses are a disaster. I was in one a few years back that stopped at a bus stop downtown (it was properly chained up). The stop area was icy though, so after we stopped the bus slowly started to slide and bent at the articulation, hitting the bus stop. Nothing the driver could do. Ride over!  

[Speedbag]

Yep - a Faceyspace item from a friend of mine and some time DMF'er - this isn't in the south though - Oh/IL

"To my lost love on Route 44:

Yes, you own a large Murican 4x4 pickup, replete with lift kit and larger tires, and a bald eagle over an American flag window decal and your Calvin peeing on all the foreign car brands sticker on your tailgate. I'm sorry my little Japanese car is only a FWD and we were driving in a steady 25 mph wind with gusts up to 45, creating horrible snow drifts and miniature blizzard conditions at random intervals.

And I'm sorry I was going a safe and steady speed for my "damn foreign" car on an unfamiliar country road. Visibility was only about 10 feet, because clearly I was driving way too close to the front bumper of your pristine truck. But I have been coached to be the adult in all driving relationships, so I neither sped up nor slowed down, and I was the adult and did what I judged to be safe.

And when you passed me and "waved" to the little girl with the out of state tags, I remained the adult in the relationship and didn't "wave" back as you spun those 35s and sprayed the front of my car with road grime and sped off frighteningly fast into the distance.

Half a mile later, my lost love, I saw where you had crashed hood first into a ditch so your rear wheels were lifted off the ground. Did I "wave" when you made eye contact with me? Did I point and laugh? Did I pout as I flashed you my impersonation of Marcel Marceau crying?

Oh no I did not - because I am the adult in this relationship. I must confess however, that as you held your cell phone to your ear, staring at your truck in dismay, I smirked as I drove by in my little foreign FWD car still going my safe and steady slow speed.

Tis the driver, my love, not the vehicle. Thank you for proving that, and I'm glad you're okay and that only your property was damaged.

Cheers"

[cokey]

yea i didnt write about frozen iced roads.. i was replying to 2 inches of snow..  driving on an icerink is a different story (even though my skills let me do that as well)   >

[cokey]

yea in ny most of the traffic that happened was from busses being stuck at intersection.. so no one could pass..  one of the guys took 30 min for one block

[the_Journeyman]

Find Asheville, NC and look west just a bit.  That's where I live, the mountains that make up the NC/TN border.

We got hit with the storm too, about 2" of fine snow fell.  On Tuesday, as it was snowing outside, our local weatherman was saying "we'll only get a flurry, by tomorrow you'll not even know it snowed.  Here it is Thursday and we've still got some white covered roads.  It got so cold after it snowed, the chemicals didn't work and the plows couldn't cut through the packed & frozen ice.

Moving around was iffy.  Even though I only put my truck in 4WD twice for just a couple minutes.  It's amazing the difference simply understanding what you're driving on can make.  Around here, that's a very small minority of drivers.  We get just two or three good snows a year.   People forget that most 4WD trucks are heavy.  For reference, my regular cab, short bed, midsize truck weighs in at 4400lbs.  That means you can slide quite the distance on ice!  Most people here think that once they're in 4WD they can drive exactly like they do in the dry.  All these trendy AWD SUVs out there?  Yea, same attitude with them.  It's not much fun to see a soccer mom (or dad, men are just as guilty of this) hurtling toward your in some AWD crossover with no idea they can't stop.  Or watching the game of seeing them stop the gas once the wheels start slipping going up a hill.  Sure, a little momentum can be a good thing, but once you're spinning you're done.  Then they're too scared to ease backwards down the hill.

JM

[spolic]

yea in ny most of the traffic that happened was from busses being stuck at intersection.. so no one could pass..  one of the guys took 30 min for one block

and that is another reason why in the winter to fill your gas tank at half way instead of empty. You never know how long your going to get stuck in traffic.

[the_Journeyman]

Right.  I do the same here, just in case.  My commute is only 3.5 miles, BUT I just feel better seeing that needle above the half mark when bad weather hits.

JM

[extra330]

Last place you want to be on a snow day is on a bus in Seattle. The operators don't chain up correctly, can't drive and slide all over the road. The articulated buses are fun to watch.

Go to about the 2:40 mark:

Sliding Cars in Seattle Snow on 11/22/10

Not a single one of those drivers understands that you can't steer and stand on the brakes at the same time with maybe the exception of the fire truck driver. Doesn't anyone remember their traction pie lessons  from roadracing school? 

BTW: have plow will travel