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Login to post Forums » Off-topic discussion » Learn to drive!

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Dec. 21, 2008 12:25 p.m. DrBoost Reader

Ok, here in the southern half of the southern part of Michigan we (like many of you) got dumped on Friday with quite a bit of snow. I have almost 11" in my hard! Sweeeeet! The ride to work Firday morning (5" already on the ground, and visibility was about 25 feet at best) was kinda fun and very nerv-racking in the miata. Here's my question. Why the heck are there cars littering the ditches on U.S. 23? If I can make it 35 miles in a miata with half warn all-seasons and no weight in the back end why did I see Yukon's, Durango's, Jeeps (well, they had independent front suspension, so they aren't REALLY Jeeps) in the ditch? Seriously folks, I'm not a stellar driver just look at my auto-X standings (look further down, no, further still...keep going.....). I had a few moments when the back and wanted to lead but I was able to get it under control, heck I only lost the game of "Underwear Tag" once! Now, before the miata I've owned about 15 Jeeps ranging from a bone stock 46 CJ 2a to grand cherokees and seriously build CJ's so I know what 4 wheel drive does and doesn't get you (try drivingn on hard pack snow with 35" mud tires and detroit lockers in both axles and the INSIDE of your windshield icing up, scary!). I'm sorry folks, I'm just ranting here. I think it's sad that so many folks have vehicles that should do fine in the snow but they lack the basic skills to use that capability. Maybe before they drive that SUV in the snow they should have to drive a big-block El Camino in the snow for a year first?

Ok, I know I'm not making any sense, I'm done.

One more thing, that El Camino comment was waaay off. I'd NEVER make anyone drive an El Camino, what wrongs could you do to society that would warrant having to be seen in one of those? I'm sorry.
Dec. 21, 2008 1:10 p.m. mtn Dork

DrBoost wrote:

One more thing, that El Camino comment was waaay off. I'd NEVER make anyone drive an El Camino, what wrongs could you do to society that would warrant having to be seen in one of those? I'm sorry.

What if we actually want an El Camino?
Dec. 21, 2008 2:02 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

uhmmm.... I want one!!

Look what they've evolved into

Now

80's
Dec. 21, 2008 2:23 p.m. Trans_Maro New Reader

DrBoost wrote: One more thing, that El Camino comment was waaay off. I'd NEVER make anyone drive an El Camino, what wrongs could you do to society that would warrant having to be seen in one of those? I'm sorry.

El Caminos go hand-in-hand with thinking your neighbours sheep are sexy.

Shawn
Dec. 21, 2008 3:48 p.m. Appleseed New Reader

Trans_Maro wrote:

DrBoost wrote: One more thing, that El Camino comment was waaay off. I'd NEVER make anyone drive an El Camino, what wrongs could you do to society that would warrant having to be seen in one of those? I'm sorry.

El Caminos go hand-in-hand with thinking your neighbors sheep are sexy.

Shawn

In Montana, tthem's feudin' words
Dec. 21, 2008 4:30 p.m. Wally UltraDork

Have you seen my neighbor's sheep?
Dec. 21, 2008 6:40 p.m. Lesley SuperDork

DrBoost wrote:

I have almost 11" in my hard! Sweeeeet!

Suuuuuure ya do...
Dec. 21, 2008 7:26 p.m. Duke Dork

Hey, as far as I'm concerned, an El Camino is nature's perfect drift machine.
Dec. 21, 2008 8:30 p.m. pilotbraden None

I grew up in Flint and noticed US 23 and surrounding roads full of idiots. I have driven "summer cars" since 1987 but put aggressive snow tire on them. A limited slip on a RX-7, Miata, SVT Contour, GTI etc makes these great snow cars/rally cars. Nothing like a red light, Yukon on half bald tires and me for fun. I consistently outrun them to the next stop. I now live in Manistee and the 85 RX-7 still is a contender in blizzard conditions
Dec. 21, 2008 9:16 p.m. JeepinMatt New Reader

Two inches of snow down here in NC and everything is literally shut down

I likes what what you said 'bout dem Jeeps
Dec. 21, 2008 10:41 p.m. ReverendDexter Reader

Notice even now El Caminos collect mullets... hahah.

I know what you mean about crappy drivers in the snow. I used to have a 2.3L foxbody convertible with an automatic and a busted top... in snow country. I used to love driving around in that thing, the top down ('cause, well, I didn't really have a choice, lol), and seeing people in Grand Cherokees spun out on the side of the road while I just trucked on.
Dec. 22, 2008 6:06 a.m. Duke Dork

JeepinMatt wrote:

Two inches of snow down here in NC and everything is literally shut down

That's actually safer than it was when I was in St. Louis. In STL, two inches of snow meant that half the drivers would putt timidly along like it was the Great Blizzard of '53, while the other half would drive as if it was sunny and 72 degrees out. It was not a pretty combination - made for lots of bent sheetmetal.
Dec. 22, 2008 6:15 a.m. DrBoost Reader

JeepinMatt wrote:

Two inches of snow down here in NC and everything is literally shut down

I likes what what you said 'bout dem Jeeps

Glad you liked it. I'm huge into Jeeps and the IFS was a huge blow to anyone who knows what low-range is for.
Dec. 22, 2008 6:17 a.m. DrBoost Reader

mtn wrote:

What if we actually want an El Camino?

Huh? Oh, I get it. You're being funny.

I hope........
Dec. 22, 2008 7:33 a.m. CoryB Reader

The problem is that people think 4WD makes them invincible.

While 4WD makes it much easier to start and keep moving, it does absolutely nothing extra for braking. But these idiots go charging along like they're on dry pavement, never realizing that physics is a bitch and objects in motion tend to stay in motion when snow/ice are involved.

I figure it's just a good way to get some of them off of the road for a while...
Dec. 22, 2008 7:46 a.m. Xceler8x HalfDork

It's the great SUV con. SUV's are better in the snow than EVERYTHING! SUV's are safer on the road than EVERYTHING! SUV's make you look tough! Especially with your soccer sticker in the rear window.

I'm being extreme..well..because I can be here. I'm really kidding. SUV's are great for hauling crap but they aren't Superman's cape in foul weather. I bet Superman drives a Corvette anyway. He's such a meathead like that.
Dec. 22, 2008 7:54 a.m. mistanfo Dork

4WD just means that you'll have to be pulled out from further in the snowbank. And no one wants an El Camino. Everyone knows that the Ranchero is where it's at.
Dec. 22, 2008 8:14 a.m. walterj HalfDork

CoryB wrote:

The problem is that people think 4WD makes them invincible.

While 4WD makes it much easier to start and keep moving, it does absolutely nothing extra for braking. But these idiots go charging along like they're on dry pavement, never realizing that physics is a bitch and objects in motion tend to stay in motion when snow/ice are involved.

I figure it's just a good way to get some of them off of the road for a while...

That '4wd easy to start, hard to stop' thing is the defacto answer to this but there is more to it than that... I see people going 7 miles an hour, and then freezing up and making the wrong reaction to any sort of slight loss of traction and sliding into a ditch. What did they think was going to happen at 7mph that they were so afraid of? A roll-over? Huge fireball? They are simply unprepared to deal with some delay in the reaction of the car - like someone who is afraid of heights freaking out at a little sway in a ladder. It doesn't matter if its 6ft or 100ft above the ground - if it moves they cling to it with a death grip. I am sorry to say that my own wife will do it over and over because she simply refuses to allow a little chaos into her world.

The answer is free. A little bit of experience with the right conditions and maybe a little advice to just know what to do and how much room to leave yourself... Do us all a huge favor and take everyone you know to a snowy parking lot for an hour of massive hoonage this season. It will save some of us the aggravation of waiting behind them while they drive 8mph down the center of the interstate with 1/4" of snow on it.
Dec. 22, 2008 8:18 a.m. John Brown UltimaDork

1: Joey48442 lives near US23 (well kinda)

2: Michigan is FULL of idiots (me included)

3: Snow is scary, haven't you ever seen Jack Frost?

4: Road crowns get steeper in the winter

5: The tow companies need the work, you know because no one is buying new cars

(I probably have more)
Dec. 22, 2008 9:36 a.m. purplepeopleeater New Reader

Come visit the lovely D.C. Metro area for fun & adventures in the snow. We're south of the Mason/Dixon Line so we don't have enough snowplows or salt to properly clear a good storm, that's if the geniuses manage to prepark the trucks in the right location & don't just leave them in the barn until rush hour then wonder why they can't get anywhere. Add in that we have a very large immigrant population from equatorial climes where snow is regarded as a myth & for the last 8 years a larger than normal influx of Red State Republican Southerners who seem to think that the laws of physics don't apply to them because they're not in the Bible. I carry water, TP, & a blanket because an inch of sleet can easily translate into an 8 hour backup
Dec. 22, 2008 9:59 a.m. confuZion3 Dork

Yeah. The Mason/Dixon line is very strange. It will snow in PA, but the second you cross the line into MD, it's just raining and foggy. Bud damn, if it does snow in south PA / MD, look out. You'll have people on I-83 stopped - COMPLETELY, and the alternate route, York Rd., will have some douche bag driving 6 miles per hour so that he doesn't crash!!!!

I drove from my friend's place at the University of Delaware to my apartment at Loyola College a few years back and hit a snow storm along the way. I was in the Z3 with my Summer-only tires on. While the ride wasn't exactly plesant, I made it all the way back. But of course, after EVERY off-ramp there was a Dodge Ram or F-150 that went waaaay too fast and just skidded off I-95 into a ditch. Every single off-ramp! They all had their 35" tires (which must be amazing in the snow cough - bullE36 M3 - cough) and none of them could get out. I ended up getting stuck in 4 inches of snow at the very top of the driveway that went to my parking lot. (Had the driveway not made a 90 degree turn, I would have made it.) But I made it back without crashing!
Dec. 22, 2008 10:07 a.m. Autolex Reader

Duke wrote: That's actually safer than it was when I was in St. Louis. In STL, two inches of snow meant that half the drivers would putt timidly along like it was the Great Blizzard of '53, while the other half would drive as if it was sunny and 72 degrees out. It was not a pretty combination - made for lots of bent sheetmetal.

Still in STL.... +1

St. Louis drivers are the worst! Soccer moms in SUV's have almost killed me 3 or 4 times in the last 2 years when it snows.
Dec. 22, 2008 10:10 a.m. 16vCorey SuperDork

John Brown wrote:

3: Snow is scary, haven't you ever seen Jack Frost?

Best movie ever!
Dec. 22, 2008 11:42 a.m. Type Q HalfDork

purplepeopleeater wrote:

Add in that we have a very large immigrant population from equatorial climes where snow is regarded as a myth & for the last 8 years a larger than normal influx of Red State Republican Southerners who seem to think that the laws of physics don't apply to them because they're not in the Bible.

I remember back When I was going to college at Michigan State. One snowy day I was driving to campus and I noticed up ahead that eveyone on the road was driving a good distance away from a particular car. As I got closer, it be came obvious why; Alabama license plates. I don't know if it's still true, but we used to give plenty of room to cars from the sunbelt in the dead of a Michigan winter.
Dec. 22, 2008 12:16 p.m. SVreX UberDork

I'm guessing most of you haven't seen a '60 model El Camino.

This one's mine:

My '60 Elky

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