Ice in Texas

"Reigntastic" (reigntastic) 01/24/2014 at 12:05 • Filed to: None

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So, this morning I had my first icy day in Texas this year, and still managed to drive to work without any incident with my girlfriend's Civic. To clarify, the roads were hardly icy, and only the bridges had any ice on them at all. The highway was already sanded, but I still passed 4 completely totalled vehicles (separate accidents); two F150s (one of them two generations old, one of them new), an Explorer, and the only real loss of the bunch, a '90s 5 series. The picture is actually from today on highway six, and apparently as of 10:30am there have now been 6 accidents on the stretch of highway that I took to work.

I had no trouble driving 60-70 the entire 17 miles to work on all-seasons, I'm not sure why people find it to be so difficult to drive on ice. Most of the way it was completely free of ice, and the roads were all sanded, but people were doing 35 on the highway. As of 11am, more than half of my coworkers aren't even here, when work starts at 8.

What are some of your experiences with driving on ice?

Casper > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:07

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They have a hard time because they are impatient and stupid. The same reason they have a hard time driving in general.

Reigntastic > Casper 01/24/2014 at 12:10

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Probably. All of the vehicles I saw wrecked were RWD, I'm pretty happy I didn't have to take my MR2 to work today.

DatASSun > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:11

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Well to my own defense .. There was plenty of ice here in Austin . As I took hwy 71 up into the hill country it got worse and worse till I eventually came over a hill to a parking lot of people too scared to slide down this huge hill ... even a coworker was in the parking lot ...

Very very sketchy out there on the road .. in Austin that is .

CAR_IS_MI > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:11

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Non-fluid jerkey movements are the best way to maintain control in bad situations!!!

PatBateman > Casper 01/24/2014 at 12:11

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I'm not going to call anyone "stupid" for wrecking out after hitting ice. "Inexperienced", yes, but not stupid.

Reigntastic > DatASSun 01/24/2014 at 12:13

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Yeah, I saw a few pictures from Austin and it looked a lot worse. Hardly anything here (College Station) stuck to the ground. UT is closed today, A&M has a delayed open, so it's definitely worse for you.

CalzoneGolem > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:13

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They probably have busted ass summer tires. Those things slide like hockey pucks.

DatASSun > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:14

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yup .. we have solid ice on the roads down here .. I really thought I was going to have the day off .

Reigntastic > CAR_IS_MI 01/24/2014 at 12:14

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You'd think people driving RWD vehicles all day would be used to a little over-steer, but I guess not.

deekster_caddy > DatASSun 01/24/2014 at 12:14

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It's very true that the north preps the roads for ice/snow better. I don't imagine they have the salting equipment in Texas, so ice on the roads can be very dangerous.

Driving on ice is really fun. It's the turning and stopping that sucks.

It occasionally happens unexpectedly around here, but usually just in little patches and they call it "black ice". Any other time the roads are all salted and we just carry on.

Casper > PatBateman 01/24/2014 at 12:15

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Well you are free to choose whatever definition you like, but it's the most apt. Most likely you are more worried about emotions than accuracy. It's not like they were suddenly surprised by magic ice that was cast down from a flying spaghetti monster and had no way to know they should have been expecting it....

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

Reigntastic > CalzoneGolem 01/24/2014 at 12:15

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True. Winter tires just don't make sense here, they'd be torn up far too quickly if left on the vehicle and would be very inconvenient to put on just for a day like this.

I'd be willing to bet their summer tires were probably near bald.

Reigntastic > DatASSun 01/24/2014 at 12:16

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Have to have butts in seats, very important...

CalzoneGolem > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:16

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Super swampers/mud tires are also terrible in the cold and ice.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:21

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I have no problems controlling my car in icy conditions.

PatBateman > Casper 01/24/2014 at 12:23

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Most accurately, I do not call people that I have ever met, nor know anything about, disparaging names.

I am educated and know fully-well what the definition of the word "stupid" is. I'm just polite enough not to throw the word around.

CAR_IS_MI > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:27

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LMAO. Most people driving rwd vehicles dont understand what RWD means.

Casper > PatBateman 01/24/2014 at 12:28

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Well you certainly are permitted to choose which portions of the dictionary you draw from based on personal bias.

ttyymmnn > PatBateman 01/24/2014 at 12:29

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The Internet needs more people like you.

BTW, we're enjoying our ice day today. From watching the news, Austin bridges are a real mess, with many stranded vehicles. Reportedly, there are 50 cars stranded on one overpass alone. Surface streets aren't even wet, though.

Reigntastic > CAR_IS_MI 01/24/2014 at 12:30

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Ugh, probably true. Reminds me of the time a car salesman tried to sell me on a TC after they told me they had no FRSs on the lot to test-drive/look at.

"The Scion TC is still very sporty and cool like the FRS-"

"The Scion TC is front wheel drive."

"So?"

Needless to say I didn't waste his time further.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:31

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A big problem with overconfident truck/suv owners in the snow and or ice is that they believe they have 4x4 so they can drive like normal in everything.

4x4 barely does anything to help you STOP. (yes i put barely because i will not stand for another engine braking with 4x4 lecture, even tho to the normal idiot driver, it does absolutely nothing).

i like to say to inexperienced 4x4 owners this "remember, it's 4 wheel drive, not 4 wheel stop. that's because it only helps you GO". ABS should be standard on most of those, its the only thing that could help.

Reigntastic > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/24/2014 at 12:33

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I had coworkers looking at me like I was crazy after passing them this morning on the way to work. The stress of winter driving is just too much for some Texans.

PatBateman > Casper 01/24/2014 at 12:35

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There are many words in the dictionary that could be used. Some of just have the tact not to use them.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:38

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I'm up in the Detroit area.

The highway was going 15 mph in an inch of snow a couple nights ago.

I could have killed them all. We've had over 24 inches of snow in this area already this year. HOW CAN YOU NOT HANDLE AN INCH?! (that's what the asian guy said...LOL sorry asian dudes, just a joke!)

PatBateman > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 12:39

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I came into work today (just southwest of Houston), but I don't have to traverse any overpasses or large bridges.

Casper > PatBateman 01/24/2014 at 12:39

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Again, you can use whatever synonym you like. You chose "inexperienced" which is just another way of declaring them "ignorant", but based on the fact they are operating a vehicle on public motorways that has a general value greater than $15,000 it's unlikely they are either new drivers or extremely young. Further analysis of the fact that only less than 1% of traffic using the same road surface had an accident and the general assumption is those using a road are responsible for their own conduct would lead us to assume it was an action of their own fault. This is further supported by all those mentioned being single car accidents.

Which is more insulting, to assume someone has done something stupid or to assume the lack basic capabilities of the rest of the world?

Reigntastic > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/24/2014 at 12:41

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I see you too like to live dangerously.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Reigntastic 01/24/2014 at 12:48

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Yeah the idiotic idea I had to get on the highway mainly.

Normally if I see snow I stick to side roads, even if it takes longer than my normal highway ride I normally end up being able to see the highway and the poor saps doing 5 mph on a 70 mph road.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 12:56

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You staying home today? we're closed today. CEO decided last night to follow AISD's lead, so this morning I woke up to discover that I had a day off.

It's like being a kid again!

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 12:59

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Yup! I'm still in my PJs. My wife works for UT, which also follows AISD. I'm a stay home dad/musician, and I was supposed to play a concert with the Austin Symphony at a Westwood HS this morning. So, I'm sort of getting a snow day too.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 13:02

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I too am in my PJs. My wife works for Seton and got a text from her boss this morning telling her to cancel all her meetings and stay off the roads. She's been working on scheduling crap so it's not a total day off, but we're expecting to get out a little later and try to go see a flick at the drafthouse after it warms up a bit.

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 13:04

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try to go see a flick at the drafthouse

I'm guessing you don't have kids! That sounds nice. Actually, we're taking our boys to see the Globetrotters at the Erwin Center tonight.

PatBateman > Casper 01/24/2014 at 13:09

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Hey, you don't have to rationalize it on my behalf. I read the comments on Gawker. I'm used to people calling others names based on nothing but a small snippet of information.

It's just rude. But to each their own.

Casper > PatBateman 01/24/2014 at 13:12

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Personally I find it more rude to leave ones car on it's side on the interstate, but I completely agree. To each their own.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 13:17

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THE CURSE CONTINUES!

When I was a kid, I wanted to go see the Globetrotters. I don't even like basketball, but I wanted to go see them. Anyway, several years in a row, my dad got tickets, only to get iced out EVERY DAMN TIME.

When I lived in Dallas and worked right across the freeway from AA Center, I remember seeing Globetrotters dates on the marquee and sure enough, those days would ice up too. It must be a formula - me + HGT = ice on roads.

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 13:22

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Unlike the Curly Neal, Meadowlark Lemon days, they now have at least three Harlem Globetrotters teams on tour at once. I was looking at the tour dates, and they're playing Austin, Springfield, MO, and Michigan City, IN all today.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 13:25

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When I wanted to see them it was def the old days - late 70s to early 80s. By 1985 I had moved on

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 13:31

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We must be about the same age.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 13:57

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if you've been of legal drinking age for approximately half your life, then yes :)

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 13:58

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Is the legal drinking age 23.5?

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 14:04

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sounds like you might be slightly older. Man has not walked on the moon in my lifetime.

ttyymmnn > Clown Shoe Pilot 01/24/2014 at 14:10

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I'm 47. Born in '66.

Clown Shoe Pilot > ttyymmnn 01/24/2014 at 14:13

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'73 here. JUST missed the Apollo missions, which I consider to be man's greatest achievement ever.

Bubbles22 > CAR_IS_MI 01/24/2014 at 22:31

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RWD = Run With the Devil?

CAR_IS_MI > Bubbles22 01/25/2014 at 03:28

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Exactly!