SNOW DRIVING RANT (SORRY)

"lucky's pepper" (lucky1774)
03/01/2015 at 13:16 • Filed to: BUY SNOW TIRES PLEASE

So it's snowing outside... again. Not a big deal, it's winter in Ohio. It snows. If I get fed up with it I still have the liberty to move to a warmer part of the country (Obama hasn't issued an executive order denying me that right, yet).

As I was preparing to plow the driveway this morning the wife asked that I drive to a small bakery about a mile down the road and grab her a couple of doughnuts. Being the dutiful husband I agreed. I live in a relatively rural area and the road to the doughnut shop is 50mph. On the way there I was behind a vehicle doing 30mph. On the way back I was behind a car doing 25mph. Both vehicles were 2WD with all season tires.

Now the roads were snowy and slippery, the townships street crews just can't keep up, but a vehicle properly equipped for the weather would not have to go 20-25mph under the posted limit. At 3pm I'm going to go to work. I would bet money that I will handle at least one crash and probably deal with two or three cars that have slid off the road and into snow banks. I would also bet that all of the vehicles involved will be 2WD and not have snow tires.

Why in the hell do people insist on driving on snowy roads when they have vehicles completely unequipped for it? Between my wife and I we have three vehicles: an AWD wagon (that doesn't get driven in winter anymore), a 4WD pickup, and a FWD hatch with snow tires, so when the weather turns we can actually get somewhere without being a slightly mobile chicane. When you live somewhere that it snows it is completely irresponsible to not equip your vehicle for the conditions you may encounter. If you're too cheap to buy a set of snow tires for your car, stay off the roads.

I'm done complaining now and I hope everyone enjoys their Sunday.

DISCUSSION (26)

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:23

I hate people that dont know how to drive. I have a RWD ranger with a 4.0L, a stick and all seasons. I do just fine driving the speed limit in inclement weather (except while turning). I think its less to do with vehicle equipment and more to do with skill. The other day I found my self shouting "Its just snow not the apocalypse" when stuck behind a Subaru forester doing 15 under

Milky > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:29

Thats winter drivers everywhere. I get fed up when people have properly equipped cars and still go infuriatingly slow.

Also "Obama hasn't issued an executive order denying me that right, yet"

Kinja'd!!!

Enginerrrrrrrrr > Milky
03/01/2015 at 13:31

Star for the last bit. I was actually going to read his story until that quip...

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:32

I agree 100%. You'd swear Canadians would have this shit figured out by now.

The whole country needs to do it like Quebec, once the temperature is below 7°c for three days, you MUST have winter tires, by law. I've been stopped at what I though was a ride program, but they were actually checking the tires!

lucky's pepper > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
03/01/2015 at 13:37

"It's just snow, not the apocalypse".

Great line.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:41

I had to drive home from work with my car and it is RWD with summer tires, I made it home slowly, but I made it. I've also driven my old car with all seasons in the snow and had no issues what so ever, it was also RWD. For the 5 snowy days a year that we get in Cincy, an extra set of wheels and tires simply isn't worth it.

lucky's pepper > Milky
03/01/2015 at 13:43

If I got upset every time someone took a jab at politicians I agree with I'd never be able to visit Oppoland. Lighten up :)

And I've no doubt it's everywhere. In another life I spend a couple of years as a truck driver so I've seen it all over the country.

lucky's pepper > TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts
03/01/2015 at 13:49

As much as I hate the idea of more regulation, I'd be on board with a state law mandating snow tires. Alas it will never happen.

Unbearable Pain > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:55

Try North Carolina, land of immigrants from Ohio and New York (until Obama changes that). Here, NO ONE knows how to drive in the snow. Everyone just has all-seasons. Everyone also has FWD sedans, Camry's and Corollas litter the place. People freak out from snow and won't drive or will be too cautious. Idiots who drive Wranglers (was that a redundant statement?) can't drive either because they believe their superior Jeep technology makes them pros in bad conditions. Wrong. I'd say the people in AWD/4WD vehicles are the worst because they don't bother with snow tires and think their drivetrains make them invincible. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a Suburban in a ditch.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 13:59

We should at least mandate education. Apparently my mom thought snow tires became obsolete when all seasons came on the market up until a couple months ago when I told her otherwise. I wonder how many other people thought the same?

lucky's pepper > Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire
03/01/2015 at 13:59

That's all you get just 4 hrs. south? It started snowing here right after Christmas and hasn't stopped.

Arch Duke Maxyenko, Shit Talk Extraordinaire > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 14:00

Yup.

lucky's pepper > Unbearable Pain
03/01/2015 at 14:07

Your rant trumps mine!!

lucky's pepper > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
03/01/2015 at 14:12

I try to explain the virtues of snow tires to people and if younger they've no idea what they are or if they're older they think I'm talking about the ones their dad had on just his rear wheels in the 60s.

TheVancen- In Pursuit of a Greater Payday and Car Parts > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 14:14

And itll never happen because it actually makes sense.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 14:16

Ya my mom said If I ever get snow tires its not worth it to put them on the non driver wheels. I know thats not true

Milky > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 14:32

No worries because if a republican was in charge and you were a lady they'd figure out a way to deny that right ;)

lucky's pepper > Milky
03/01/2015 at 14:49

Touche!

But what if I was black?

Textured Soy Protein > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 14:54

I'm in Wisconsin. Our average yearly snowfall is...a lot. Most people when I suggest to them that they keep two sets of wheels & tires around and switch them out with the seasons, look at me like I have two heads.

Milky > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 15:36

You would of grown up not expecting that right :/

Now this is getting to serious and sad.

JCAlan > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 16:11

So the roads are snowy and slippery, the road crews just can't keep up, and you are upset that people are driving slower than speed limits posted for perfect dry weather? Then in the next sentence you complain about people driving off the road, which wouldn't happen if they would just slow down a little. Even with proper snow tires you need to adjust your speed to match the road conditions. Why do I need to push my vehicle to its limits and spend money on extra wheels and tires just so that you can make good time on your donut run?! Seriously, slow down and lighten up.

Oontzoontzoontz > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
03/01/2015 at 16:35

I've seen more than one post of yours where you got stuck and / or in your neighbor's yard. I'm not sure that means "just fine driving"

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Oontzoontzoontz
03/01/2015 at 16:47

The first one I was being an idiot, thats 100% on me. The second one was when I was going around a bend and there was unforeseen ice. Both incidents were in residential areas that are not plowed often. On city streets, I drive fine

lucky's pepper > JCAlan
03/01/2015 at 21:31

Push your vehicle to the limit?! Where the hell did you come up with that? The point is people who live in climates where it snows should take a bit of responsibility and equip their vehicles for those occasions. Not drive half the speed limit.

Almost all the crashes and VIDs that I encounter in these weather conditions are low speed. Going too fast is rarely an issue. What is almost always an issue is LACK OF TRACTION. Rear end collisions because someone can't stop. Collisions at intersections because someone couldn't stop and strikes or is struck by thru-traffic. Or someone tried to turn and understeered through the corner and hit a utility pole or another car. VID because they tried to turn and understeered into a ditch. Or just stuck in the snow bank on the side of the roadway created by the plows because their car won't get through it.

Why should the rest of us be not only inconvenienced but endangered because others are irresponsible?

JCAlan > lucky's pepper
03/01/2015 at 21:52

You seem like a nice guy. A nice guy who had to run to the donut place and was annoyed along the way and vented about it on the Internet, as is the way nowadays. So I'm not going to argue with you or piss all over your post. But I assure you, people being overly cautious on sketchy roads is not really something to get upset over.

lucky's pepper > JCAlan
03/01/2015 at 22:58

And apparently either:

A- I failed to make my intended point (entirely possible) which is, once again, that people who live in areas that have major snowfalls should be responsible enough to equip their vehicles to handle the weather.

B- You somehow missed the point and just see it as me complaining (which I was completely doing, hence the use of the term "rant").

C- You don't want to acknowledge that was the point.

No matter which, life goes on. And someone "pissing all over my post" certainly wouldn't be the worst thing that happened today. So have a good night. I will as my shifts almost done and 10 minutes from now I'll have a glass of Maker's in hand.