Teleportation. Or a society that recognized it was rather a lot more important to not take unnecessary risks when really, that meeting could have been an e-mail.
@brainmist But the execs insist on in person meetings to encourage team building to justify the operating costs of the building that they only go into late and leave early about once or twice a week.
My car is perfect in the snow. AWD, electronically controlled traction for each wheel, and a decent weight with every tool I could ever need including a tire inflator in the cargo area. New tires, new alternator, new battery, new plugs and wires, new struts. Heated seats, and a super fast defrost, and a good amount of height to clear high-pack snow obstacles. Also have a garage spot. Northeast Unit ed States vehicle 100%!
Fewer drivers that don’t get how to reduce speed and start braking and doing other actions earlier. That’s all winter driving takes. I’ve stopped driving but even as a pedestrian I get hit by cars.
@chienfou Idiots come up across the sidewalks trying to turn at intersections and I end up either sliding across their hood sideways or caving in their windshield depending on the angle. Thankfully it hasn’t been anything I can’t walk away from but it happens way too often for a region where snow is something that people should understand how to deal with.
@cbatte@chienfou Heh. As a kid, I moved from snow-heavy small town Illinois to suburban Tennessee. From “yeah, there’s a 2 foot snowfall but the bus will plow through eventually, go stand outside for a few hours, you’ll be fine” to “there’s a heavy frost, it’s the apocalypse, school is closed for two days!”
From “don’t cry, your tears will just freeze” and waiting in line to run hands under cool water to warm them up… To no school because there was a slight chill.
@brainmist@chienfou The Houston area completely shuts down if there is threat of ice. Before WFH became common, that meant a “snow” day for me but sadly no longer.
I had a job where the expectation was that we’d open no matter what… Which more than once had me white knuckling for hours, only to find out the person I was supposed to meet had sensibly cancelled. I’m glad we at least have the option to be smarter…
@brainmist@Wollyhop You’ve never seen roadside traps in the movies? They didn’t invent the concept you know. It was a thing even before travel was mostly by wagon and horses. It doesn’t mean you have to suppress your helpful nature, but it’s always good to be alert and prepared just in case.
@kuoh@Wollyhop um, ok. Seems pretty stupid to deliberately sit in a freezing car hoping for a do-gooder so you can mug them before the hypothermia sets in, especially when you’re easily more likely to pull a cop, but I will duly note that stranded people might be a “roadside trap”.
Or a trigger-happy nutjob who’s watched too many b movies.
@kuoh@Wollyhop Anywho, you can probably dissuade any blizzard bandits by mounting a bumper sticker that says “I have a gun and I will shoot you”. Certainly I’d appreciate the notice, so I know to just drive on.
@brainmist@Wollyhop Not all of them would be deliberate, some could actually be stranded and desperate. Also not all people are bad, but not all are good either. Only you can decide what level of cynicism and preparedness is best for you. But consider that for some, having a firearm isn’t about coming across other people, especially in northern areas where large furry creatures might actually be more commonly encountered.
@kuoh@Wollyhop lol, ok. Since you’ve clearly thought this through, any suggestions on which stranded drivers I should shoot? And also what large, door opening carnivores I might need to ward against?
Seriously, and I say this as a horror buff, maybe watch fewer b movies.
@brainmist@Wollyhop I’m not saying I can easily identify a random stranger as good or bad any better than you, unless they happen to be wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with numbers on the front and back, but having an option to improve the odds should the initial assumption prove to be incorrect would be wise. Having available doesn’t necessarily equate to must always use.
As for the other types of dangers, bears could easily break the windows or even rip the door off some small cars, not to mention wolves and other animals should you end up being the one with the non functional vehicle and need to self extricate or risk becoming the frozen popsicle to be discovered the following week or season.
I’m willing to be helpful to others, but also try not to live my life helplessly and always expecting others to rescue me from my own poor decisions or lack of planning.
@brainmist@Wollyhop Perhaps, but 1am, 15 miles from the nearest village in a dense forest region at the bottom of a few big valleys that blocks all cell service, perhaps not as useful. However, as you said, you do you. We’re each wearing our own rose colored glasses to view the world, I’m just pointing out that there may be different tints, not that everyone must see exactly the same thing.
Not saying it would’ve helped in this case, but new technology and blind reliance on others isn’t always the best or only solution.
@brainmist@kuoh@Wollyhop I’ve got a couple of them and they’ve never helped with winter driving, but maybe that’s just because I’ve never tried to use one while driving in winter (or any other season). If you do try it and it helps I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know!
@algae1221@brainmist@Wollyhop Next time your car gets stuck in the snow, you could try sticking one or both under the spinning tire if there’s nothing else handy. The bigger and heavier it is, the better the chances of getting unstuck.
@kuoh I don’t keep either of them in the car. I do have a jump starter and first aid kit bought on meh + a small snow shovel and about 50 disc golf discs (bought elsewhere) in there. I bet putting the any of those under the tires would work just as well and if it didn’t it’d probably throw the discs a lot farther than I can.
Wish I had some way to forcibly educate all the idiots on the road who are either
a) are completely mystified by what this sprinkling of white stuff in the air is and thus drive 20-30 mph below the speed limit with their hazard blinkers on while the road itself is just fine [these also seem to be the same people amazed by rain, sunshine, clouds, and any other atmospheric phenomena that they haven’t seen in the past two weeks and thus their little goldfish brains have forgotten exist] or
b) are @$$holes that think they’re invincible because they spent big money on a big vehicle and some extra big tires and then go speeding around in the accumulating snow with no regard for physics when they actually should be going slower.
@brennyn@Turken eh, I’ve had to do this when a vehicle couldn’t maintain interstate speeds but I still needed to get it to an exit. It’s a useful signal to communicate “hey, asshole, you can tailgate me all you want, but I can’t go faster just to stroke your ego”.
It’s not so bad to drive here in winter; the fact that half the population forgets how to drive in rain is, unfortunately, one that I can’t remedy by modifying my personal outcome.
@jitc People here in Texas embrace the technique When it rains, you speed up, so you get home quicker and spend much less time facing the hazards of bad weather. Seems to also be applied to the rare snow or ice we get in this part of the state. Also leads to tailgating, to encourage the uninformed driver ahead to use the same technique.
I’ve got an air compressor, AWD, garage, and work from home so I’m going with “Something else.” That’d be enough money to enable me to buy the house next door and hire someone to live there and run all my errands on days that it snows so I never have a reason to drive in it again.
I love driving in the snow. The deeper the better. I was classically trained in three in the tree and 4 on the floor. What fun to spin out and catch it.
Less Northerners invading my state.
Fewer Southerners trying to navigate my state.
@yakkoTDI
You ain’t just a whistling Dixie.
A Stargate
I have a garage, a tire inflator, and I work from home. I don’t have an AWD.
@kittykat9180 primarily wfh, and 20+ years figuring how to get a fwd up my snowy, city-neglected alley.
And roadside assist for the rare occasion I get stuck.
I am glad that I had a 4wd the year the snowmelt flooded the alley and my driveway, and then a quick freeze froze my main car in.
@brainmist we get snow a few times a year but it melts in a few hours.
Teleportation. Or a society that recognized it was rather a lot more important to not take unnecessary risks when really, that meeting could have been an e-mail.
@brainmist But the execs insist on in person meetings to encourage team building to justify the operating costs of the building that they only go into late and leave early about once or twice a week.
KuoH
The ability to sleep all winter long.
@hchavers hibernation is underrated.
Enough bread, toilet paper, and milk to last until spring.
Speaking of which, isn’t this Sunday the winter solstice? No where to go but up, baby!
/showme all the woodland creatures celebrating winter solstice
…never moved to Colorado.
@Pony
I loved the years that I live in Colorado. Of course that was also 50 years ago when I was younger
My car is perfect in the snow. AWD, electronically controlled traction for each wheel, and a decent weight with every tool I could ever need including a tire inflator in the cargo area. New tires, new alternator, new battery, new plugs and wires, new struts. Heated seats, and a super fast defrost, and a good amount of height to clear high-pack snow obstacles. Also have a garage spot. Northeast Unit ed States vehicle 100%!
Fewer drivers that don’t get how to reduce speed and start braking and doing other actions earlier. That’s all winter driving takes. I’ve stopped driving but even as a pedestrian I get hit by cars.
@brennyn
Yikes… Care to elaborate?
@chienfou Idiots come up across the sidewalks trying to turn at intersections and I end up either sliding across their hood sideways or caving in their windshield depending on the angle. Thankfully it hasn’t been anything I can’t walk away from but it happens way too often for a region where snow is something that people should understand how to deal with.
@brennyn @chienfou You might consider moonlighting as a stunt person for a side gig.
KuoH
@brennyn @kuoh
Holy shit! That’s crazy…
Winter driving is generally the same here except that day or two every few years when it freezes. On those rare days, I don’t leave the house
@cbatte
/image This is the way
… at least in Central Alabama
@cbatte @chienfou Heh. As a kid, I moved from snow-heavy small town Illinois to suburban Tennessee. From “yeah, there’s a 2 foot snowfall but the bus will plow through eventually, go stand outside for a few hours, you’ll be fine” to “there’s a heavy frost, it’s the apocalypse, school is closed for two days!”
From “don’t cry, your tears will just freeze” and waiting in line to run hands under cool water to warm them up… To no school because there was a slight chill.
@brainmist @chienfou The Houston area completely shuts down if there is threat of ice. Before WFH became common, that meant a “snow” day for me but sadly no longer.
@cbatte @chienfou WFH is a very mixed blessing
I had a job where the expectation was that we’d open no matter what… Which more than once had me white knuckling for hours, only to find out the person I was supposed to meet had sensibly cancelled. I’m glad we at least have the option to be smarter…
A gun.
Won’t help with snow, but good to have either way.
@Wollyhop yikes. I usually stop if I can for stranded people, but clearly that’s a mistake.
@brainmist @Wollyhop You’ve never seen roadside traps in the movies? They didn’t invent the concept you know. It was a thing even before travel was mostly by wagon and horses. It doesn’t mean you have to suppress your helpful nature, but it’s always good to be alert and prepared just in case.
KuoH
@kuoh @Wollyhop um, ok. Seems pretty stupid to deliberately sit in a freezing car hoping for a do-gooder so you can mug them before the hypothermia sets in, especially when you’re easily more likely to pull a cop, but I will duly note that stranded people might be a “roadside trap”.
Or a trigger-happy nutjob who’s watched too many b movies.
@kuoh @Wollyhop Anywho, you can probably dissuade any blizzard bandits by mounting a bumper sticker that says “I have a gun and I will shoot you”. Certainly I’d appreciate the notice, so I know to just drive on.
@brainmist @Wollyhop Not all of them would be deliberate, some could actually be stranded and desperate. Also not all people are bad, but not all are good either. Only you can decide what level of cynicism and preparedness is best for you. But consider that for some, having a firearm isn’t about coming across other people, especially in northern areas where large furry creatures might actually be more commonly encountered.
KuoH
@kuoh @Wollyhop lol, ok. Since you’ve clearly thought this through, any suggestions on which stranded drivers I should shoot? And also what large, door opening carnivores I might need to ward against?
Seriously, and I say this as a horror buff, maybe watch fewer b movies.
@brainmist @Wollyhop I’m not saying I can easily identify a random stranger as good or bad any better than you, unless they happen to be wearing a bright orange jumpsuit with numbers on the front and back, but having an option to improve the odds should the initial assumption prove to be incorrect would be wise. Having available doesn’t necessarily equate to must always use.
As for the other types of dangers, bears could easily break the windows or even rip the door off some small cars, not to mention wolves and other animals should you end up being the one with the non functional vehicle and need to self extricate or risk becoming the frozen popsicle to be discovered the following week or season.
I’m willing to be helpful to others, but also try not to live my life helplessly and always expecting others to rescue me from my own poor decisions or lack of planning.
KuoH
@brainmist @kuoh JESUS I MENT AS A JOKE OBLIVIOUSLY I AM GOING TO USE A GUN FOR THE SNOW AND ICE, NOT PEDESTRIANS.
SHEESH.
@kuoh Kinda think a cell phone would be a lot more useful, but you do you.
@wollyhop didn’t you know? Poe’s Law has been in full effect for decades.
@brainmist @Wollyhop Perhaps, but 1am, 15 miles from the nearest village in a dense forest region at the bottom of a few big valleys that blocks all cell service, perhaps not as useful. However, as you said, you do you. We’re each wearing our own rose colored glasses to view the world, I’m just pointing out that there may be different tints, not that everyone must see exactly the same thing.
Not saying it would’ve helped in this case, but new technology and blind reliance on others isn’t always the best or only solution.
https://www.oregonlive.com/oregonianextra/2007/11/kimfamily.html
KuoH
@brainmist @kuoh @Wollyhop I’ve got a couple of them and they’ve never helped with winter driving, but maybe that’s just because I’ve never tried to use one while driving in winter (or any other season). If you do try it and it helps I’d appreciate it if you’d let me know!
@algae1221 @brainmist @Wollyhop Next time your car gets stuck in the snow, you could try sticking one or both under the spinning tire if there’s nothing else handy. The bigger and heavier it is, the better the chances of getting unstuck.
KuoH
@algae1221 @kuoh @Wollyhop Same. I guess I can see how hoarfrost inside the windshield might be cleared by shooting it, but that seems pretty drastic.
@kuoh I don’t keep either of them in the car. I do have a jump starter and first aid kit bought on meh + a small snow shovel and about 50 disc golf discs (bought elsewhere) in there. I bet putting the any of those under the tires would work just as well and if it didn’t it’d probably throw the discs a lot farther than I can.
More sun
@pakopako be careful; some of my scariest ice was on bright sunny days in Wyoming. Sure, it was only 6°.
@pakopako @pmarin ooof, yeah, snow blindness is pretty awful while driving. Also frost forming inside the windshield.
@brainmist @pakopako @pmarin I suspect the insinuation may be black ice partially exacerbated by the intense solar radiation.
KuoH
@brainmist @kuoh @pakopako yes black ice on a sunny day where the road has been fine for miles.
But it seems somehow appropriate that user “brainmist” mentions frost inside the windshield. Got to have good defrost, man!
And yes AWD doesn’t always help; 4 driven tires sliding around on the ice can be just as bad as 2 driven.
@kuoh @pakopako @pmarin lol, need good defrost, but also sometimes needed to get to work even though it was <<<0.
Wish I had some way to forcibly educate all the idiots on the road who are either
a) are completely mystified by what this sprinkling of white stuff in the air is and thus drive 20-30 mph below the speed limit with their hazard blinkers on while the road itself is just fine [these also seem to be the same people amazed by rain, sunshine, clouds, and any other atmospheric phenomena that they haven’t seen in the past two weeks and thus their little goldfish brains have forgotten exist] or
b) are @$$holes that think they’re invincible because they spent big money on a big vehicle and some extra big tires and then go speeding around in the accumulating snow with no regard for physics when they actually should be going slower.
@Turken I recently saw someone driving with their hazard lights on for the first time and
a) I didn’t even know those would run while the vehicle was in motion
b) Doing so eliminates the point of hazard lights
People told me it’s a regional thing at it must have been somebody out of state.
@brennyn @Turken eh, I’ve had to do this when a vehicle couldn’t maintain interstate speeds but I still needed to get it to an exit. It’s a useful signal to communicate “hey, asshole, you can tailgate me all you want, but I can’t go faster just to stroke your ego”.
It’s not so bad to drive here in winter; the fact that half the population forgets how to drive in rain is, unfortunately, one that I can’t remedy by modifying my personal outcome.
@jitc People here in Texas embrace the technique
When it rains, you speed up, so you get home quicker and spend much less time facing the hazards of bad weather. Seems to also be applied to the rare snow or ice we get in this part of the state. Also leads to tailgating, to encourage the uninformed driver ahead to use the same technique.
AWD is for amatures.
KuoH
What is this Winter that you speak of? (I was just informed that it is when the temperature gets below 60 in Florida)
A chauffeur
A horse drawn sleigh - no tires to worry about!
A car starter and a heated steering wheel.
@Star2236 - I have the car starter, but the heated steering wheel would be nice!
I’ve got an air compressor, AWD, garage, and work from home so I’m going with “Something else.” That’d be enough money to enable me to buy the house next door and hire someone to live there and run all my errands on days that it snows so I never have a reason to drive in it again.
/giphy a-new-car-the price is right
I love driving in the snow. The deeper the better. I was classically trained in three in the tree and 4 on the floor. What fun to spin out and catch it.