by Jim G.
Member since:
July 13, 2009

Winter Driving: Demolition Derby.

January 19, 2011 11:40 PM UTC (Updated: January 19, 2011 11:50 PM UTC)
views: 0 | 8 people recommend this | comments: 95

What's your story? Here's my latest: I was driving to the mall on I-694 this AM, going the posted 60 MPH on what looked to be clear roads. Everyone else was pretty much going the posted speed, too. Then I saw a car in the right ditch. Eased off a bit. A quarter mile up the hiway the traffic all moved to the right lane. A 3-car pileup in the left lane. Didn't take long to get through, it was a recent accident, & traffic wasn't backed up too far.

Once clear, I slowed down to 50 MPH. Most everyone else passed me. Fortunately my exit was not far ahead. The culprit? Apparently "Black Ice" We Minnesotans pride ourselves on our winter driving skills. I lived in Texas for 8 years, so I know how treacherous Black Ice can be; most Minnesotans don't because it usually doesn't warm up enough to form black ice. We usually deal with snow, & plenty of it, which our many plows clear off the roads quickly.

One caveat about our winter driving skills: We usually forget what we have learned over the summer, & so the first snowfall of the season results in a demolition derby until people remember to slow down. Since Florida is the only state in the Union that hasn't had snowfall this winter (Yes, Hawaii gets snow in the mountains - been there, done that), I'w wondering what driving excitement you may have experienced this winter. Atlanta, for instance, really got nailed with snow, & the damned stuff didn't melt like it was supposed to, except to turn into ice.

Add your horror story for us all to enjoy, but please, don't just say "Here", say where "Here" is, LOL.

Comments: 95

Col. George W. Jan 20, 2011, 12:17am UTC
No horror story from this man in Montana. I don't drive when the roads are bad. Aint it nice to be retired.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 12:22am UTC
Same here George, but sometimes ya gotta go out in it. You're lucky - You get those Chinooks to melt the stuff sometimes before Spring arrives, LOL.
Col. George W. Jan 20, 2011, 12:28am UTC
I can't go out in it Jim. My lungs are all messed up and expreme cold is not so good. Ahhh Chinooks, Haven't seen one in a while. They sure are fun. I've seen better that a foot of snow go away in just a few hours. They do kind of cause the streams to flood though.
Jerry Kays Jan 20, 2011, 8:40am UTC
About the same as George here, the NW part of Montana very near Canada ... we have had temps fluctuating recently from 15 below zero to 40 above ... with most of the snow going away (at our lower elevation) and the unplowed roads turning to as slippery as ice can get ...

But all of my vehicles are all wheel drive, two trucks, 3 ATVs and Tractor ... studded snow tires and chains where needed (tractor) ... I have one very steep hill which I occasionally plow and spread sand on with the tractor ... almost everyone in this neck of the woods are similarly equipped, and because there are relatively few of us, there are seldom anyone else on the roads to cause traffic problems ... :-)
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 9:14am UTC
Sounds like you are self-sufficiently well-prepared, Jerry. You could get to The Big Mountain in Whitefish to ski. I worked for the BNSF Railway (Formerly Great Northern Ry.), so I'm pretty familiar with the geography & weather of the Big Sky Country, LOL.
William Dotani Jan 20, 2011, 12:40am UTC
I lived in Hokkaido for 3 Winters. The roads were winding through small hills and in ice forming parts the roads had electric heaters to keep them ice free. I always told my children to think all the other drivers as demolition drivers.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 1:02am UTC
From what I've heard, you're taking your life in your own hands ANY time of the year if you drive in Japan.
William Dotani Jan 20, 2011, 1:09am UTC
I lived there for almost 16 years. One thing you rarely see in Japan is a car accident (except in Sapporo where driving is like the wild west). Driving the toll road between Osaka and Kobe rather freaked me out at first, but I got used to it. The very narrow roads in the mountains are the real trip.
Cheryl M. Jan 20, 2011, 1:01am UTC
sorry..no horror story here in Florida..except for the usual maniacs on the road...and that is year round. Not sure if it is me, maybe just getting older..but it seems like as if everyone is in a hurry today and they have no patience for people driving at or slightly above the speed limit....
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 1:05am UTC
Just stay in the right lane & pray, Cheryl, LOL.
Cheryl M. Jan 20, 2011, 1:09am UTC
lol...yes...I do plenty of that!!!
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 1:10am UTC
No horror stories here, either......well, for me personally. Our freeways get occasional pileups, but the weather isn't necessarily a factor.

Glad you made it through all that safely.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 1:13am UTC
Hiya, Tanya. Just don't drive up to Toni & Robert's place when she's ablowin'
Toni V. Jan 20, 2011, 6:29pm UTC
We did live in Garland, Texas for a while though and I remember my mom, Tanya P, on her way to work, had to turn around and come home because the roads were all black ice and people were just stopped at the intersections and just playing around on the ice. (Correct me if I'm wrong Mom). I remember she came home and we went out on or own neighborhood street and played on the ice. Then I remember a neighbor woman coming out of her home to get her paper and she didn't realize there was black ice. She fell down the driveway and I remember getting blankets or calling 911.
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 7:20pm UTC
Yep, you're right Toni. They were running out of their houses onto major roads to ice skate on the road. A real hazard. But they say.....when in Rome. Ha! Although our street at least wasn't a major road. Those people were nuts. I barely remember the woman, though. How odd.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 7:31pm UTC
Did you ever see anyone slip & fall on the ice & hurt themself, but they looked so comical falling that you couldn't stop yourself from laughing? Then you had to apologize for laughing & help them up...
Toni V. Jan 20, 2011, 7:52pm UTC
Actually, I do kind of remember my brother and I chuckling until we realized she was really hurt.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 8:00pm UTC
They look so funny going down with arms & legs flailing that it's hard to supress a laugh, because you remember the same thing happening to you.....
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 8:33pm UTC
Does slipping on oil while on crutches count? I did that. It freaked Toni out terribly. No one stopped to help me up or to see if I was hurt. I fell hard. BUT.....I laughed at myself. Better laugh than cry, and it had to be a comical fall.
Toni V. Jan 20, 2011, 8:49pm UTC
Oh yeah. Right after she broke her ankle and we were trying to get her some meds. It did freak me out. I could feel her pain! It still makes me cringe. LOL.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 9:07pm UTC
Yeah, maybe not so funny. It's cool that you were able to laugh at yourself though, Tanya. That's a precious trait for anyone to have, LOL.
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 9:15pm UTC
Toni was SO mad at me for laughing. I think to this day she feels my pain from that day. Of course she was mad at me when we picked her up right after I'd broken it and on the way to the hospital. I was playing volleyball, had jumped, twisted in mid-air to succeed in a great spike, then landed before my body finished the twist. Everyone heard the 2 snaps. I made them get me some ice for the ankle and then finish the game. I sat there rooting my side on. It was a neighbor's church group and I was told I got a great write-up in the newsletter. Toni seemed to think I should have been taken to the hospital right away.

Okay, I'm way off topic now. Sorry.
Toni V. Jan 20, 2011, 9:55pm UTC
LOL. I think I was mad at the time for you laughing but I think it relaxed me because I really didn't know what to do. Yes I was upset about you not going directly to the hospital but I do know my mom. Ha! What scared me the most was you coming down the apartment steps on crutches. Ugh!

Oooooh, we did get away from "winter driving" didn't we? LOL. Oops.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 9:56pm UTC
No, interesting. That old competitive Tanya spirit, LOL.
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 3:54am UTC
I still have it, Jim, but it's slower to show up as I'm aging.
;^(
Susan G. Jan 20, 2011, 8:07am UTC
I live near St. Louis where people take great pride in their lack of driving skills so I normally stay home during bad weather. I would complain more about their lousy driving but I regard it as stimulating the economy. Every wreck helps wrecking crews, auto repair shops, body part shops, car rental agencies, new car dealers, medical suppliers, and the occasional funeral home.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 8:52am UTC
Hah! I guess that every cloud has a silver lining huh, Susan? It improves the gene pool, too. I lived in Cahokia for four years after having lived in Minnesota. Shortly after we moved there, the St. Louis area had about four inches of snow. It amazed my that all of the schools closed for days, & that the few drivers on the road all had chains on their tires. You would have thought that they got hit by a blizzard, LOL.
Cathi L. Jan 21, 2011, 11:17am UTC
I remember that area. I lived in St. Charles, MO, for a few years, and we got a lot of snow then but they seemed to clean up pretty fast. I've also lived in Michigan, Massachusetts, Virginia, Georgia, Illinois, all places with snow. I'm between Baton Rouge and New Orleans now and we got a whopping two inches of snow all at once last year. THAT was treated like a blizzard! I had a hair appointment that morning and when I drove out there, the place was closed. Every place was closed. Schools closed early. The roads were too warm for the snow to stick so they were just wet but people were driving 10 mph on highways because they just weren't used to seeing snow. I got a real kick out of it until I was behind someone and wanted to get home! Uh!
Susan G. Jan 21, 2011, 5:03pm UTC
I feel the exact same way about cell phones and those who text while driving. If only more people would text while driving, the auto industry would boom! I don't worry overmuch about the funeral industry - they are recession proof already.
Jim G. Jan 21, 2011, 7:46pm UTC
I have almost been run off the Interstate TWICE by someone with a cell phone plastered to their left (Blind spot) ear, Susan.

Have you seen the TV clip showing a woman walking in a mall who was texting & walked right into a pool of water? It's hilarious. She's suing the mall for not coming to her rescue promptly.

Re funeral industry being recession-proof - Hah!
Susan G. Jan 21, 2011, 7:56pm UTC
People with cell phones drive me nuts. I loathed serving them when I was a cashier and cannot understand why they would try to conduct business while nattering nonsense. And don't even get me started on the evil they do while attempting what purports to be driving.

Yes, I saw that video of the woman in the pool. There's nothing like being the fool of the nation, is there? It must be tough to not be able to walk and talk at the same time.
Cathi L. Jan 21, 2011, 8:14pm UTC
It must be tough to not be able to walk and talk at the same time.

Ooo! You're good! :D
Susan G. Jan 21, 2011, 8:20pm UTC
Sorry, sometimes I let my catty side rule my head.
No horror here in the Outback of Kansas, I have a long uphill driveway on the three acre rancho, and by the time I can get up the hill to go anywhere, the roads are all clear. We just got another eight inches yesterday, so I'm probably stuck here for a couple days.....sigh. Buddy already has cabin fever.
Now a few years back, when I lived in Arvada, and worked in Denver, that was demolition derby. First snow, I called in sick, if I could, by the second, everyone got sane again, like you said....
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 9:04am UTC
Patti Beagle says "I hear ya, Buddy. I've got cabin fever big time, too. My dummy don't walk me 'til the snow melts. He still takes me for drives, but he won't roll down the co-pilot window for me....." How do you get that long driveway plowed? Got attachments for your zero-turn lawnmower? That would be a sight to see.....
Naw, the new deathtrap takes a back seat to the old deathtrap on snow removal. Ive got an ancient Kabota garden tractor with a front hydraulic blade on it, but the clutch doesn't disengage, once you start moving, so it makes life (and near death, at times) interesting, lol. Doesn't help much though, it wont take things down to the gravel. If you adjust the stops down far enough to take all the snow off, you just get get yourself stuck when it bites into the ground at all, so it just takes it down far enough to let things melt a little sooner.
Buddy is so short, I couldn't walk him in this, Id have to swim him. I hate having to shovel a path and an area for him to do his business, but I hate inside messes, more, lol.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 5:33pm UTC
People would pay good cash to watch you mow the lawn or plow the driveway to see how long you could stay on the bucking machines. I'll be your agent. (20%) We could set up bleachers. It would be more entertaining than going to a rodeo to watch those sissies stay on a bucking bronco. I'm working on an advertising campaign right now....
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 5:35pm UTC
Hey, take Buddy to the top of the driveway, then roll him down. Do this a few times and you'll just have huge snowballs at the bottom of your drive. I'm sure Buddy would get a thrill out of this. (Hey, Buddy is already mad at me about the cat thing.)
You aren't helping your cause, Tanya, you got one giant snort for that, lol.
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 7:21pm UTC
Uh-oh, snorts can't be good. Wonder if he'll send me to the cathouse? (That's sure a different connotation the doghouse, huh?)
My border mix, Arlo, is not a snow dog. Out to do his business and back in. I don't know if his former people kept him outside, but this big wuss doesn't even like to get mud on his paws. He tries to use the stepping stones in the back yard when it rains. Prissiest dog I've ever seen that weighed more than 10 pounds.

My chow mix, Buffy, has to stand out in the back yard and bark at the huge dog next door for 20 minutes. Comes in covered in snow. She's 10 1/2 years old now so I guess she knows what she's doing.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 10:09pm UTC
Patti Beagle is my thermometer. If she stays out on the patio for more than a minute, it's not cold out. If she just sticks her nose out the door, it's colder than hell....
Tanya, I insist that if he sends anyone to the cathouse, it be me ;o)
But you already know how noble I am, always willing to take one for the team and all ;o)
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 4:00am UTC
Ha! I've learned how noble you are when there's a great payoff for you. But, what if you get there and there are no kitties to play with, just the butch madam of the house? (Keeping it family rated.) Gonna have fun then??

I'm thinking about sending Buddy a greeting card ("I'm Sorry") and put a dog treat in it, then mail it to him. A little bribe to get back in his good graces. That'll require you sending me your mailing address; privately, of course.
I am wounded to the quick, lol
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 8:51pm UTC
;^( ......sorry (ouch, bit that tongue in my cheek)
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 5:38pm UTC
That's good thinking outside the box, Tanya. WAY outside, LOL.
Tanya P. Jan 20, 2011, 7:22pm UTC
I'll take that as a compliment, Jim-Jack. I'm not too often that close to the box.
Toni V. Jan 20, 2011, 7:52pm UTC
LOL! Agreed!
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 10:12pm UTC
It's fun to see a mom & daughter have such great rapport.
Whut I wants tu kno is hoo let hur out uf thu boxt in thu firstust plaec?
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 4:02am UTC
No one let me out, Buddy. I chewed my way out, just like I knew you, my hero, would have done. (No brown nosing there.)
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 4:12am UTC
Jim-Jack, I'm glad you notice and enjoy the deep friendship Toni and I have. It's always been that way, even when she was a baby. It's great now to be interacting friends as adults. We used to laugh so much, to the point we couldn't stop and it hurt, and tears flowed. And as soon as we managed to stop and take in a few deep breaths the laughter would start all over again. -- Yes, we DO have great rapport. I am blessed with it. --- So, when are you coming to visit us and join in on our silliness, Jim? If Patti Beagle is good with other dogs and a cat, she'll fit right in. Bring your bird, too.

And before I tell my daughter what I'm planning, I think we should have Ron and Buddy come and stay with us, too.

HEY TONI! I'm making plans for your place; bringing Jim and Ron over to Payson (and their animal buddies) to visit and play cards with us; stay with us, we can make room.
Toni V. Jan 21, 2011, 8:57am UTC
I have lots of room! That would be a blast!
Jim G. Jan 21, 2011, 9:47am UTC
I'm game! Patti Beagle loves company. Can't bring the bird though - Patti Beagle ate her a long time ago, LOL.
I would love that, but Buddy is not so social, especially where cats are concerned, he took quite a nose scratching when I had the kitten, and he's alternately scared and fascinated by other dogs, as he's never been around them much. I'm not sure that would work out for him, but you guys should do it, definitely.
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 8:55pm UTC
Patti ate the bird? I thought they were pals?

Bummer, Ron. Toni's pugs would be pretty insistent about Buddy playing with them. The cat would ignore him, unless he harassed her.
Jim G. Jan 21, 2011, 9:21pm UTC
I thought they were pals, too. One night the bird hid behind my entertainment center, & when I looked for her the mext morning, all I found was a wing & some feathers, & a guilty looking Patti.....
Yeah, Tanya, Buddy was a super little runt, and I think he caught a lot of flack from the bros and sisters as a puppy, then I brought him here, and he hasnt been around other dogs much at all, living out here in the country, so I dont think he knows how to relate to other dogs. He always wants to go meet them, then when they show any interest in him, he runs away. You know how dogs are if something runs away, and there we go again. Hes a dog society wus. That chiwawa puppy had him running all over to get away from him
So Patti had bird for midnight snackage, huh? Bummer, dude. Maybe the bird took a dive before she got to it, though?
Tanya P. Jan 21, 2011, 10:53pm UTC
Ah........poor birdie. Bet you were surprised!
Jim G. Jan 21, 2011, 11:29pm UTC
The damn bird bit my fingers everytime I tried to take her out of the cage & let her fly around. She'd walk around on the floor & Patti would nudge her. I don't really miss the bird - no personality. I ain't a bird guy.....
Well, Patti was a bird girl, looks like, lol. I think she wants you to buy another one, maybe a lot of other ones, like three times a day ;o)
A beagle can not live on mice alone, you know ;o)
Jim G. Jan 22, 2011, 6:55am UTC
Damn dog goes out in the snowbanks & buries her nose in the snow like she's hunting something. What could she be looking for? I give up trying to figure her out.....
Shes checking out the pee mail, who's been here, what did they doody, and where do I have to go to mask their scent? Kind of like the internet for dogs, don't you think?
Jim G. Jan 24, 2011, 6:28pm UTC
Makes sense to me.....
Tanya P. Jan 25, 2011, 2:27pm UTC
And she doesn't even have to log in to download it.
Jim G. Jan 25, 2011, 4:13pm UTC
"Download"? Hah! Very good, Tanya.
Tanya P. Jan 25, 2011, 4:22pm UTC
HeeHee. Glad you caught it.
Buddy downloaded a few logs to my floor yesterday, the little chit.
Jim G. Jan 25, 2011, 5:09pm UTC
Bathroom humor. What do you two want to be when you grow up?
Who says you have to grow up? Life is a bowl of hot steaming grote clusters, dive in!
Jim G. Jan 25, 2011, 9:18pm UTC
What the hell. Why not?
Tanya P. Jan 25, 2011, 9:20pm UTC
Yeah, what's with the growing up part?

HeeeHee........."...downloaded a few logs...."

and..............eeewwwwwwwwwwwwww to the other.
Jim G. Jan 25, 2011, 9:27pm UTC
If I promise to be good, can I play with you guys? And promise not to pick me last for your team?
Tanya P. Jan 25, 2011, 10:25pm UTC
It's okay with me. Ron?? --- I play favorites so you'd have to be my first pick.
I get Pattie then, I know she can take him out any time she wants
Hot steaming grote clusters is from a Firesign Theater album, I guess you haven't heard of them?
Tanya P. Jan 25, 2011, 11:17pm UTC
No I'm not. Sounds like I might be missing something interesting; or gross, maybe both.

Okay, Jim-Jack. Don't let the team down.
You are missing out, but its kind of a camp thing, some people get lost in their routine pretty easy, it goes kind of fast, with a thousand jokes running in the background, as well as foreground.
Jim G. Jan 28, 2011, 7:15pm UTC
Up here in MN it's eating lutefisk during the holidays. They get all boozed up & eat it, forgetting for a minute that it's fish soaked in lye. I never got drunk enough to try it. In TX, it's eating pinto beans during the holidays for luck in the New Year. I ate ONE bean ONCE. Grote clusters? I don't know what's in 'em. & I don't wanna know....
regina guthrey Jan 20, 2011, 8:48pm UTC
Thank God you got home safe!!!


Hope you got everything you need so you can stay home safe.


Have a great day
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 9:53pm UTC
Thanks, regina. You have a good one, too.
Here in central Ohio, it's been snowing for about 12 hours straight. Had to brush about half an inch of snow off my car about 11:30 AM to drive to work. Roads were covered, but there were tracks to drive in. Didn't take much longer than usual to drive the 2 1/2 miles to work.

Flash forward to 7 PM. Go out to the parking lot and have about 4 inches of snow on my car. Clear that off and see that the street crews have taken the day off. Luckily there wasn't much traffic in the city at that hour. Roads in the city completely covered, though the buses are running. Takes 30 minutes to get home.

One co-worker checked his cell phone app for traffic updates his way. The route was covered with red dots indicating accidents. He figured it would take about an hour plus to do his 30 minute drive.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 10:04pm UTC
Hope it's better by tomorrow AM. We won't be getting any snow tonight in the Twin Cities, because the temp is supposed to hit between 15 & 20 degrees BELOW zero. :^(
We're looking at winds tonight and 10 below all day tomorrow. I'm not going to work. I don't usually go in on Friday anyway. We've got a couple of semi-feral cats that live on the front porch. They have heating pads that are weight activated and I can hardly get them to come out of their house to eat. Tomorrow is going to be a real test of those heating pads.
Jim G. Jan 20, 2011, 10:56pm UTC
Didn't think it got that cold over your way. Those cats probably have a thick coat of fur built up by now. Just so they're out of the wind. Enjoy your 3-day weekend.
We go into the deep freeze in January and maybe catch a break in late February for a few days before round two.

Three day weekends rock.

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