EricW Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 An open letter to all the morons without a grasp of high-school physics: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Moron, It is snowing. The roads are slick. So, why on God's green earth do you insist on braking AFTER you're driving in the corner? If you're carrying too much speed, you're screwed anyway. All braking is going to do is make you fly off tangent to the path you're travelling. This would all be academic if not for the fact that your total incompetence is screwing over me and the ten people behind me who actually know how to drive. Do your braking BEFORE you are in the corner! Got it? Excellent. I'm so happy we've come to terms on this. Now get the hell out of my way. Yours Truly, Eric Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kimel Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 But but but...these new fangled anti-lock brakes and all wheel drive on my $45K SUV make me immune from the laws of physics! Don't they? Sheesh. Oh well...at least they probably have a DVD and game system to use while they await the tow truck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted January 2, 2004 Author Share Posted January 2, 2004 I will say this about the new SUV's - my buddy's Tahoe just rocks in the snow. The electronic 4WD is the best system I've ever seen for preventing power induced skids. It won't do squat on a corner with black ice at 50 MPH, but what it does do is damned impressive. It's better than my Subaru - which heretofore I swore was the best AWD system on the planet. Now, as for that dumb brunette in the Oldsmobile from Florida who pounded her brakes all the way down 4th of July pass - bad JuJu on you!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
diehli Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Bahahahaha... one of my peeves, too! Slow in, fast out, dammit! No trail-braking in the snow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBF Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 Snow ? you expect them to drive well in the snow ? Most of the truly moronic drivers can't even manage rain. And some can't even manage dry pavement. I won't go on for fear of really getting started... Travis F. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
D.Hayden Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 I also like all the SUV (& all other 4WD's too) owners that think 4WD and snow tires = chains. Then going up to ski in the morning, end up in the snow bank, the first time they hit an ice patch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
warpspeed Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 EricW, Since I have an very good grasp of physics, I'd love to join in this snow driving conversation but since I live in SoCal, I'd better just stay out of it However, when it rains here, I usually take the day off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 2, 2004 Share Posted January 2, 2004 On one hand I'm going to give the folks here in Eugene TONS of credit for the caution they display when things go sub-freezing here... which is only occasionally. Lots of major slowing down, lots of space between vehicles, lots of people just choosing NOT to drive in it at all. Granted, there are some people who HAVE to drive, have honest little accidents while trying, or can't help having to get from Point-A to Point-B in bad conditions, but for the most part we're a gracious lot who pay attention to what's needed. And boy, am I grateful. But I'll tell ya', all it takes is ONE LONE IDIOT (or a couple of them) to mess up a LOT OF PEOPLE with their ignorant driving practices, lack of common sense, no knowledge of the laws of physics (a major shortcoming, I heartily agree!!), or too intoxicated to know the freakin' difference. It's even the HONEST accidents, though, that tax our community services to bits. They can happen all at once and put the system on overload for hours and hours... and if there's even the romote hint of a power failure during any of this, well... kiss your life-of-convenience goodbye. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loves2Shoot Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 SIg, I drove from Eugene to Salem on Monday for work 20+ drivers in the ditch in the 60 mile stretch I say them better in the ditch than on the road Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 With alot of vehicles now having directional stability control systems, we are going to see a lot more dumbasses trying to take corners faster than physically possible. Hopefully Darwin will sort them out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErikW Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 I used to travel Highway 20 a lot between Donner and Nevada City. It's a twisty 2-lane road that connects to I-80. Every single vehicle I saw off in a ditch or up against a tree, and I saw a lot of them, was an SUV or a pickup, presumably all 4WD. Not a single one of any kind of other vehicle, including Subarus, Quattros, or other car-like AWD/4WD vehicles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MBaneACP Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 In Colorado, apparently the WEATHER WORLD COMMAND sends a special message out to drivers when snow is in the forecast: "GO FASTER! GET HOME QUICKER! HURRY HURRY! DON'T WORRY, BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT AN SUV!!!" Well, I've got an SUV, too, and you can NEVER BEAT PHYSICS 101!!!! Never, as in not ever! Whew! Glad I got that out of my system. Got 6 inches of snow yesterday and a few more predicted for today. It was like a demo derby out there yesterday (jeeeez, like it's never snowed here before!). I was lucky enough to take a week-long ice driving class up in Montreal a couple of years back for a magazine article. If you get a chance, take one immediately! It has been amazingly useful. Michael B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SiG Lady Posted January 3, 2004 Share Posted January 3, 2004 Loves2Shoot-- The Interstate-5 roadway doesn't count. It's IN TOWN that they're cool. Get 'em out there on the freeway and they think they're in a slot-car and aren't going to hit anything. Any vehicular speed over 20 mph on snowy or slippery roads/straighaways is about the point where they screw up and start forgetting the physics lessons. And, of course, by then it's too late. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EricW Posted January 4, 2004 Author Share Posted January 4, 2004 I used to travel Highway 20 a lot between Donner and Nevada City. It's a twisty 2-lane road that connects to I-80. Every single vehicle I saw off in a ditch or up against a tree, and I saw a lot of them, was an SUV or a pickup, presumably all 4WD. Not a single one of any kind of other vehicle, including Subarus, Quattros, or other car-like AWD/4WD vehicles. But back in '93 when I worked in N. Idaho and lived in WA state, I used to do a bit of commuting on the interstate. One afternoon the freezing rain came in droves. The sides of the highway looked eerily similar to the road going out of Kuwait during Gulf I. There were SUV's EVERYWHERE - most of them overturned and seriously f'ed up. I lost count after a dozen. Our typical problem drivers are here moron rednecks and relocated Californians. Surprisingly, both think their cars can do the driving for them. Fortunately for me, like most rural residents, my Dad had me driving on ice very early on. By the time I was 15, getting out of a skid was second nature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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