January 19th, 2012 at 2:12 PM ^
My theory on the Hampton Roads area: because of the massive Navy presence, there are drivers from all over the country: Texas, NYC, Atlanta, Michigan, whatever, and therefore it's a mishmash of driving styles. Like, if you're in New Jersey, you know you're gonna get run over if you drive 55, because they all drive like maniacs. But in the Norfolk area, you put all these different people together (none of whom know anything about snow) and it's crazy.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:18 PM ^
It has a huge military presence with the Army and Air Force having bases in the area as well.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:27 PM ^
They can't drive in Fairfax either. Just wait. Snow flurries, which barely stuck to grassy surfaces, messed up the whole region.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:44 PM ^
I am well aware of that already. I am lucky though, I don't have to drive on any major highways to get from home to work.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:25 PM ^
I was about to ask how you weren't tased on the spot.... then I re-read the "Actually" part.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:03 AM ^
January 19th, 2012 at 11:24 AM ^
I'm not sure 30 degree air in Seattle is any more moist than 30 degree air in Michigan. I will give you the hills, but my brother moved out there from Michigan and he laughs at everyone because they are so terrible at driving in the snow.
January 19th, 2012 at 12:57 PM ^
I've been driving in snow my entire life, including three years in the Rockies, which made Ann Arbor look like a warmup act for serious snow. I have no clue how even a four wheel drive vehicle could negotiate some of the hills in Seattle which match San Francisco for their pitch. Add wet snow to the equation, drivers who are clueless and minimal ability to clear or salt and Seattle must have been a real joy.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:17 AM ^
January 19th, 2012 at 11:28 AM ^
Car Pile Up brought to you by Funny Jokes
Loved how the moron decides to just bail out of the car and almost gets run over by the one behind.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:31 AM ^
Why are people bailing out of their cars before they crash? They are obviously more safe in a car that is about to hit something at 10 mph than on a slippery road and you may be able to you know, actually prevent the fender bender if you are still in the car... common sense is at a premium these days apparently.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:53 AM ^
and they closed schools. The only people on the road were relocated yankees and people who have no idea (and its obvious). We get ice storms here sometimes that are dangerous and a little more extreme than those in Michigan, but the main problem is when people who don't have a clue take to the roads. My dad tought me how to drive in the snow, we basically went into a vast empty parking lot and slid around (practicing counter steering and avoiding the brakes) until I had it down. My gf is a southernor, and freaks out that I drive the speed limit in snow . . . the looks of terror and wailing are pretty entertaining.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:46 AM ^
I have lived in Northern California, Traverse City, Ann Arbor, Minnesota, and Arkansas. Every state says our ice storms are worse, out snow is slicker (hilarious), or the best one is we get more snow. Snow is snow and the great lakes give off more humidity than the state can handle. If you live in Western Michigan you get lake effect snow nightly it seems. Ann Arbor doesn't get a ton of snow like the West Coast or U.P. Don't be an idiot, simply slow down. A front wheel drive car will smoke a 4WD truck anytime on a couple inches of snow. I am done venting.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:52 AM ^
I live in Seattle. I grew up in NE and spent plenty of winters in Michigan.
Blaming Seattle drivers for their lack of snow driving skills is a bit naive. I doubt anyone from Michigan would have a clue about driving around here during a snowstorm. There are streets in downtown Seattle that are literally steeper and longer than ski slopes in Michigan. Add to that there are limited number of plows and more importantly, deicers and salters, the streets are impassable even for the most skilled snow drivers.
Today is even worse as freezing rain has turned the street into ice rinks.
I shudder to think what damage Michigan folks who have never really seen hills would do in this environment...
January 19th, 2012 at 11:56 AM ^
A 45 degree angle there is much steeper than in Northern Michigan.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:57 PM ^
Who's never driven on the sidestreets west of Michigan Stadium in a snow storm.
January 19th, 2012 at 6:26 PM ^
Spent my first 24 years in Ann Arbor before moving to the Seattle area and I want to slap 9 out of 10 drivers I encounter.
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<br>I have been driving around the area just fine these last couple days in my little GLI and only ran into an issue with my driveway last night. Driven around Bothell, Kirkland, Bellevue, and Seattle with no issue. It's the idiots that don't understand how to change lane or think its wise to hit up Queen Ann hill that just need to avoid the roads. Plus these people can hardly drive in the sun or rain.
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January 19th, 2012 at 11:52 AM ^
Environmental laws in that part of the country don't allow them to use any of the fancy deicing stuff that really works, they are stuck with sand. It makes it a lot harder to get rid of the refreeze type stuff.
January 19th, 2012 at 11:55 AM ^
Fair points. But it's way more fun to make fun. So I'm going to do that instead.
January 19th, 2012 at 12:19 PM ^
Lived a block from there, and there were several occasions when cars going up State stopped at the light at Hill, and couldn't make it up State due to icy conditions.
However, vacationing in Colorado the last several years, I can't even imagine driving on some of those roads in snow and ice without 4 wheel drive and chains on the tires. We were on dirt Forest Service roads, where the drop was frightening in the summer. Can't imagine what it'd be like in the Winter.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:02 PM ^
What a pleasure to read a post marked OT and not find a couple dozen whiners complaining that the post is OT.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:22 PM ^
Wah wah...this post is off topic...
Wah wah...
January 19th, 2012 at 1:32 PM ^
Have you ever been to Seattle? It's built on the side of a fucking mountain. Any little coating of snow, and the whole city shuts down.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:51 PM ^
ha I live in Seattle. and its not as bad as the locals make it out to be. there ARE a lot of hills, but people here just have no idea how to drive, whether there's snow on the ground or not.
January 19th, 2012 at 2:07 PM ^
My second Cool Story Bro of the thread, as relates to Seattle drivers. I lived in Everett for a year and a half (you get around in the Navy.) My parents came for a visit one time, and rented a car at SeaTac and drove up to my apartment to meet me. When my dad saw me, his first words were not "hi son" or "how was your day at work" or "good to see you," they were, "What the hell is the matter with people in this town???" I said "lemme guess, your drive from the airport sucked because everyone in the left lane was doing 50." "Yeah, how did you know?" Because that's how they roll up here, Dad.
Later on, in Montana no less, I got to the top of a mountain on the freeway and saw, in the distance, a lone vehicle in the left lane. 20 minutes later I passed it on the right, since it never left the left lane. Washington plate. Seattle drivers: RRRRGGGGHHHH. Not the worst I've seen, but they have that one really, really, really bad habit.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:38 PM ^
does it really help to put chains on the rear tires of a fwd car?! That's funny. Reminds me of an old Chevette I'd see in my home town back in my hs days that had the back end jacked with big tires like a muscle car. Stupid is as stupid does.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:44 PM ^
Oh man, I hope all these years in Florida have not made me drive like these clowns in the snow. I used to make the trudge in a FWD Ford Windstar minivan all the way to school on unplowed roads. The best part was the 1 mile subdivision road in 8" of fresh. Good times.
January 19th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^
If you think some of these videos are bad, check out this massive pileup on a busy hill in Colorado Springs. If I remember, this storm hit about 3 pm, leading to a somewhat crazy rush hour.
If someone with better embed skills could post this, that would be awesome
January 19th, 2012 at 2:56 PM ^
seems like I try to embed differently every time and never get it right.
January 19th, 2012 at 4:45 PM ^
for the help. Glad to hear I wasn't the only one having trouble embedding.
January 19th, 2012 at 3:35 PM ^
Living in Michigan, I think we are at least in part steeled by having to drive on what one Lawrence Tech professor rightly termed the hands-down worst-kept roads in the country. Or at least the mainland; Alaska's might not be that great.
January 19th, 2012 at 5:59 PM ^
....is that it fills in the potholes on my drive to work and actually makes the experience a far better one.
If you're not familiar with the area, I always recommend that people take a drive down I-696 between about Southfield and Warren to get a real taste of ballsy winter driving Michigan style. No shoulders and sporadic tunnels in Oak Park making doing 40 MPH on ice in an SUV an intriguing experience, to say the least. The same applies to the Lodge from about Eight Mile and all the way to nearly downtown Detroit. Some folks trying to get to work play a automotive version of the old Star Wars: Pod Racer game that they had for N64.