Fall Weather 2023

Campgottagopee said:
That's exactly how I learned to drive

Modern day vehicles create lazy drivers, imo.
Click to expand...
All the electronic nannies have taken all the fun out of winter driving. I don't think it's possible to learn winter driving skills in a modern car, at least it isn't the way I did, running my Biscayne off the Taconic.

I'm a big fan of snow tires. I had several jobs that required driving all over Upstate, including the Adirondacks and Catskills, and Southern Vermont. Missing appointments were often an excuse for people to blow all my deadlines. I think I had a reputation for always being on time regardless of weather. If I made the trip from Albany to Massena or Syracuse, all the locals had to be there as well. Snow tires were important in the winter.

The worst part of the drive is usually getting out if my neighborhood. I've been on line when the lifts open hundreds of times, and sometimes riding the chair before it was open to the public, but I've never been to a ski area before the access roads and parking lots were plowed. If all I had to do was drive to work in town I wouldn't bother with snow tires. You're just gonna be stuck in traffic like everyone else anyway. With bald tires maybe you hit the guy in front of you, with snow tires maybe the guy behind hits you.

OTOH The Woman Of My Dreams is a very nervous winter driver, and she has a job where she has to show up on time. I could drive her to work, but then I might miss a powder day. So, two sets of Blizzaks for us, just in the hope of big day at Gore. That's totally worth it to me. YMMV

mm
 
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Campgottagopee said:
That's exactly how I learned to drive

Modern day vehicles create lazy drivers, imo.
Click to expand...
arp, i suspect part of your driving skills, like mine come from learning how to drive on snow with big old boats with V8s, rear wheel drive, no ABS or Tracton Control and Bias ply snowtires on the rear wheels only.

And I forgot to mention in addition to the above, back then, NYS did not use 100% salt and did not have a "bare road" policy. So we also had the added bonus of packed snow and ice on roads at times and even ruts.
 
One time I was driving in the rain in some traffic. At one point I had a semi on my right and a guard rail on the left, with no shoulder. I was trying to get past the truck, but I guess he didn't see me, or maybe was clueless. He starts moving into my lane and my only option was slam on the breaks and hope I didn't get rear ended.

More accurately, it was the only option that occurred to me. Maybe I could have speeded up to get ahead, or even honked. Whatev, I did what I did and got very lucky.

The car slowed way down in a perfect and straight line, and I could tell there was a ton of computer guidance keeping the car from sliding or getting sideways. You could feel the anti-lock brakes being applied in a custom way on each wheel.

I was scared as shit, but knew my sorry a$$ had been saved by technology.
 
Last time that happened to me I laid on the horn and floored it. My son, who I was in the midst of teaching to be a cautious, responsible driver, and had the semi trying to merge into his lap in the passenger seat, looked at me and was like “jeez, I thought you were gonna hit the brakes but instead you decided to assert your dominance.” I found that funny. Not sure if it was a good or bad example for him as a new driver though
 
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