Je hate le Winter...
This weekend I rented a car to go to my parent's house, which is two hours and a half from where I live. I don't usually drive, so I was kind of nervous, but the drive up went well, even though sometimes, when I braked the car kind of slided (slid? sp?) a little bit from side to side. At the time, I thought it was because I was driving a new car and I wasn't used to it, so I drove carefully and I didn't have any problems. However, I happened to drove my mother's car also this weekend and I didn't have this problem, I didn't feel as if I would do a donut every time I braked. I told that to my mom and she said that it's probably because they were 4 seasons wheels, and they didn't have much traction.
When I went back home in Moncton, I got caught in a storm where I could barely see anything, because of that I didn't follow my speed limit, I drove slower, and I noticed that most cars were doing the same thing anyways. I still had to drive very far from the car behind me, because I couldn't brake correctly. And making my stops were hell, because I had to slow down long before, otherwise I would just slide further after braking. At this point, I knew there was something wrong with the car, not just the fact that I'm a unexperienced driver. Anyways, back in the Moncton area, I missed and exit and decided to turn in this residential road, so I could go back. I was driving at 20km/h, very slowly, but the road was going down, so my car drove faster than it should've and when I tried to brake, the car basically did what it wanted and I drove into a snow bank and I got myself jacked up real bad. It took 6 nice men to take it out. I was not hurt physically, just my ego was bruised. But while the gentlemen were pushing and shoveling under the car (I was on the phone with the rental company at this point), they told me that the wheels were really used up and they thought that it shouldn't even be on the road. They managed to get it out and me, stupid me, instead of demanding another car to be sent to me, I just thanked the guys like a thousand times and went back with the car. It was hell driving up to this point because the roads were even worse and I was nervous that something broke on the car. (I checked and didn't see anything wrong, but it's just me).
I'm going to the rental place today to tell them how unhappy I am. I may not be an experienced driver, but I'm not a reckless driver. There really was something wrong with this car! And the fact that I don't usually drive was not a good mix. When I called my mother later on, she was so pissed, she told me that I should demand to not be charged. I said that I would see what I could do, but I'm not sure that's how it works. I don't mind paying the fee, but I brought the car yesterday and I couldn't find the box in which I was supposed to put the keys back in, so I could demand to not be charged another day. I'm so not used to this, but hey, I definitely learned from my mistake.
What about you, any winter horror stories?
Not as horrible as that! Sorry Mel :(
On Saturday we had a really bad snowstorm and as luck would have it, I had to pick someone up at the airport during the worst part! So, I left an hour before the flight got in, and I kept sliding off of the road. I am a good snow driver, and this was just too much, so I started crying and headed home. Then I hopped into the 4 wheel drive car and it was better, but still bad. Several times I felt as if I might slide out on the highways (which are normally nicely plowed, but I guess the snow was coming down too fast for even them to keep up) but I made it in one piece... frazzled, but ok. Interestingly, the planes were only delayed about 15 minutes. It was amazing to see them taking off and landing in the snow. So I had a reprieve because it took forever for the luggage to make it's way to the carousel, and then I dreaded having to do it all over again, but the drive back was significantly better; the roads were plowed more, the snow had stopped falling as fast.
I took an hour-long nap when I got home. Must have been the anxiety. ;)
What about you, any winter horror stories?
Nope, this is my winter:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/Random/medsandkey3.jpg
Stories like yours are part of the reason I choose not to live anywhere near the snow.
Je hate you.
Just kidding.
I just spoke with a man from the company and he told me that when the car would "shimmy" what I should have done was to spray the snow/ice off the tires. Wow, amazing, so I should have just stopped several times during my trip to take the snow out of the tires. ::)
Je hate les cars.
I just spoke with a man from the company and he told me that when the car would "shimmy" what I should have done was to spray the snow/ice off the tires.
That's crap.
eta: IMO.
Yes, that's total bollocks. Agreed.
I just got new snow tires. Thank god. I felt like I was riding in a death machine before I got them.
I just spoke with a man from the company and he told me that when the car would "shimmy" what I should have done was to spray the snow/ice off the tires.
That's crap.
eta: IMO.
That's what I think too. I'm going to the place in a few minutes, I'll talk to them some more. He told me that all of their cars were like that! I mean, how safe is that?
Boo. IMO.
I have one! One time my Mom had asked me to drive her to one of her professor's houses (she was working on her doctorate- a lifelong dream.) When we left the house it had been a cold drizzling rain- miserable but not freezing. It took about 15 min. to get there. I was driving up the tallest hill in town when the cold front really hit. The road literally turned into black ice in front of me, and I wasn't going fast enough to keep my momentum going up the hill, so I started sliding backwards. There were cars behind me trying to keep up their own momentum, and I couldn't stop. I managed to back the car into someone's front yard, and the other cars were able to go around me. Fortunately Mom's professor was nearby, and I made her walk from there. Needless to say, I was shaking as I sat with the car parked in some stranger's front yard.
Of course, if it hadn't been for one of those sudden winter experiences that Northwest Arkansas is famous for, I probably would have never hooked up with my sweet, sweet husband...
but that's another story ^-^
Oooh... for the husband story. In my case, the man who helped me out were all very handsome, but judging by the place where they lived (very family-oriented), I doubt that one of them would become my husband anytime soon.
What about you, any winter horror stories?
Nope, this is my winter:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/Random/medsandkey3.jpg
Stories like yours are part of the reason I choose not to live anywhere near the snow.
Same here. ;)
Although I just spent a couple of weeks in New England and it was absolutely horrible. I couldn't get warm!!!
What about you, any winter horror stories?
Nope, this is my winter:
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii85/Stormflakes/Random/medsandkey3.jpg
Stories like yours are part of the reason I choose not to live anywhere near the snow.
Ditto!!
In bad weather there are several things you should do. Drive slowly. If your renting a car, pick one that is at the very least front wheel drive if not four wheel. When braking do so with plenty of time and pump them gently. By that I mean even with anti lock breaks step on the break just enough to feel it slow then release, then step down more than the prior time and release. Do this until you are stopped.
When you are driving in wintery weather know that accelerating will cause the non drive end to shimmy. Thus if it is rear wheel the front will slide and if its front the back will slide. Simply let off the gas only enough to stop the slide but not enough to stop momentum.
Your best bet is to have a 1970's car to drive in horrible weather. Preferably an all metal type tank like a '79 Impala. Thats what I drove in North Dakota winters for four years with no problem.
*hugs* Its never fun to drive in bad weather!
i think you should bring up the fact that you called the company while the car was being dug out and someone flat out TOLD you they thought the car shouldn't even be used at all... that is, if you didn't already bring that up. cuz that's total bull. and if ALL their cars do that, it's definately not safe for them to be renting them out in that kind of weather. they're just begging to get sued when someone actually gets seriously hurt.
oh well, good luck.
a few weeks ago we had a bad snowstorm up here in upstate ny and i was so excited my job actually gave us a snowday about 3 hours after i got to work (and paid us for a full day of work! i love working for verizon wireless hah), but the snow was so bad that the main roads were packed with snow, it was taking people a good 20 minutes to even dig out their cars in the parking lot at work, and i was afraid my car wouldn't be able to back out since i'm lazy and all i did was brush off my car. but i've got a santa fe so it was all good, and i usually take the backroads home since it's faster but as soon as i turned onto the first road i was like "this was a big mistake" because they don't get plowed and there was about a foot of snow to drive through.
i've got those anti lock brake things so when i start to slide the brakes pump themselves for me, but i hate it cuz i feel like i'm ruining my brakes and i'm used to pumping them myself from driving a crappy little kia a few years ago. got home around 3:30ish and my bf got home about 45 minutes later and it took us til 6:30 to finish shoveling the driveway.
the only way i'd want that bad of a snow storm again is if we get another snow day, haha. but it rarely happens so i'll just say "no more snow for me, thanks" seems like i have to shovel every week, and it always seems to snow on my days off
I went to the rental place and told them about my dissatisfaction, and I was able to get two days off. I told them that I didn't have trouble driving my mother's car back home, and it's in the country, the roads are sh&*%ty. Anyways, that is done.
Next time, Cali, I will definitely follow your advice and really check the next car I will be renting (not anytime soon, since I don't really need to.)
And yes, all of that time, all I thought was, Costa Rica, Costa Rica, Costa Rica. Soon... soon...
I never quite get used to it getting dark around 4 or 5 when in summer it was like 8 or 9 pm.... it really messes with the body's Circadian body rhythms and there's this artificial sense of being tired and you just want to go to bed sooner.... I heart the sun....
I never quite get used to it getting dark around 4 or 5 when in summer it was like 8 or 9 pm.... it really messes with the body's Circadian body rhythms and there's this artificial sense of being tired and you just want to go to bed sooner.... I heart the sun....
So true! It feels like midnight (or at least 9pm) when it's really 5pm!
I feel like having a drink more in wintertime, like a glass of wine or a beer a few times a week, more than I do in summertime. Is wintertime more cheery with a drink?! lol...
Yeah, I feel the same way, except, that I'm more inclined to having friends over for a drink, instead of going out in bars. I don't know what's up with me this Winter, but I really hate the cold. I never minded it before.
I drove from Nebraska to Minnesota on the Sunday after Thanksgiving through a horrible ice storm - it was the worst driving experience of my life, so I feel for you Mel! It is so scary to feel like you are going to slide off the road! I basically went 5 mph from Des Moines to the Minnesota border. Gross!
I also saw a car slide right off an overpass AND another one on the opposite side of the road that had burst into flames and was being put out by a firetruck.
I think it snows about every third day here. Usually only 2-3 inches, but It just sort of slowly piles up like rock strata on cliffs. The plow piles/drifts across the road from my house are up over my head now and the HIGH for Thursday here is -5!!! The HIGH!
I drove from Nebraska to Minnesota on the Sunday after Thanksgiving through a horrible ice storm - it was the worst driving experience of my life, so I feel for you Mel! It is so scary to feel like you are going to slide off the road! I basically went 5 mph from Des Moines to the Minnesota border. Gross!
I also saw a car slide right off an overpass AND another one on the opposite side of the road that had burst into flames and was being put out by a firetruck.
I read the first part and was feeling very sad for you, because ugh- yuck, and driving slowly is horrible on top of it all. Then I read the bold part and I really think I did this:
:o
That being said, I am glad you are safe.
I drove from Nebraska to Minnesota on the Sunday after Thanksgiving through a horrible ice storm - it was the worst driving experience of my life, so I feel for you Mel! It is so scary to feel like you are going to slide off the road! I basically went 5 mph from Des Moines to the Minnesota border. Gross!
I also saw a car slide right off an overpass AND another one on the opposite side of the road that had burst into flames and was being put out by a firetruck.
I read the first part and was feeling very sad for you, because ugh- yuck, and driving slowly is horrible on top of it all. Then I read the bold part and I really think I did this:
:o
That being said, I am glad you are safe.
yeah, I was really glad there were lots of emergency-type people over there already to help. It was on the southbound side of 1-35 right past the Mason City exit.
I'm glad you are safe too after your driving trauma! I think the whole world should just shut down for a while when its like that outside. My sister flies in and out of Chicago all the time for work and she got stuck there this weekend too.
Pages