So...How was YOUR day, honey?

[machinist@large]

Wipe out!!!

I've had my share of unintended off road excursions; the funniest one was about 15 years ago or so....

The weather was switching from freezing rain over to sleet and/ or snow. I was driving the company flat bed with a max load on it, so I wasn't planning on setting any speed records. I had to come to a full stop at a stop sign on a secondary street that had a really pronounced camber to it. While waiting for the cars ahead of me to move, the truck started sliding sidewise; it was only 3 or 4 feet, but it was enough to get my RH drive wheels onto a patch of ice, which meant that I was stuck. The icing (!!!) on the cake was finding out that the police officer in the unmarked cruiser right behind me had the whole thing on tape.....

 

[exenos]

WHOOPS!

Back when I had a 2wd pickup, I carried two large plastic storage bins (the good rubbermaid ones) filled with rock salt. It made for great ballast and if I ever found myself in an icy spot, I had plenty o' salt to go around! The bins fit nicely - one on each side between the wheelwell and the front wall of the box.

Glad you weren't hurt.

I like that Idea with the Rubbermaid bins. Much better than patio slabs.

I've had my share of unintended off road excursions; the funniest one was about 15 years ago or so....

The weather was switching from freezing rain over to sleet and/ or snow. I was driving the company flat bed with a max load on it, so I wasn't planning on setting any speed records. I had to come to a full stop at a stop sign on a secondary street that had a really pronounced camber to it. While waiting for the cars ahead of me to move, the truck started sliding sidewise; it was only 3 or 4 feet, but it was enough to get my RH drive wheels onto a patch of ice, which meant that I was stuck. The icing (!!!) on the cake was finding out that the police officer in the unmarked cruiser right behind me had the whole thing on tape.....

That would have been hilarious to see. Would have busted my gut laghing when I saw a truck slowly sliding off the road.

How did you get out? Someone just give you a shove?

 

[machinist@large]

I like that Idea with the Rubbermaid bins. Much better than patio slabs.



That would have been hilarious to see. Would have busted my gut laghing when I saw a truck slowly sliding off the road.

How did you get out? Someone just give you a shove?

The officer called the city works dept; they were out spreading sand and salt anyway. One of the trucks stopped when it came by and dumped a small pile of sand for me. Once I got both sides of the rear pulling in unison, it just became a long slow white knuckle drive back to the shop....

 

[Poboy kartman]

Believe it or not, I've had a few incidents with ice over the years. Typically what will happen here is rain, followed by sleet, followed by dropping temperatures which pretty much adds up to glare ice. No matter what-the next day will get warm enough to melt whatever and then re-freeze it. Makes for very slippery roads. Throw in the fact that it is so rare that not more than one in fifty have a clue how to deal with it. ..........

Once we actually got some snow- couple of inches. Most fun I ever had with my 4 banger extended cab Toyota. Only time I could spin the tires in first, second and third. Talk about drifting! I had loads of fun that day.

So- I had a 70 Chevy pickup that you could literally turn the steering wheel from 10 o'clock to 2 o'clock without moving the front wheels. So this is a day or two after the storm and the left hand lane of the freeway is totally ice free while the right lane has patches here and there. So there is an idiot going 20mph in the left hand lane. I go to pass him on the right and true to form this jerk speeds up to 30. So I'm going 35+ when ( you guessed it) I hit a patch of ice. I know how to corrective steer and everything to do, but it's tough with that much slop. So I'm sliding sideways off the freeway. Good news is that there is a two lane off ramp right there, bad news is that the truck is drifting to the right hand side of it and making a beeline for a Ft.Worth police patrol car. Anyway I managed to get it sliding 180° and kept it on the ramp. A couple of more fishtails, I blow through the stop sign slide over to the on ramp- back on the freeway like nothing ever happened.

Sometime later, a buddy of mine discovered the steering issue. The steering gearbox was missing 3 out of 4 bolts and the one remaining was super loose.

BTW- forgot to mention everything off the freeway was solid ice- so all this happened on ice.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Believe it or not, I've had a few incidents with ice over the years. Typically what will happen here is rain, followed by sleet, followed by dropping temperatures which pretty much adds up to glare ice. No matter what-the next day will get warm enough to melt whatever and then re-freeze it. Makes for very slippery roads. Throw in the fact that it is so rare that not more than one in fifty have a clue how to deal with it. ..........

As much as I am SO inclined to riff on Texans having absolutely no idea what winter weather is like, I find a large parallel here in Southern Ontario. Bear in mind that geographically, I'm not all that far north of Niagara Falls, NY. In fact, parts of Michigan are further north than I.

As cold as it can get here, we go through what you described above quite regularly. Now, I'm gonna alter something YOU said to suit:

Throw in the fact that it is so common, yet not more than one in fifty have a clue how to deal with it. ..........

My friend, it doesn't seem to matter where you go. As a general rule, humans are quite useless behind the wheel... And we are rapidly headed towards the season of stupidity!

Quick story- My very first driving experience- In the dead of winter, my stepfather took me out onto the ice the middle of Lake Simcoe (Exenos will know where I mean) and commanded me into the driver's seat. Rear-wheel-drive, stick shift. Says to me, "Drive!". I had to learn not only how to drive "properly", he also made me take the car into- and out of- slides and spins. Needless to say, I quickly learned how to handle inclement weather. And every winter, I practice my skills when there's nobody on the road around me, and in parking lots. To this day, I still prefer RWD over FWD. The physics just make more sense.

 

[landuse]

Ice on roads? Whats that? .....

 

[OzFab]

Ice on roads? Whats that? .....

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Oh, shut up!
:toetap05:

 

[exenos]

Wow, I cant believe this. I took a good look at the truck and asides from cosmetics the only thing that was broken on the truck was the power steering fluid cooler ( never even knew that was a thing until now). The bed needs to be straightened on the truck and a new bed side and the left fender needs the upper mount straightened out and its good as new, or at least back to how it was.

 

[Poboy kartman]

Ice on roads? Whats that? .....

Don't tell me you've never dropped a cocktail. ....

BTW- ERMMMM- yeah- that should have been "uncommon". OOPS.

 

[OzFab]

Don't tell me you've never dropped a cocktail. ....

BTW- ERMMMM- yeah- that should have been "uncommon". OOPS.

Umm, what?

 

[Poboy kartman]

Umm, what?

At first I thought it was me- but you changed my post in the quote. No I meant rare when I said rare.....icy roads that is. I think maybe you were trying to say that there aren't one in fifty where it (icing) is common- but that is minimizing the effect of unfamiliarity of the conditions has on the general population's ability to deal with it.

 

[Poboy kartman]

I had a good day today. I brought my cat home from the vets. The bill was less than expected, and one of the assistants mother has some lavender corn snakes she needs to get rid of. I've been wanting one for a long time and these are a month old. It's either $10 or possibly free for a snake that can easily run $30- $50.

I do have to drive 20 miles to get it and I hope it's as pretty as I think it will be. Those things are like designer clothes nowadays. They come in a bunch of colors and patterns.

Now if I can just get that cat to eat.....he turned down ICE CREAM! I wasn't able to eat a bowl of that without him pestering me before he went to the vets. He's went from 13lbs. to 12. I'm going to get some canned food and also try sardines (another fave) but he needs to eat something.

 

[exenos]

Its great to hear that your cats doing better!

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Umm, what?

At first I thought it was me- but you changed my post in the quote. No I meant rare when I said rare.....icy roads that is. I think maybe you were trying to say that there aren't one in fifty where it (icing) is common- but that is minimizing the effect of unfamiliarity of the conditions has on the general population's ability to deal with it.

Two things-

1)That wasn't Tony, that was me

2)I think you might have misinterpreted my sarcasm. I deliberately altered your quote (and noted that I DID) - in an effort to illustrate a point. While icy roads are fairly rare around you, they are dirt-common here, and yet NOBODY here seems to know how to deal with them. It's entirely mind-boggling as to how this can be, but it is.

 

[OzFab]

I'm confused

 

[Poboy kartman]

Well Sammy is doing better and I got my new baby for FREE today!!! Now if I can just get them both to eat.........

 

[machinist@large]

Well Sammy is doing better and I got my new baby for FREE today!!! Now if I can just get them both to eat.........

Are those poisonous/ venomous?!?! If so, why would you want to keep it as a pet? I'm not saying that you shouldn't, I'm trying to understand why you would want to. Snakes have a real place in the ecosystem, I just personally don't feel that that ecosystem includes the inside of my house......

 

[landuse]

I'm confused

Ha. Me too

 

[machinist@large]

I'm confused

Ha. Me too

Oh, good. If the moderators are loosing it on some of the postings too, THEN IT'S NOT JUST ME!!!