What snow does to Southern drivers:

[dixiegrrrrl]

Birmingham Al. today.
the headline says:
Photo: Drivers abandon cars across highways in Alabama amid winter storm -

[Scuba]

1. Hope all are safe.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. Couple of fatalities reported, plus a baby was born in a car.

In Atlanta, 3 hour gridlock caused people to run out of gas. They have an inch of snow, says weatherman.

[Scuba]

8. Sorry to hear.

[dixiegrrrrl]

2. the roads are icy as hell, plus that bit of snow

[NCarolinawoman]

4. Southerners don't go through that Northern winter ritual of exchanging their regular tires

for SNOW TIRES. I think that is part of the problem.

[Fumesucker]

7. You have tires made of snow?

It melts too fast around here for that.

[AlinPA]

9. I believe most people up north use all-weather tires in winter.

[dflprincess]

32. That's what I do

I don't know many people who bother with snow tires - especially in the metro area.

[Blue_In_AK]

34. We do,

and we don't use studs because they tear up the roads, although a lot of people here still do.

[notadmblnd]

13. I would think that there a still a few old timers who still do that

But for the most part it's 4 wheel drive or front wheel drive vehicles with all weather tires for us.

I think the real trick is having good tires period. Right after Christmas I had to go to a home where it required going up a steep hill. Not only was the road snow covered and icy, it was unpaved. I could not get up the hill with my car, it would go so far and start sliding down the hill and I had to cancel the appointment. That weekend, I went and bought 4 new tires. Last week I got up her hill and driveway with no problems, road still icy and snow covered. I'm convinced it was my tires. the old ones weren't bald but they were well past the point of needing to be replaced.

[WillowTree]

27. I haven't used snow tires in over 30 years.

When radial belted tires became the norm, snow tires became a thing of the past for most passenger cars and even most vans an pick-ups, unless they were needed for some special vehicle use.

[jeff47]

40. Depends where those Northerners live.

When I lived where we got lake-effect snow, people used snow tires.
When I lived where we did not get lake-effect snow, people used good-in-snow all-season tires.

[NutmegYankee]

41. I run all-season Michelin tires.

I just ensure I change them when they get to 6/32".

[aikoaiko]

5. lesson: 4-wheel drive doesn't mean you have 4-wheel stop.

Its a hard lesson to learn to those unfamiliar with snow and ice on roads.

[notadmblnd]

16. Nope, you don't have 4 wheel stop. Especially on ice

But there is a little trick my parents taught us about driving on ice and that is to put your car in a lower gear to help you slow down. Your car does not need to be a manual transmission vehicle to be able to use the method of slowing down.

[Blue_In_AK]

35. And pump the brakes,

lightly tap, resist the urge to slam on them.

[notadmblnd]

37. well, you're not supposed to pump anti lock brakes

I wouldn't slam on them though. But if you do go into a skid, steer (while foot is firmly on brake) in the direction you are trying to go.

But really, the best thing to do if you need to be out there on the roads, is slow down and give yourself plenty of space between cars and extra time to get where you're going.

[CTyankee]

6. You know, as a former southern driver, I would advise them not to try to go out

in this if at all possible. For one thing, it is really slippery in the first hours of a snowstorm because it looks deceptively light, but is actually very slick. You simply cannot go your regular speed level on your own streets. If you do you will slide and go out of control and risk running into another car. DON'T DO IT!

[japple]

10. Yup. Too many cowboys out there (even in Georgia) who think they

are A-Okay in their big ass trucks. Well, they are probably okay, but the people they run into are not, esp. those little, fuel-efficient cars.

[dixiegrrrrl]

14. As a former northern driver, I agree!

sadly, for some reason, the folks in the big cities felt they had to go to work.

In my lil town, the road below me has been wonderfully quiet. No traffic, since it has hills at each end,
and would be impassable.
Mr. Dixie took the 4WD for a quick store run early this morning, says most places are shut down,
and he saw only one other car, which was zooming past him.
Everything is closed for tomorrow here.

[gaspee]

11. That's crazy

I'm fascinated by what a little snow is doing to people not used to snow.

[undeterred]

12. Even northern drivers have trouble

I live in Wisconsin. There are a lot of accidents during the first few hours of snow and during the first snow of the season. People forget how dangerous it is.

[JHB]

21. Oh, yeah, same in NYC area

It's the annual "dopes who need to remember to drive differently in snow" follies.

I have no doubt it's worse for people who go much longer stretches without having to deal with it.

[malaise]

15. Freaking wow

Damn!

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. One nice thing about southern cold

If you put ice cream outside in these freezing temps
all the calories die off.
I have it on good authority.

see, in Southern ice cream, the calories are not used to anything below 28 degrees.

[malaise]

22. Bwaaaaaaaaaaaaaah hahahaha

Good one

[KentuckyWoman]

44. I am sooo stealing that

[Grammy23]

17. Don't forget that we also do not have

The equipment to salt the roads like they do in places that deal with heavy amounts of snow & ice every year. Weather like we've had recently is pretty rare in areas like NWFL where I live. They can "make do" with front end loaders and dump trucks spreading sand and saline solution. But even that is limited. Best advise to anyone in the south when an ice or snow event hits town? If you can stay home, please, pretty please, STAY THERE.

And by the way....who in Atlanta thought keeping their schools open today was a good idea? ALL of our schools courts, government offices, etc were closed today and will be tomorrow, too, as they should be. Lots less headaches and traffic issues that way.

[dixiegrrrrl]

23. Apparently the forecast mis-lead Atlanta.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=4402547

[japple]

39. All the folks in my area are blaming FOX5 for an erroneous weather forecast!!

The folks who are tuned in to the NOAA report were not surprised. FOX5 forecast no precip. for North Georgia. Everything was gridlocked for hours. People were stranded on surface roads. Everyone crept along at 3 MPH. Most of the school kids got home okay, but I did see a report of an overturned school bus. Don't think there were any fatalities, though.

[Glitterati]

26. Schools in metro Atlanta are housing the kids at school

they couldn't get them home.

In Cobb County (Newt Gingrich's old congressional seat), one high school alone has 600 kids trapped at school, spending the night.

You have to give these teachers credit - would you have a forced slumber party at school with 600 kids? Ever?

And, that's just one of many schools & kids in the same situation tonight all around Atlanta.

[scarletwoman]

18. I truly feel for the folks in the South who haven't needed to get used to this kind of shit.

I'm a northern girl, born and bred, and the farthest south I ever lived was Des Moines, Iowa.

Most of my life I've lived in Minnesota, with a few years in Alaska. I know how to do winter. I just can't imagine how tough it must be for the folks who have not lived their lives doing winter.

My sincere sympathies!

[alcibiades_mystery]

19. Aw damn.

I'm editing...my apologies...didn't see that there were fatalities

[dixiegrrrrl]

24. My 86 y/o neighbor is in Atlanta right now

tiny woman, under 5 ft. and somewhat frail.
She is staying with her son and his family
and today, she calls to tell me that they were all going to go somewhere this morning
but she had not felt up to it so stayed home.
Her family barely made it home as the weather made a liar out of the forecast, just ahead of roads which got blocked.

I kinda cringe to think what it would have done to her, stuck in a car, not real good at walking thru slippery snow,
and having no cold weather emergency gear available.

I suspect there will be more reports of fatalities.
Car wrecks, ice and trees falling, etc.

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Having grown up in NY and living now in Chicago

I have to say that I'm completely flummoxed by the inability of people to drive in barely out-of-ordinary conditions. So I had some snark earlier, but I edited out, for precisely the reasons you're citing.

[Glitterati]

28. I had a Dr. appointment today in Atlanta

near Georgia Tech. An appointment that was absolutely necessary to get renewals on prescriptions for medications. I can't just stop taking my heart meds - it can cause a heart attack - so I can't just be "out" and would have run out at the end of the month.

It took me 2 months to get this appointment.

I called at noon to confirm the Dr. would be there and seeing patients as the weather was starting to go bad.

The office went to lunch from 12-1 and SHUT OFF THE PHONES, so I couldn't reach anyone. My appointment was for 2 and it takes me more than an hour to get there. We left for the appointment (my brother was driving as I wasn't prepared to drive in iffy weather).

They called at 1:30 to cancel the appointment.

I was furious. Not that they canceled the appointment, but that they shut off the phones and had a nice, leisurely lunch before letting anyone know they shouldn't take their life in their hands and get in a car!

Of course, it was at 1:30 that all of Atlanta decided to tell their employees "Everybody, RUN for the hills." We were literally minutes ahead of the snow and that nightmare traffic all the way back home.

I asked her if it would take another 2 months to re-schedule the appointment and the snotty little brat said "I don't know." She said she would have the Dr. call prescriptions into the pharmacy, but I'm not betting my life on it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

29. Here is what I do so I will not run out

I ask my doc for an extra prescription. I cite "stocking up in case of hurricane or ice"
She is really happy to do it.
Over the last couple years I have accumulated several months of necessary meds, as part of my emergency stock.
I rotate them out every time I fill a script.

Have been screwed over by brainless pharmacy staff a few times, and understand the importance of being able to take care of my own meds.

[Glitterati]

30. I hear ya

I've done it myself, but at this point I am well and truly out since this appointment took so long to get.

[Ghost in the Machine]

31. 8 to 14 car pileup on I-75 in Cleveland, Tenn.... I have a saying here...

"One snowflake falls out of the sky and 9 idiots hit the ditch!"

I live on top of a hill here. When school let out early, my son took our 4 wheel drive down to the bottom to pick up my grandson, and a few neighbors, because the bus won't even try to come up the hill. Also helped several neighbors who were stranded at the bottom throughout the day. My son even drove 12 miles down an unplowed highway to help a neighbor who called.

Too many idiots think 4 wheel drive lets them drive normally... well, they don't, dumbasses! It's the DRIVER who makes the difference! I have a '97 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with a 318
Magnum and full time 4 wheel drive and a '97 Dodge Ram with a 318 Magnum and selective 4 wheel drive. We can anywhere, any time. I taught my kids how to drive in snow and ice when they were young. You *need* to know how to around here. They started driving around our property when they were 10 and 11... they are 20 and 21 now, and have driven in mud, snow, ice heavy rains and flash flood conditions and never had a wreck

Everyone out there stay safe.. and warm!

Peace,

Ghost

[hatrack]

33. Damn you, Obama!!!!

Freedumb!!!

[Whiskeytide]

36. I have family in B'ham, and ....

.... they tell me that the problem is that the meteorologists blew the prediction. No one saw this coming, so no one took precautions. Schools were open this morning, all businesses opened - all was normal until about 10:00 when it hit. B'ham gets snow often enough that they generally deal with it in a semi-rational way. They just got blindsided by this one.

[RebelOne]

38. Drivers did the same thing here in the Atlanta area.

Some were sick of sitting for hours just to go a couple of miles.

[BainsBane]

42. It's not rocket science folks. Drive slower

That is all there is to it.

Signed, resident of the article circle.

[Amonester]

43. I'm sure they'll get a taste of climate CHANGE, but ...

most of them will STILL vote against their own interests next time an R or a tea shows up on screen.

From one extreme to the next. And to think most of the methane hasn't been released yet...