Nice things to say about Winter driving:

[hedgehog]

1. You don't have to worry about falling asleep at the wheel.

[ScreamingMeemie]

1. 2. It doesn't snow in Houston.

(otherwise we'd all be dead because Houston drivers freak out over rain drizzle)

[Curmudgeoness]

31. Ah, but you are wrong.

I lived in Houston for 14 years, and I saw two snowfalls.

What you should have said was "if it snows in Houston, even a dusting, it looks like the city has been abandoned---no one will go out." SNOW DAY!!!!! YIPPEEE!!!!!!!

[ScreamingMeemie]

32. We've had "snow" since I've been here.

This Wisconsin girl will never call what happens here snow.

We had a "snow" day (city closed down) with no snow last year. One of my neighbors posted a video of the "Great Houston Blizzard of 2011" on youtube. It's hilarious.

[Major Nikon]

38. North Texas saw a bit of that

My dog loved it.

[gratuitous]

2. Oregon version

You can park ANYWHERE. And that includes the middle of the lane on the highway. Thankfully, we don't get a lot of snow in these parts, but there is inevitably someone who pushes their car on four bald tires as far as they possibly can. When it gets stuck or the driver gets sufficiently freaked out by what he's doing, he stops and leaves the car to walk to his destination.

Oregon was also the birthplace of "snowbound bumper cars" wherein folks try to negotiate a steep hill in the ice or the snow, and see how many parked cars they hit on the way down. It's a jolly game to watch on You Tube. Not so jolly if you're one of the ones parked on Mt. Scott.

[sarge43]

6. Snowbound bumper cars makes a great drinking game.

Take a shot every time a particular car hits another car on the way down the hill. Depending upon the booze du jour and the length of the YouTube vid, you can get fairly faced.

[quakerboy]

23. Oregon version is

What? It might snow? PANIC!!!!!

Then work is cancled and no one leaves their homes for 2 days, except for a few morons and those of us who learned to drive other places where it snows more than once a year

[polly7]

3. The ditches are a lot softer when you hit them.

[Taverner]

4. At night, when it's snowing, you can stare into the snow and go into a trance

((((((CRASH!!!)))))

[hedgehog]

9. On the nights it's not snowing, the reflected light

from the snow on the ground really brightens things up!

[pokerfan]

28. I call it going into warp speed

[sarge43]

5. All the potholes are filled with snow or ice and the frost heaves haven't bloomed yet.

[hedgehog]

7. You get to meet a lot of nice people (once you've landed in the ditch.)

[hedgehog]

8. You always have a story to tell.

[JBoy]

10. Doin' donuts!

[hedgehog]

12. Doing donuts in empty parking lots is for wimps -

try doing them on the expressway sometime!

Went to merge onto the highway with my chevette and didn't see the guy barreling up behind me. Pulled back into the merge lane too sharply and hit the ice pack by the edge of the shoulder. I ended up facing the wrong direction on the inside shoulder. Fortunately, no other cars were on the road when all this happened!)

[sarge43]

13. Upcheer we call 'em whirly gigs

They are one of life's more memorable experiences.

I hit a patch of black ice and spun about a quarter mile on northbound I-93. Kind of a out-of-body moment.

[trof]

24. Ah...Black Ice.

After picking me up at the airport, miz t. cruised through a stop sign.
"WHAT-THE-HELL!!! DIDN'T YOU SEE THAT STOP SIGN?"
"Yes, I SAW it, but the car wouldn't stop."
"I'LL DRIVE!"

I got out and fell flat on my ass.
Black Ice.
Dayum

[Wait Wut]

11. On the way home, I get to listen to all the music on my iPod...

...twice.

(DISCLAIMER: I'm from Chicago, but now live in AZ. Not "that" much snow anymore.)

[sylveste]

14. snow+ rear wheel drive

= big fun

[Curmudgeoness]

15. Oh yeah, as long as you don't

try to get up a hill. I remember those days, the back of the car continually trying to get in front of the front of the car.

[hedgehog]

19. That's nothing compared to going down a hill!

[Curmudgeoness]

22. I don't know, I never had trouble getting down a hill.

Now, stopping at the bottom, that can be a problem.

[pokerfan]

29. Yeah, downhill is child's play

Some like to go down the hill sideways, even the occasional Seattle metro bus:

[Curmudgeoness]

30. Oh shit.

My heart was in my throat, since I can relate to the feeling.

But I was really amazed at the pedestrians who just walked like there was no problem---even when a car was obviously out of control and could slide in their direction at any time. Besides, why were the pedestrians having no trouble?????

[pokerfan]

35. Walking around clueless unaware of their surroundings

I mean cars never come up on sidewalks, right? As far as pedestrians getting around, it looked like it was still snowing so snow can actually provide some traction on a lightly traveled sidewalk where cars on the street can quickly polish it down into a smooth, slick surface. At least, that's what I think.

[Mopar151]

25. Yay-uh!

Ans you can broadslide, throttle steer, spin the tires, and slide into parking spaces sideways, and nobody calls the cops!

[Curmudgeoness]

16. You know you will see that idiot

who flew by you at 80 mph crashed in the median just up the road.

[hedgehog]

18. Four wheel drive can get you going, but it can't get you stopped!

[Mopar151]

26. That's a 10-roger! n/t

[Lasher]

33. Oh but it's great for an ego trip sometimes.

People are trying to get their cars up that ice covered hill. Some have passengers who have gotten out to push puny 2 wheel drive cars, their gloveless hands nearly frozen to the cold metal. Spinning tires make that futile whining noise as you cruise by in your mighty 4WD, glancing casually over to observe these inferiors in their plight.

[hedgehog]

34. Yesterday after I started this post, I drove my daughter back to her

college apartment. I had to park the truck at the bottom of a steep driveway. It was just icy enough that the trcuk could not move back up the hill. I tried every trick I know, including putting six students in the back to put some weight on the wheels. The only way we got the truck back out on the street is that I and five students pushed while my daughter drove!

[Lasher]

36. I used to put bags of sand in the back of the pickup for winter.

Since I retired I don't worry much about it. I usually stay home until the roads clear up.

[hedgehog]

37. My husband had a container of rock salt in the truck all summer -

it was a real pain in the butt loading stuff around it. For some reason, he took it out of the truck and stuck it in the shed a few weeks back.

[wovenpaint]

17. It brings back childhood sledding memories

Only now you have heat and headlights!

[hedgehog]

20. Heat, headlights & white knuckles!

[hedgehog]

21. Tracking the storm by listening to closing and delays.

[Mopar151]

27. Makes my cousin ca$h money by the bucket

He does heavy towing & recovery - couple pictures of his adventures: