Pet peeve: snow on cars

[Korgan26]

As a minnesotan with a winter that lasts till may some years, snow on the windows is something I never get tired of screaming about. (ask my wife )

Z

 

[Karl Green]

For 28 years, I have lived in a community that gets almost no snow (maybe 3" once every 15 years) so I can't say I fully understand why driving with a stack of snow on one's car is dangerous.

I'm interested to know for two reasons.
1. My wife and I plan to move to the Seattle area within the next five years.
2. I was at the scene of a fatal car accident yesterday and it really shook me.

I'm from Montana and now live in Seattle (almost 10 years)... we get snow here maybe once a year, but not every year, and one year it snowed twice. It not much so not lots ot worry about... now if you moved to Montana

 

[Dinkeldog]

Ironically, what you'll have to worry about in Seattle is rain. As soon as it rains, everyone starts acting like they've never seen the stuff before. That, and even worse, once the sun comes out, especially if it's low in the sky. No one apparently was ever trained in how to use the visors.

Now, what you really need to worry about in Seattle is the black ice. As soon as the temperature starts getting to about 34 degrees, keep an eye out, because some areas will be a little colder. You won't see it, because it just looks like the roads are wet, and with all the hills and curves, it's easy to lose control. It's not something that other people don't have to deal with, but if you're not used to the cold, it might surprise you.

 

[Starman]

I'm from Montana and now live in Seattle (almost 10 years)... we get snow here maybe once a year, but not every year, and one year it snowed twice. It not much so not lots ot worry about... now if you moved to Montana

Yeah, tell me about it. I'm born and raised in Montana and I hate the cold and snow. Someday, I will move south, I tell ya. Some day.

Starman

 

[Algolei]

I'm from Winnipeg, and we've invented two things for our cars: "Windshield wipers" and "heaters."

These so-called "windshield wipers" move back and forth, clearing the snow off the front window so we can see.

And what we call the "heaters" warm up the interiors of our cars, doing two jobs at once: Clearing up the fog on the interior of the windows caused by humans breathing, and melting the ice and snow from the outside of the windows. Sometimes we even have them imbedded in the glass for the rear windows, so we can melt that stuff quicker--'cause we get impatient sitting in the car and can't wait to back out of our parking spots.

Plus there are also sprays you can squirt onto the interior of your windows to prevent fog from forming, but that's getting kinda complicated there so I won't get into it. Besides, our sled dogs tend to lick it off. And even if they don't, the smell attracts polar bears and yetis.

 

[Turanil]

...but I can't understand it with smaller vehicles.

Especially bikers... Bikers who don't remove the snow from their motorcycles, it's intolerable.

Oh well, I live in a place where it snow only one day per year, and just 2 inches deep that melts down after a few hours.

 

[hero4hire]

Here's where I lived last winter..It didnt matter anymore if people cleaned off thier cars or not.
http://www.valleynewsonline.com/News/2003/0125/Front_Page/009.html

At least I am back in Syracuse wear they plow instead of closing the city down like they did last year. <sigh>

 

[RangerWickett]

Yeah, tell me about it. I'm born and raised in Montana and I hate the cold and snow. Someday, I will move south, I tell ya. Some day.

Starman

Then you'll hate the heat.

I personally would like to give Chicago a try. What's it's weather like?

 

[Greybar]

This is a pet peeve of mine. A car I saw yesterday (first snow here in Massachusetts) looked like it ought to be an armored personnel carrier or something. The only snow cleared on it was a slot perhaps 9-10 inches tall and 80% of the width of the windshield... nothing else.

I'm that driver said "I can see fine!"

john

 

[Storminator]

First year I moved to Mass I got one of those free ice scrapers, which is useless for snow removal. So I was brushing it off with my hands, and did the absolute minimal job. Then I moved next door to a native, and watched him clear his car with a pushbroom. If it takes a minute to clear a car with a pushbroom, you're slacking. Roof two swipes, windshield one, hood one more, and once around the sides of the car. Really amazingly efficient.

PS