Sooo...driving is a BITCH. Rant here to alleviate stress.

[Locke]

I just went out to re-stock some emergency supplies, and man is it slick out there. All the gravel is gone and the roads have been zambonied into smooth icy surfaces.

[metallicat]

When is the last time you guys got snow?

[Phanuthier]

Perfect thread for this... I dunno if I'm just being whiny, but drivers in Calgary have to be getting worse and worse every year. Cars that can't stay in their lane and they're too indecisive, and I swear pedestrians don't look both ways when they cross the street - even jaywalksers (in downtown).

I forgot how much I hated driving in Calgary.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by Finny61

Yes it's being implemented there, it's been done in the States for awhile now if I'm not mistaken. Insurance shouldn't have to pay for your carelessness though so that is the argument. It's like saying your insurance should pay for your speeding ticket. It's a good move but I don't see how it can hold because a cop has to prove you've been too aggressive. It would be ludicrous if they can just throw the book at you without witness or proof.

Isn't Ontario a no-fault province?

And insurance builds the extra liability of bad drivers into their premiums....seems like bad drivers are getting hit twice by this.

To the Calgary/Edmonton/Winnipeg/North Pole comparissons....it's not really fair to compare Calgary to other cities, especially Winnipeg. Calgary isn't prepared for snow like this because the majority of the time, Calgary doesn't get snow like this. Winnipeg gets snow like this all the time, and it doesn't melt every few weeks from a Chinook...it just keeps building up.

[Finny61]

Originally Posted by kipperfan

Okay. Thanks for that, and the name calling, really loved that, classy for sure.

Continue talking out of your arse, don't mind me. You continue to come back and embarrass yourself but refuse to show an shred of proof. If you actually believe the press "has this story" but has "bigger fish to fry" then you are not even worth debating. This would be THE story. it would be on the front page of every Ontario newspaper and close to the front of every newspaper in Canada.

If I am a betting man your a low to mid level employee of an insurance company, heard one of your superiors or maybe even just a mouthy co-worker spouting off about this new "legislation" that is going to come into effect and save Ontario's failing insurance industry. Sorry bucko, this just wont ever happen. I bet Ontario insurance companies would like it to, but it will not. BTW I noticed you conveniently ignored all of the legal reference I made...what...you don't want to tell me how they purpose to re-write every insurance policy in Ontario?

We agree to disagree I really don't care, but you were being a dick by trying to call me out so you get what you deserve sport.

[SteveToms]

Calgary needs to do a better job painting lines on the road, even with the snow gone, they are hardly noticeable in spots.

[Dartem]

Originally Posted by MJM

I find the major problems with Calgary is that the snow removal doesn't start until AFTER the storm is over. This results in snow being packed down by drivers that have to go to work in the morning and the snow turning into an icefield with no hope of being removed until a Chinook hits.

What should happen is that before a storm hits, the roads should be heavily salted, and the plows should be on standby to start as soon as the first flake hits. This should reduce cost because less cleanup is required in the following days, and something could actually be done about the roads before it's too late. This is how it's done in every major city in the Maritimes, and their roads are excellent. The roads are better in New Brunswick during a major snowstorm than they are 3 days after a 10 cm light snow in Calgary.

Wrong. We are always going while the snow is falling and after. Shift change is at 6 so you probably wont see much from about 530-630 when trucks are parked, new shift comes in and they get going. Not to mention waiting to get a load, or in certain cases having to drive to a different zone to get a load.

Salting the roads doesnt do much when its colder than -10 except maybe melt the snow a little bit before freezing it into ice so we dont even use it when it gets cold. Salting before the snow actually falls is another problem as there is now salt all over the roads and people bitch at it.

The "brilliant" solution was to use a calcium/molasses spray (crap) ahead of a storm that would help in the same way. The problem being, if it doesnt snow or it gets too cold for that, the liquid sits on the road and pulls moisture out of the air and makes, surprise, ice again.


The roads are better in NB because they have a fraction of the population and urban density than calgary does. Even in a light snow that can be salted away, a driver may not even get all of his Priority 1&2s done before the end of shift due to the sheer size of the routes as i explained a few pages ago.

So in a nutshell, Calgary's current snow removal policy is let if fall and a chinook will take care of it.

100% wrong, but a chinook never hurts

Originally Posted by SteveToms

Calgary needs to do a better job painting lines on the road, even with the snow gone, they are hardly noticeable in spots.

They paint them every year on major roadways and deerfoot. The traffic and weather fades them that quickly

[Ironhorse]

I need to drag this thread back up.

WTF is it with people driving with their full beams on? Tonight I counted 3 in the span of 20 minutes; 1 Ricer, one clapped out Chrysler and one Jetta that wanted to be Rice.

The Jetta even wanted to race me after I flashed my full beams at him after he passed me.

[CMPunk]

Are you sure they had there high beams on? I typically get flashed out on the highway, but it's nothing more then my normal headlights, no high beams at all

[KevanGuy]

Their headlights were probably dirty so they decided to turn on the high beams instead of cleaning them.

[Ironhorse]

Originally Posted by CMPunk

Are you sure they had there high beams on?

Oh yeah, easy to notice as you're being blinded by 4 bulbs.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Ironhorse

I need to drag this thread back up.

WTF is it with people driving with their full beams on? Tonight I counted 3 in the span of 20 minutes; 1 Ricer, one clapped out Chrysler and one Jetta that wanted to be Rice.

The Jetta even wanted to race me after I flashed my full beams at him after he passed me.

A lot people have frustratingly bright headlights now a days. Ones that make you squint and have to look away from the road for a second, but they're just normal headlights. I don't care if you're highbeaming me or if your regular headlights are bright enough to look like your highbeaming mne, I'm going to flash my brights because your distracting me.

[Locke]

I hate this too. Sometimes its not their highbeams, but the ricers go out and buy high volume low beams so their regular lights are blindingly bright.

If you cant see the road with regular lights, then get off the road.

You shouldnt need the HAWCS spotlight to see where you're going.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Locke

I hate this too. Sometimes its not their highbeams, but the ricers go out and buy high volume low beams so their regular lights are blindingly bright.

If you cant see the road with regular lights, then get off the road.

You shouldnt need the HAWCS spotlight to see where you're going.

Edit: whoops, too far.

[HotHotHeat]

From the other side of things, I find it strangely fulfilling when some loser is flashing his high beams on and off thinking mine are on when they're not. It's not like I have anything special for lowbeam lights...Just stock VW lamps. Some drivers get off on getting pissed about small things.


When I opened this thread I was hoping it was about to snow tomorrow. I wish.

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by flameswin

A lot people have frustratingly bright headlights now a days. Ones that make you squint and have to look away from the road for a second, but they're just normal headlights. I don't care if you're highbeaming me or if your regular headlights are bright enough to look like your highbeaming mne, I'm going to flash my brights because your distracting me.

Hey man, nothing like returning the favor and distracting the other guy from his driving as well, right?

[Resolute 14]

Yup, and if we're lucky, the other person will crash into a fence and break both headlights.

[burn_this_city]

I'm stuck driving a tempo while my truck is getting the bumper fixed. People in this town totally profile you based on what you're driving. I was cut off more times on my way into work than I have in a loooong time. Folks were tailgating me in traffic, and boxing me out. That sort of thing never seems to happen when I'm in my truck.

[fredr123]

I live in the 'burbs. Last exit before Airdrie. Thanks in advance to all you inner city dwellers for contributing to my infrastructure with your tax dollars

Anyways, the streets in our hood are among those that the City will not touch with a plow. As a result, there was literally a four to six inch difference in height between the main loop (which was plowed) and the side streets leading to our neighborhood thanks to all the packed snow and ice. Over the past couple days its started to melt unevenly leaving large tracks with icy middle ridges and mogul-like "potholes" that would rival any street in Edmonton.

We only have a little Mazda 3 with which to navigate this treachery and with its low clearance we are constantly rubbing icy formations against the fragile underbelly of our car. On several occasions we have noticed the lower portion of our bumper has become dislodged from the plastic clips due to the constant impact on the snow. It won't be long before the clips are broken entirely and the whole of the fiberglass bumper may need to be replaced at no small cost.

Today is probably the last day of warm melting temperatures for a while. That means we'll get a nice base of ridges and moguls that will no doubt freeze even harder as the mercury drops. A fresh blanket of snow and ice on top will no doubt result in a lot of fun.

I'm not advocating for the City to plow all residential streets all the time, but my frustration with this lack of melting is reaching my limits.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

Hey man, nothing like returning the favor and distracting the other guy from his driving as well, right?

Yep, it's kind of like telling someone to F off for swearing in front of your kid. But sh** happens, what you gonna do?