The Ongoing Super Mega Weather Thread v3

[troutman]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

There's a break in the weather and the sun is out. If you did your shoveling earlier, it's all melted now. If you're Troutman, then the snow is super heavy now.

I’ve been shoveling at 6:30 each morning but if you are at work all day the snow falling during the day gets packed down.

You would have to be retired or work from home to keep up.

[undercoverbrother]

I wish it was hotter

[WhiteTiger]

Originally Posted by Slava

My wife is not at all impressed with my antics in these conditions. I think it's awesome (and have tried to explain to her that screwing around potentially gives you tried and tested skills if you're in a situation where you need them!).

I've always advocated for this. You need to have some experience with something before you need that experience in a dangerous situation. I've always felt that every family member who drives should take every vehicle they drive to an empty parking lot and "practice emergency loss of traction events", so that they know what it feels like TO lose traction, what to do when it happens, and how their specific vehicle reacts. And they should do this every winter.

I won't say that such info has saved my life, but it's made the few times I've needed it much less hairy, and it's made me a better, more confident winter driver, and driver overall.

I feel that this kind of training should be mandatory as part of a driver's ed course (which should also be mandatory).

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I feel that this kind of training should be mandatory as part of a driver's ed course (which should also be mandatory).

My wife took the AMA drivers course during the winter. One day they took her out to a big tarmac like area just outside the city and had her do these maneuvers. Doing that, plus the rest of the training, really took the fear of winter driving out of her. I'd highly recommend it!

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by WhiteTiger

I've always advocated for this. You need to have some experience with something before you need that experience in a dangerous situation. I've always felt that every family member who drives should take every vehicle they drive to an empty parking lot and "practice emergency loss of traction events", so that they know what it feels like TO lose traction, what to do when it happens,. and how their specific vehicle reacts. And they should do this every winter.

I won't say that such info has saved my life, but it's made the few times I've needed it much less hairy, and it's made me a better, more confident winter driver, and driver overall.

I feel that this kind of training should be mandatory as part of a driver's ed course (which should also be mandatory).

I did this with both my kids.

We went to a neighbourhood near us that had roads but houses weren't built yet.

After a big snow we went out and they saw & felt what ice & snow can do to a vehicle. They also learned that if they do the right things in a vehicle they don't need to be scared to drive in this weather.

[greyshep]

Just want to say that the snow at Sunshine yesterday was fantastic! Well worth the somewhat crappy highways to get there.

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

My wife took the AMA drivers course during the winter. One day they took her out to a big tarmac like area just outside the city and had her do these maneuvers. Doing that, plus the rest of the training, really took the fear of winter driving out of her. I'd highly recommend it!

Way back when this geezer got my license (1996), I got taken to a dirt lot near the airport and got to drive in the "skid car". It was basically an old POS and the instructor had a dial that would turn the back wheels, effectively throwing you into a spin/skid. Fun, and actually a good skill to learn in a controlled environment.

The "school" is long gone, but it was "A Driving School" on Parkdale Blvd. There was a discount because one of my teachers at high school was a co-owner or something. Old, wood panelled office/classroom. The old Dodge Shadow that I did my regular lessons in was in horrible condition, and the brakes even went limp going down one of those now-closed roads (because they are so steep) in Crescent Heights heading down to Edmonton Trail, and required frantic pumping to bring them back.

Instructor was a massive, old slob. He would make me stop at 7-Eleven, he would disappear for 10 minutes to take a dump, and come out with two hot dogs for himself. The garbage wold be thrown in the vacant back seat along with a bunch of old ones. It was in the heat of the summer, and he would wear the same green, sweat-stained shirt each day, which has developed a faint, salty outline of the previous days' sweat.

Sorry - as soon as I remembered the skid car I couldn't stop myself.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by Mazrim

My wife took the AMA drivers course during the winter. One day they took her out to a big tarmac like area just outside the city and had her do these maneuvers. Doing that, plus the rest of the training, really took the fear of winter driving out of her. I'd highly recommend it!

When was that? Because I had the same training on a snowy tarmac back in the late 80s, but the training my son just took didn’t. In fact, they cancelled all of the training sessions that were on snowy days. Which I felt kinda defeated the purpose of taking driver training in winter.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Way back when this geezer got my license (1996), I got taken to a dirt lot near the airport and got to drive in the "skid car". It was basically an old POS and the instructor had a dial that would turn the back wheels, effectively throwing you into a spin/skid. Fun, and actually a good skill to learn in a controlled environment.

The "school" is long gone, but it was "A Driving School" on Parkdale Blvd. There was a discount because one of my teachers at high school was a co-owner or something. Old, wood panelled office/classroom. The old Dodge Shadow that I did my regular lessons in was in horrible condition, and the brakes even went limp going down one of those now-closed roads (because they are so steep) in Crescent Heights heading down to Edmonton Trail, and required frantic pumping to bring them back.

[...]

Sorry - as soon as I remembered the skid car I couldn't stop myself.

Wow, that brings me back too... I couldn't remember exactly the name of the 'school' I'd done my driver's ed at, but it was in that neck of the woods. The description of "old, wood-panelled office/classroom" definitely matched up. It reeked of cigarette smoke too, like so many other places of business did in those days, haha.

That said rather than having to endure a plebeian Dodge Shadow I had the privilege of 'learning' in a Neon.

Alas, I did some googling and figured out the driving school I went to was "Foothills Driving School", which was in Montgomery on the corner of Bowness Road and 45th St. Snooping on Streetview shows that they'd moved or gone belly-up some time between April 2009 and May 2012.

[kevman]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Way back when this geezer got my license (1996), I got taken to a dirt lot near the airport and got to drive in the "skid car". It was basically an old POS and the instructor had a dial that would turn the back wheels, effectively throwing you into a spin/skid. Fun, and actually a good skill to learn in a controlled environment.

I've spent some time in a skid car and it's both great fun and a great skillset. Parking lot donuts check the fun box, I did some today at Canadian Tire, but they're not quite the same as losing the rear end on the highway. The skid car is a much better simulation of "just driving along and the rear end kicked out" vs. cranking the wheel and flooring it.

That said, I probably use my winter driving confidence to go faster than I should so I'm not sure I'm a "safer" driver because of it

[Mazrim]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

When was that? Because I had the same training on a snowy tarmac back in the late 80s, but the training my son just took didn’t. In fact, they cancelled all of the training sessions that were on snowy days. Which I felt kinda defeated the purpose of taking driver training in winter.

Winter 2020/2021. My wife never felt the need to drive until the pandemic. It was actively snowing during multiple training sessions so that's wild to me that they canceled on your son. Maybe someone got in a bad accident in the last couple years and ruined it for everyone else .

[Torture]

Had a fun skid at ~120kph on the highway back from the ski hill yesterday. Thankfully controlled it and got traction back but could have been bad.

[surferguy]

Originally Posted by Torture

Had a fun skid at ~120kph on the highway back from the ski hill yesterday. Thankfully controlled it and got traction back but could have been bad.

Where on hwy 1 where you?

[Jimmy Stang]

Originally Posted by timun

Wow, that brings me back too... I couldn't remember exactly the name of the 'school' I'd done my driver's ed at, but it was in that neck of the woods. The description of "old, wood-panelled office/classroom" definitely matched up. It reeked of cigarette smoke too, like so many other places of business did in those days, haha.

That said rather than having to endure a plebeian Dodge Shadow I had the privilege of 'learning' in a Neon.

Alas, I did some googling and figured out the driving school I went to was "Foothills Driving School", which was in Montgomery on the corner of Bowness Road and 45th St. Snooping on Streetview shows that they'd moved or gone belly-up some time between April 2009 and May 2012.

Not too far away, and very similar sounding. I just looked it up and it was in the building at 3412 3 Avenue NW. I knew that Bowness Road, Parkdale Blvd. and Memorial have some ambiguity around there, but I had no idea a segment was also called simply “3rd Avenue NW”.

“Dank Cannabis” now occupies the spot, next to LICS Ice Cream, Avatara Pizza, and a corner shop. Good times.

[DownInFlames]

Originally Posted by surferguy

Where on hwy 1 where you?

All over it.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Originally Posted by Torture

Had a fun skid at ~120kph on the highway back from the ski hill yesterday. Thankfully controlled it and got traction back but could have been bad.

So, you gonna just brush it off, or take the cautionary wisdom to slow down in conditions like these?

There are plenty of people still driving like it's dry out there. Hopefully they can figure it out without dire consequences needed.

[Torture]

Originally Posted by TrentCrimmIndependent

So, you gonna just brush it off, or take the cautionary wisdom to slow down in conditions like these?

There are plenty of people still driving like it's dry out there. Hopefully they can figure it out without dire consequences needed.

Well obviously I'm just going to brush it off because I'm the greatest driver ever.

[timun]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Stang

Not too far away, and very similar sounding. I just looked it up and it was in the building at 3412 3 Avenue NW. I knew that Bowness Road, Parkdale Blvd. and Memorial have some ambiguity around there, but I had no idea a segment was also called simply “3rd Avenue NW”.

“Dank Cannabis” now occupies the spot, next to LICS Ice Cream, Avatara Pizza, and a corner shop. Good times.

I was trying to remember where that driving school would have been, and figured it had to be in that little plaza by Lic's. Yes, technically it's 3rd Ave at that point; 'tis very silly that that road changes names so many times.

Coincidentally the Foothills Driving School location is also now a cannabis shop.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by timun

I was trying to remember where that driving school would have been, and figured it had to be in that little plaza by Lic's. Yes, technically it's 3rd Ave at that point; 'tis very silly that that road changes names so many times.

Coincidentally the Foothills Driving School location is also now a cannabis shop.

Simultaneously?

That could be interesting. A toke for the road?

[Looch City]

I'm officially done with this ####. Flame thrower time.