Bumper cars in Portland, OR (USA)

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 2:54 pm

This WMV file of a home video from Portland, OR, shows what happens when a hilly west coast city unused to winter driving conditions gets a bunch of snow and ice. Pinball and bumper-car fun!

djm · Post by **djm** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 3:42 pm

Ah! Those west coast drivers.

djm

anniemcu · Post by **anniemcu** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 5:47 pm

Shee-it!

Not fun!

Brian Lee · Post by **Brian Lee** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:02 pm

When will those crazies learn to stop putting Crisco on their tires before heading out to play?! LOL That's just too much. I've never seen roads that slick on either coast (having lived on both) nor here in Utah either. That musta been one crazy day. Have they not heard of snow tires or chains or perhaps a good winter driving course? You know, the ones that tell you YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE - STAY HOME!

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:03 pm

...well they don't get much chance to practice out here and the hills are a chalange.

The west coast drivers do scare me, they have no idea how to drive in this stuff.

I learned to drive in NE Ohio.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 8:07 pm

Brian Lee wrote:Have they not heard of snow tires or chains or perhaps a good winter driving course?

No, no and there ain't any.

Brian Lee wrote:You know, the ones that tell you YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE - STAY HOME!

It looked like evening, tryin' to get home, to me.

BoneQuint · Post by **BoneQuint** » Wed Jan 17, 2007 11:25 pm

Put the chains on mother, there's ice in the middle of the road

Several roads were closed in Tacoma, Washington last Friday (I was passing through). Kids were sledding down them. I had chains with me, but didn't quite need them.

avanutria · Post by **avanutria** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:58 am

Brian Lee wrote:When will those crazies learn to stop putting Crisco on their tires before heading out to play?! LOL That's just too much. I've never seen roads that slick on either coast (having lived on both) nor here in Utah either. That musta been one crazy day. Have they not heard of snow tires or chains or perhaps a good winter driving course? You know, the ones that tell you YOU'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO OPERATE THIS VEHICLE - STAY HOME!

Hey Brian, I remember one winter evening in Wyoming where you nearly played bumper-cars with a cliff...I guess conditions can catch anybody out!

missy · Post by **missy** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:39 am

Denny wrote:.

The west coast drivers do scare me, they have no idea how to drive in this stuff.

I learned to drive in NE Ohio.

Most of the drivers in SW Ohio don't know how to drive in the stuff, either! I learned in the country, so I had chains, strategically placed bags of Sakrete, etc. in high school.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 8:34 am

missy wrote:
Denny wrote:.

The west coast drivers do scare me, they have no idea how to drive in this stuff.

I learned to drive in NE Ohio.
Most of the drivers in SW Ohio don't know how to drive in the stuff, either! I learned in the country, so I had chains, strategically placed bags of Sakrete, etc. in high school.

...and give the others a 40 minute head start...

that way most of them are off on the side of the road where they will not hurt you!

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 10:37 am

Denny wrote:...well they don't get much chance to practice out here and the hills are a chalange.

That's it exactly. In the lower elevations west of the Cascade mountains, it's very hilly. Snow and ice are rare here, usually hitting just once or twice each winter, and generally melting off within a day or so. People can normally get around just fine without ever learning the proper way to drive on snow (slowly) and ice (don't). And I've never heard of any winter driving classes in this area. (Didn't have them in Tennessee where I grew up, either; my dad taught me how to drive in snow.) Some folks -- mainly those who need to drive over the mountain passes -- put studded tires on their cars in winter, but most don't bother because they're rarely needed. So, when the hilly streets get icy, bumper-car mayhem ensues.

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 11:54 am

the problem is...

It usually starts snowing early afternoon. Most people take off work early and make a run for it. Now the ones that have something so important to do that they stay until it is impassable out make a mess. (Not to be confused with the ones that are still there the next day!)

Renn · Post by **Renn** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:43 pm

They have this great invention that we use here on the East Coast. As far as I'm aware it has been installed on all of the vehicles around here. It's called a brake. They have placed it strategically next to the accelerator pad on the floor of the driver's side for ease of use.

Hopefully it catches on out West.

Seriously, that first driver is an idiot. After the first accident, you'd think that maybe he would stop driving and figure out where to go from there. But no. He got suckered into the belief that SUV and 4 wheel drive allows you to go anywhere and on any surface; "I can drive on that ice no problem. My car has 4 wheel drive."

Wrong.

I hope his insurance company gets a copy of that tape.

jsluder · Post by **jsluder** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:11 pm

Renn wrote:Seriously, that first driver is an idiot.

My first thought was, "Teenager on a joyride in a stolen SUV."

cowtime · Post by **cowtime** » Thu Jan 18, 2007 4:21 pm

That video is my nightmare, since the mail must go through and all that, no matter what the driving conditions. Brakes, chains, snow tires,downshifting, 4WD are all good, but nothing is good enough if it's that icy. shudder