I almost got a ding today, almost got some blood too.

Some idiot cyclist, thinking himself courageous to bike under icy conditions in -15 Celcius weather, cut me off then took the whole street to himself. Obviously, what with the snowbanks (hint-hint!! leave your bike at home, insert-swear-word!) he had no choice but to bicycle over the flattened tire tracks on the road, yet still found a way to slip and fall in the middle of the street, all along conscious I was driving behind him. Now as I feared for his safety I was driving some 10-15 feet away; I slammed on the brakes and the ABS jumped in, trick-track-crick-crack - however you spell that ABS sound - the car stopped 4-5 inches from his face and from his bicycle.

I couldn't care less about his face, I just didn't want the bike and pedals to scratch my bumper! Nothing happened finally, other than a little tachycardia. But this goes to say I HATE, DESPISE and LOATHE winter cyclists. Come on!! the government in Quebec forces us drivers to buy winter tires or get fined, and then you have these cyclists freely running around on the thinnest, baldest, summer racing wheels available on the market in the dead of winter. Plus the guy wasn't wearing a helmet!

 

Really? Wow. Seems kind of excessive.

 

Not excessive...smart.

Tires are the single most important thing on your car. Everything relies on them. Unfortunately they are always overlooked.

Winter tires have and always will trump ANY all-season tire...ALWAYS.

Glad Quebec got on board. Wish the rest of Canada would get on board now...Maybe my car wouldn't have been hit twice now if that were the case...

 

^^^True, tires are critical and winter tires help a lot, but they are no substitute for a trained driver with common sense and decent decision making skills.

Before you write me off for being in Florida, my first 11 years of driving experience were in Minnesota & Idaho.

My concern with a requirement like that is people thinking they're more capable than they are. Some of the worst snow drivers are people in 4x4 or AWD vehicles who overestimate their abilities. But I digress... How're the repairs going?

 

Well said. You hit the nail on the head. I'm not writing anyone off here, so don't think that with my post.

In Canada at least, most buyers of new vehicles will instantly buy AWD or 4x4 as an exception to winter tires. This is the first mistake as these buyers now believe the new found traction (forward traction) gives them the ability to drive more aggressively. But they never realize their ability to stop is not enhanced with these traction aids.

Really, I blame marketing and lack of overall knowledge. We have conditioned the world to thinking that these traction systems will save them over the only thing that connects them to the road; tires. You'd be surprised how many people think this way...

I think forcing people to change the most important thing on their car for winter is a step in the right direction. It's almost impossible to change a bad driver into a good one, so regardless, that will always be an uphill battle.

 

I hit the damn metal cart thing at target but thankfully only got a TINY paint chip. I also have a crack in my rear bumper a few inches to the left from my exhaust I backed up into a snow bank (dumb). And yesterday I JUST missed my coworkers trailer hitch from cracking my front bumper. Luckily it cracked my license plate. Clearly I need to be more careful lol

 

^^ haha, wow, that sounds awesome! do be careful..

 

Yeah I'm an idiot hahahaa

 

Snow tires being required in Canada I can see. In MN ... maybe, maybe not. I have never owned a set nor even felt the need to. For the most part, unless you live in far north MN, the amount of snow and the way they clean the roads around here really doesnt warrant them as long as you have a good set of all seasons. So if MN forced it, it would really be playing more to the exception, not the rule sort of thing. In many parts of Canada, Alaska, etc, it is a different story.

And speak of the devil, supposed to get a 12-15 inches or so before todays and tonights snow ends. Tired of winter this year!

 

Yeah perfect day to talk about snow.... Can it end soon?

 

6 fresh inches on my driveway already. Not to mention it is super fine snow, so it will be great fun to shovel ... looks like my son (and I) will earn his allowance tomorrow!

 

Not trying to compare MN to Canada, eh. I actually wrote a small essay explaining my thoughts on govt regulation of snow tires and realized no one cares (including me). Bottom line, just seems it could be expensive to purchase and to enforce.

Anyway, what part of MN are you from? I went to the U of MN.

 

Twin cities area here.

 

It finally stopped! And the sun is out

 

i wish it snowed here.. I have to drive at least an hour before I see some snow.. I am jealous!

 

^^naaaah no you don't.

 

^^^ I love spending time inside and making musik.., it's really tranquil to be in the snow.. and rain for that matter.. sadly it doesn't snow here.., and rain is scarce.. at least thunderstorming bad ___ rain like when I visit Mexico..

 

While snow is ok for a while, it gets old, QUICK. At least we have thunderstorms here in spring/summer though. Not nearly as bad as the ones back in OK where I grew up, but decent ones. I would miss living without those believe it or not. I like a day or two here and there with bad weather, but I LOVE being out in my yard, working on the car, doing whatever in the nice hot summer too much to ever like the winters up here. Just makes Florida look better and better by the day, even with the humidity.

 

Well put :p

 

^ Agreed