Author Topic: Portland Oregon (Read 1116 times)

capt. apathy · « **Reply #15 on:** January 07, 2004, 11:35:10 PM »

last time we had one of these damn ice-storms I dodged the bullet by 3 hours. (flew to HI for a couple weeks of work, they shut down the airport 3 hours after my plane left).

the one before that I was in San Fransisco.

this is the first one to catch me at home in years.

the snow is no problem but the damn ice really sucks.

Mini D · « **Reply #16 on:** January 08, 2004, 09:58:34 AM »

Looks like at least another day of fun. The mini does just fine in the snow, but I'm tired of getting tailgated by SUVs on the highway.... so I'm keeping it parked and calling in.

MiniD

capt. apathy · « **Reply #17 on:** January 08, 2004, 12:21:51 PM »

ya the snow is no problem. just keep your distance from everyone else (very few people in this valley know how to drive in the snow).

I had some fun tuesday, my oldest daughter is 16, she doesn't have her license yet (my kids have to earn the money for their first year of insurance before they can get a license) but will soon have the $$.

I took her out to the mall and gave her some skid-recovery lessons. getting the jeep up to 30-40 mph then have her stop as fast as possable with out loosing control.

also laying out a course through the lot and having her take it as fast as possible, intentionally pushing it until she loses control and then showing her how to get it back, without stopping.

all it took was about 45 minutes and she developed the reflexes to do it automaticly. I wish more people would teach there kids to drive in bad conditions. but then again I guess 90% of people here just teach them to hide from the weather, and I guess that works for me too, snow days are just low traffic days.

Ripsnort · « **Reply #18 on:** January 08, 2004, 12:26:17 PM »

I wish more parents would practice that where possible, Apathy. My Dad did the same with all 3 of us kids, on a frozen lake in Minnesota. Thats where we learned to defensively drive on icey conditions. There wouldn't be so many dummmasses on the road today if it was a required school for such a thing. You don't know how many times I saw folks sliding into ditches because of over-correction, not giving themselves enough stopping distance, etc. during the last week.

Mini D · « **Reply #19 on:** January 08, 2004, 02:26:32 PM »

I have quite a bit of experience in ice and snow... not really an issue. But there's alot of people out there right now that have a shiney new 4x4 that think it should do just awesome on ice. You can teach someone to drive on ice, but it's impossible to avoid those that never learned.

MiniD

capt. apathy · « **Reply #20 on:** January 08, 2004, 03:22:38 PM »

ya it was almost funny up on Johnson creek Blvd, up above 92nd where they built all those big $$ homes up on the hill. odot closed the road, too steep and a solid sheet of ice.

and one after another you see thse handsomehunkes try to take that hill, I guess they don't know that the ice doesn't care how much you paid for that cadillac SUV.

next winter I think I'm going with the tires we put on my mothers car this year. they have walnut shells in the tread rubber, the handling on ice is much better than studs, and the handle like regular tires on good roads, making them perfect for the suprise patch of black-ice.

Mini D · « **Reply #21 on:** January 08, 2004, 03:31:07 PM »

That was 112th I believe, that ends down at Johnson Creek. It's the steep hill going down Mt. Scott. I've heard they have enough footage of tards from last Tuesday (before it was closed) to do an "America's stupidest drivers" for an entire season.

Mini D · « **Reply #22 on:** January 08, 2004, 03:32:10 PM »

DOH! wait... Johnson Creek Blvd... I forgot they just built those houses on it. On the backside. LOL! hadn't even tought about that one.

MiniD

capt. apathy · « **Reply #23 on:** January 08, 2004, 04:01:20 PM »

ya they hauled half of the mt away to extend JCB into a steep switch-back, not only is it great video footage in the winter, it looks like the next big rain (or maybe when the warm rain falls on this snow), we'll see a new round of people surfing their new houses down the mud slides.

SOB · « **Reply #24 on:** January 09, 2004, 06:18:02 PM »

The snow was fun, I'll miss it. Managed to get around just fine without being nailed by any northworst drivers. We got most of our freezing rain on Tuesday and some more on Wednesday. I went to see The Last Samurai on Tuesday and by the time I got out my car was covered with a 1/4" layer of ice

I'm well insured and don't give a flying poop about my car, otherwise it wouldn't have left my parking space. Too many overly confident, inexperienced, or easily panicked drivers out there. Can't really blame them too much, particularly if Oregon or Cali are the only places they've lived. That doesn't stop me from ridiculing them though.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #25 on:** January 09, 2004, 09:50:39 PM »

Can we blame all this on Vera Katz?

I'm gonna.

capt. apathy · « **Reply #26 on:** January 10, 2004, 12:31:56 AM »

we can blame Vera for everything.

I ran into the father of all morons today. left the chiropracter this morning (they hadn't cleared his lot yet) and some idiot pulls in, so I have to wait until he passes before I can back out of the spot. he gets directly behind me and gets stuck.

I give him some time to work it out, no luck. then I look at his wheels, he's chained up on the rear, front wheels are getting no traction.

what kind of moron chains up the rear wheels on a front-wheel drive car?

somehow I think we can find a way to blame this on Vera too.

LWACE · « **Reply #27 on:** January 10, 2004, 01:35:27 AM »

im down in redmond oregon, got bout 2ft of snow in some places, down to bout 1ft now still quite bit of ice on the roads, snow and ice been here for fricken lil over 2 weeks, usually it snows alil bit and melts away, hasnt been this bad here since bout 92.

BB Gun · « **Reply #28 on:** January 10, 2004, 09:15:07 AM »

All gone in Seattle - was about 50 degrees and sunny yesterday, but the rains came back last night - like that was a surprise. WHY did Bill Boeing have to start his airplane company HERE? (though the summers are awesome - if a little short)

BB