WHY THE HELL ARE PEOPLE TRYING TO DRIVE??!? Was it like that everywhere? Or just that street? I would have thought SOMEONE would have tried to block off the entrance to that street after the FIRST time it happened. Damn, like there weren't enough people out there yelling? How about someone stands over at the entrance to the street and says back the fuck up, or you are going to hit someone sliding around on the road.
If it's anything like Vancouver, the problem is that almost all of the roads would be like that. Since the Pacific Northwest doesn't get much snow, it's a perfect storm of:
1. no one has snow tires, just all-seasons 2. there's very little infrastructure to clear roads 3. drivers have very little experience in driving in snow
Although I learned to drive in central New York and southern Ontario, and have no problems driving through blizzards there, I would not even consider getting behind the wheel of a car after a snowfall in Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland.
I realized that I'm not a good enough driver, because I don't understand how the cars are doing that, even though I've been in enough cars on sheets of ice before.
pinning the gas, slamming on the brake, pinning the gas, slamming on the brake...
When, of course, the correct method to employ would be easing on the gas, tapping (aka pumping) the brake, easing on the gas, tapping the brake.
And like Argaive says below, it's probably a centimetre of ice dusted with snow. It's hell to drive on even for seasoned drivers, but these people... cripes.
It looks like it's pure black ice lightly covered with snow - the absolute worst possible combo, as close to a frictionless surface as weather can provide.
It also looked like the street is slightly downhill, so once a car loses traction it won't stop until it hits something. Stepping on the accelerator trying to regain control only makes matters worse, like that first fellow who careens off three cars and two corners failed to figure out.
I mean exactly what you see above, a sheet of ice with a light frosting of snow on it. It wasn't by choice, as everything froze over the course of a work day as temperatures rapidly fell. Then the snow started.
Here in DC, you'd think these people have never seen snow before, despite the fact that we normally get several significant snowfalls EVERY DAMN WINTER.
Fortunately, I didn't learn to drive around here, and actually know how to deal with inclement weather.
Not to defend the admittedly weak snow-driving skills of my fellow Portlanders, but I'd like to point out that King5 is *not* a Portland news station. It is, in fact, a *Seattle* news station.
It may be that they decided to show footage of Portlanders driving badly in Seattle, but I'm guessing that they have enough idiots of their own to showcase.
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(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 03:07 pm (UTC)Not that it makes it any better.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 03:08 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 04:18 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 05:38 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 06:07 pm (UTC)1. no one has snow tires, just all-seasons
2. there's very little infrastructure to clear roads
3. drivers have very little experience in driving in snow
Although I learned to drive in central New York and southern Ontario, and have no problems driving through blizzards there, I would not even consider getting behind the wheel of a car after a snowfall in Vancouver, Seattle, or Portland.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 05:49 pm (UTC)how the cars are doing that
Date: 2007-01-18 05:45 am (UTC)When, of course, the correct method to employ would be easing on the gas, tapping (aka pumping) the brake, easing on the gas, tapping the brake.
And like Argaive says below, it's probably a centimetre of ice dusted with snow. It's hell to drive on even for seasoned drivers, but these people... cripes.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 06:37 pm (UTC)It also looked like the street is slightly downhill, so once a car loses traction it won't stop until it hits something. Stepping on the accelerator trying to regain control only makes matters worse, like that first fellow who careens off three cars and two corners failed to figure out.
Wow.
A.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 06:40 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 07:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 07:24 pm (UTC)2) But yes, idiot drivers can make anything worse.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 07:29 pm (UTC)Here in DC, you'd think these people have never seen snow before, despite the fact that we normally get several significant snowfalls EVERY DAMN WINTER.
Fortunately, I didn't learn to drive around here, and actually know how to deal with inclement weather.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-18 05:53 am (UTC)*Ahem*
Date: 2007-01-18 05:59 am (UTC)It may be that they decided to show footage of Portlanders driving badly in Seattle, but I'm guessing that they have enough idiots of their own to showcase.