Snow + Ice = abandon your car?

[MJ5150]

Here in Western Washington, we got our first snowfall of the year on Sunday and Monday. Depending on where you live, it was between 2" and 16". We got about 5". The Seattle area 3"-4".

What puzzles me is something I first witnessed a few years ago, and that was people abandoning their cars on the streets and walking home. The local TV stations would show stretches of the interstate and other roads that looked like parking lots.

So here we are again in 2010 with some snow and ice on the road. Again the freeways look like parking lots with people just getting out of their car wherever it is and walking home instead. Does this happen anywhere else in the country? I don't remember it being like this in Pennsylvania.

-Mike

[hover]

What a weird phenomenon...do people not care what happens to their cars? I certainly do. It would never, EVER occur to me to leave something that important to my livelihood up to someone to hit with a plow or tow....so odd! Never witnessed this!

[HaPpYfAcE]

need more subaru. hehe. i can't wait for it to actually snow here. i have another set of wheels with winter tires ready to go on the car. but here, snow is a regular occurrence during the winter and really it's expected that we'll get accumulation. the city proper is 6035 feet elevation, but it varies throughout.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

The most I've seen in CT is people pulling over when the snow gets so heavy it becomes a whiteout- then they just start driving again when it calms. We live up a steep one-way hill, and most folks will spend a half-hour trying to drive up it in the snow rather than park at the bottom of the hill and walk up.

[MakiSupaStar]

Weird. Pics?

[Pilgrim]

Originally Posted by MJ5150

What puzzles me is something I first witnessed a few years ago, and that was people abandoning their cars on the streets and walking home. The local TV stations would show stretches of the interstate and other roads that looked like parking lots.

So here we are again in 2010 with some snow and ice on the road. Again the freeways look like parking lots with people just getting out of their car wherever it is and walking home instead. Does this happen anywhere else in the country? I don't remember it being like this in Pennsylvania.

-Mike

Buncha western WA wussies....not like us robust, manly types who grew up on the east side of the state where there are four real seasons.

Seriously, when I was in college at WSU on the east side, we used to wait for the first snowfall, then take a look at the roads. Everyone from Seattle and California was sideways on the hills, while the eastern WA folks just drove around them...sometimes still on street tires.

People are such wusses when they run into a bit of bad weather. I know they're not used to it, but it seems so lightweight. Poor babies.....

[Stanley Design]

Just drove across 1200km of whiteout last night, couldn't see any lines on the highways. Pretty much everyone was doing between 90-120km/hr the whole time. We were rocking ~110. Not a chance I'd ever walk.

[MJ5150]

Originally Posted by hover

...do people not care what happens to their cars?

I guess not. It boggles my mind how someone can reason that out in their head..."it's too snowy to drive, so hows about I just park my car here on the freeway, walk home, then come back and get it when the snow is gone"

Originally Posted by MakiSupaStar

Weird. Pics?

No stills, but I did find some video. Here is one from one of our local TV stations: Some Drivers Abandon Cars On Gridlocked I-5 South. Even includes a guy telling you why he did it, then some others telling us they are going to sleep in their car for the night.

-Mike

[L-A]

[MJ5150]

Great pic L-A. One of my favorite movies ever.

-Mike

[mkandolf]

I see people around here just leave their cars on the road when they break down, right smack in the middle. No coasting over to the side, don't try to push, get assistance, call with their cell phone, nada. They need to get somewhere and let someone else deal with it. They don't need snow and ice to do this.

[superfunk47]

Originally Posted by Pilgrim

Buncha western WA wussies....not like us robust, manly types who grew up on the east side of the state where there are four real seasons.

Seriously, when I was in college at WSU on the east side, we used to wait for the first snowfall, then take a look at the roads. Everyone from Seattle and California was sideways on the hills, while the eastern WA folks just drove around them...sometimes still on street tires.

People are such wusses when they run into a bit of bad weather. I know they're not used to it, but it seems so lightweight. Poor babies.....

Basically this. I'm over on the Western side of the mountains for school, but grew up in Pullman. I'm one of the roughly ten people in Bellingham who seem to have snow tires and the ability to drive when they're necessary.

The worst thing I've found is that they're just not prepared to deal with it over here - the cities or the citizens. Even the main roads aren't free of ice, and it's been days now. Have they never heard of de-ice?

EDIT: As a matter of fact, I'm going to be driving right into the heart of Seattle to pick a friend up from Cornish and then driving over the mountains back to Pullman later today. Gonna be fun!

[warwick.hoy]

I'm actually about to load up my snow tires and go have them mounted. I'm sure the wait will be long but I think they have free wi-fi.

I didn't see any car abandonment. In 08 when we got three feet,...it occurred but people literally could not get up their homes on the South Hill during that event. Buses were backed up for hours.

Luckily I can walk to work.

It's frigid and we got roughly 8 inches. Paltry attempt IMO.

[hover]

what makes me absolutely incredulous in this whole thing is it's the same every year. Same deal. every year. Same requirements. every year. Can't blame this on El Nino or El Nina, or any of that nonsense. The world's axis did not shift and the North Pole is not now Florida.

Fill your tank, get decent tires, and don't drive like a moron. Really is that simple.

-love your friendly neighborhood Masshole.

[Sandvich Hero]

Don't they get those cars towed eventually ?!?!


Oh, and

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

It's frigid and we got roughly 8 inches.

Well nature blessed you, the only time I can get 8 inches is when I'm certainly not frigid

[L-A]

Originally Posted by warwick.hoy

It's frigid and we got roughly 8 inches.

Sounds like useless inches, then.

[Nappa]

We had 12 inches yesterday. With gusting winds. First heavy snow this winter. There was already an accident. A semi-truck in the ditch, a minivan into the divider, and a SUV with the impacted front-end. I would never leave my car on the interstate. Why would anyone do that? Around here we have many snow plows so the interstate is pretty snow free.

[warwick.hoy]

Minds always meet the gutter around here

I should have called, but I went down to the tire shop I'm loyal to and they were booked for the day. I think I'll just wait until after the Holidays and limit my driving.

Taking it easy, I'm getting around fine. Having a manual is nice. It's a second gear kind of day. I'd like some extra traction though. Maybe I'll pickup some chains. The city has been on top of the main arterials and the hills, but there is compacted snow in some of the intersections.

PS. Falling Down is an excellent movie.

[Passinwind]

Originally Posted by Nappa

Around here we have many snow plows so the interstate is pretty snow free.

When I lived in Seattle there were six snowplows for the entire metro area. One was perpetually broken. Doesn't take much to make a huge mess up there.

[Nappa]

Originally Posted by Passinwind

When I lived in Seattle there were six snowplows for the entire metro area. One was perpetually broken. Doesn't take much to make a huge mess up there.

Around here the construction companies do most of the plowing.