Idiots and their 4x4 Trucks and Winter.

reply to post by Iwinder


I drive on Canadian roads and lately, due to the severe Winter we are experiencing, I try to stay off the roads and with good reason even though I am a very good, defensive driver.

Recently, I decided to go into work and drive the 60 km both ways in rush hour with my small car equipped with deep tread Winter tires. I stay in the middle lane and drive under the speed limit while ever vigilantly watching speeding vehicles come up speeding in both the left and right lanes. A few times now these left lane speeders will slide into my lane and then into the ditch on the right, barely missing me. This is white-knuckle driving and as I said previously, if I don't have to go into work, I won't.

Just the other weekend, I was driving on a country road and the snow covered all the road directions, so I didn't know there was a left-hand turn section, so I attempted to make a left-hand turn from the one lane I was in, all the while a guy in a 4X4 pickup leaning on his horn. It just makes me wonder if there is some sort of perceived persona that goes along with owning and aggressively driving a 4x4 'big' pickup truck; (Ram tough?).

reply to post by stirling


No.

the 4x4 industry has conned people such as yourself that the only thing that handles weather is a 4X4. It has been a very successful marketing campaign, it has gripped the residents of my state.

As someone coming from Pittsburgh, which has decent enough winter weather and the steepest streets in N. America (yes Pgh beats out san Francisco) people don't buy 4X4, they buy really good snow tires.

My $1000 Blizaks had me driving around all the stuck 4x4 in the snow, in my mustang. Nothing beats a very good set of snow tires, even 4x4.

Decades ago there used to be a commercial from VW that said: how do you think plow drivers get to the plows? It was for the vw beetle, which was excellent in the snow.

The people lured in by the big gas hogs (bigger has to be better, right?) forget that it was the small, lightweight cars, that had the easiest time in the snow.

reply to post by Iwinder


We don't get snow here in FL but people drive just like this in torrential rain when you can't even see in front of you. It annoys me to no end and it causes so many accidents that could have been avoided. I see it more with the bigger trucks because they seem to think they are invisible in their massive truck but they are not and they are like a ticking time bomb for smaller vehicles abiding the road rules for heavy weather.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Nixie, you are bad mouthing people who are trying to help others. I see what Stirling is saying all the time. It's usually in a rural area, where the trucks are actually used as trucks, not a status symbol.

Yes, a good set of snow tires is a must. But a good 4x4 is also a must if you live in the northern climes out in the country. Sometimes it'll take a day or two for a plow to get out to some of the roads, so people take the matter into their own hands and clear the roads themselves.

It's fun and earns the goodwill of your neighbors as well.

TDawgRex
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

Nixie, you are bad mouthing people who are trying to help others. I see what Stirling is saying all the time. It's usually in a rural area, where the trucks are actually used as trucks, not a status symbol.

Yes, a good set of snow tires is a must. But a good 4x4 is also a must if you live in the northern climes out in the country. Sometimes it'll take a day or two for a plow to get out to some of the roads, so people take the matter into their own hands and clear the roads themselves.

It's fun and earns the goodwill of your neighbors as well.

Oh is he talking about the ones with the plows on the front?

reply to post by nixie_nox


Yeppers! When I was younger and full of spit and viniger, I used to love plowing. I'd just ride along with one of my buds, so the company was getting free labor and my bud would be able to get some rest as well. Can't do that nowadays due to insurance liabilities. Occasionally we used to take our uncles tractor (also a 4x4) out and clear the roads for grins and giggles. Boy was he pissed when he went out to find the tank empty the next day...LOL.

But I do get where the OP is coming from. People who think that their 40-50,000 dollar truck makes them invincible. I love seeing them on the side of the road (usually tipped over on their side as well, hopefully no one was hurt, but their ego).

reply to post by TDawgRex


OH my bad. That is completely different. I have no problems with working trucks or people using them to plow. That is a different segment.
Just don't be like some of my friends and blow up your transmission.


I thought he was bragging regular commuter 4wd blaze the trails for everyone else.

reply to post by Iwinder


After growing up in Cleveland, driving in the snow is easy. Go slow, don't touch the brakes, watch out for dumbasses. Now I live in the glorious south. We don't get snow very much, but when we do, we see a few boneheads trying to drive fast and jam on brakes. They make us smile. The smart ones stay home. ( we actually have that luxury since the snow will be gone the next day or two)

But, it's 68 degrees here, and it will snow tomorrow, so off to the golf course now.

Ya'll have fun now.

Don't hate.

nixie_nox
reply to post by TDawgRex

 

Just don't be like some of my friends and blow up your transmission.

I've been looking for a good used 4x4 for a while, and I find that in the Cleveland area, those that are selling them on-line must be smoking crack. Yea, like I'm going to pay between 15 and 20 thousand dollars for a five year old truck that has been pulling landscaping equipment during the summer and plowing during the winter. That's another pet peeve of mine. I'm sure you have seen the same.

A couple of more months and I can fly down to AZ and buy a rust free, never plowed truck for less and drive it back to Ohio cheaper.

I love me my trucks. Though I do hate the price that goes with filling them up.

reply to post by network dude


Why do I have the feeling that you work at Bragg? When it snowed back when I was stationed there and it shut down the base, we used to go to the Rock-Ola Cafe, grab a corner booth and some brews and watch all the accidents at the intersection going into the Cross Creek Mall. It was entertaining watching southerners try to drive in the snow.

As one member stated. Ice-capades in slow motion. LOL

reply to post by TDawgRex

And what do I see? Idiots who have not properly cleaned off their cars and are texting in low visibilty and slick roads. I hope they don't hurt anybody, but I do hope that they total their cars. They don't belong on the road in this weather.

Well said Rex......A lot of folks do not belong on the road in this weather. :-)

Thanks for your input,
Regards, Iwinder

reply to post by network dude


Ha ha... You echoed my earlier post. Sunday was 65 degrees. Today the high is 32 but supposed to be back up in the 50s by Friday.

When we get , my 4x4s (yes, plural) and I stay home. Not because I can't drive in it (I grew up in the North), but because of all the idiots who are the subject of this thread.

TDawgRex
reply to post by nixie_nox

 

Yes, a good set of snow tires is a must. But a good 4x4 is also a must if you live in the northern climes out in the country. Sometimes it'll take a day or two for a plow to get out to some of the roads, so people take the matter into their own hands and clear the roads themselves.

It's fun and earns the goodwill of your neighbors as well.

Some rural areas in the north don't see plows at all, unless it's your neighbour with a tractor. Or we phone in the need for one.

I used to have a smaller 4x4 suv, but having acreage in the middle of no where, a pickup truck with 4 wheel drive is a necessity.

I'm one of the slower drivers that knows that 4 wheels still slide off the road fast, and I'd rather not wreck the truck
I pull off to the side when I have someone come up to fast behind me.

One of the problems with the trucks these days, is they drive so nice that people might not even notice the speed they're going.
I really watch my speedometer in the winter, but in the summer when the roads are dry, I find if I don't watch closely, speed builds up fast and isn't noticed as much as with the smaller vehicles.

SweetKarma
I'm out in the northern tier middle USA, in the Bakken oil field. With all the southerners here, it's an even bigger nightmare than usual. The locals are all fairly well behaved, as they know what winter brings here and most are smart enough to respect it. However, with the influx of others from all over the US, many have no clue what the weather up here can deliver (they are sure finding out this winter!!), and many have no respect for it. We see cars and even big rig trucks in ditches all over, 99% of them from sheer stupidity. I've no issue with folks needing to make a living. None. But drivers out for whatever reason, in this kind of weather, is just plain stupid. The thing is, they don't realize that 4 wheel drive, isn't 4 wheel stop. Get a clue people!! They just close the roads here now to keep the idiots home. I don't think there is an open road in the state at present. It's a huge fine if you cross the barriers, and there is no rescue if you happen to hit the ditch or get stuck. No snowplows are going to happen by.. No Highway Patrol out to help stranded drivers....you are on your own here if you are indeed that stupid. They are having to go out of their way here now to keep those kinds of drivers home, jumping the gun prematurely, to prevent accidents and deaths.

Canada, USA, I think it's all the same. There are always a few in any group.

Two or three winters ago they shut down all the major and minor highways due to a blizzard.
At some of the entrance ramps, idiots & more idiots removed the barricades and then became stuck in "No Mans Land".
That left them to their own devices and survival training, all the while at least 15 KM's from the next exit ramp.

Then all these really smart people needed rescue and it ended up the Military had to get involved to get them out of there.

They all should have been billed for their lack of smarts but unfortunately the tax payers picked up the tab.

Thanks for adding to the rant in progress:-)

Regards, Iwinder

What drives me nuts are the idiots that spin their tires when they're taking off from a stop sign or red light... creating huge patches of glare ice underneath them so that everyone else can slide through the intersection in an "Ice Capades Stock Car Rally" dance routine.

reply to post by CranialSponge

We agree 100 % with the above.

Thanks,Regards, Iwinder

reply to post by InTheLight

so I attempted to make a left-hand turn from the one lane I was in, all the while a guy in a 4X4 pickup leaning on his horn. It just makes me wonder if there is some sort of perceived persona that goes along with owning and aggressively driving a 4x4 'big' pickup truck; (Ram tough?).

We concur here, Ram tough, Ford tough, GMC/ Chevy tough it's all a smog intended to make you feel safe.

Regards, Iwinder

the 4x4 industry has conned people such as yourself that the only thing that handles weather is a 4X4. It has been a very successful marketing campaign, it has gripped the residents of my state.

reply to post by nixie_nox



Food for thought and thanks for adding here to the rant.

Forgive my ignorance of your area but does Pittsburgh have rural areas around where you live?

Just asking for reference, Just to say here, when I was 16 years old my boss at the Holiday Inn had a VW Bug and he more than once picked me up so I could get to work because the roads were so bad....

That Bug did doughnuts around every car on the road, the only thing that "Bugged" me ( Snicker) was the gas heater stunk to high hell!.....

Many thanks for your addition to this thread.

Regards, Iwinder

mblahnikluver
reply to post by Iwinder

 

We don't get snow here in FL but people drive just like this in torrential rain when you can't even see in front of you. It annoys me to no end and it causes so many accidents that could have been avoided. I see it more with the bigger trucks because they seem to think they are invisible in their massive truck but they are not and they are like a ticking time bomb for smaller vehicles abiding the road rules for heavy weather.

Yes I agree our truck is about 3 tons dry weight, maybe a bit more but the idea is our truck will slide and it will slide a long time due to inertia.

Thanks for posting,

Regards, Iwinder

One of the problems with the trucks these days, is they drive so nice that people might not even notice the speed they're going. I really watch my speedometer in the winter, but in the summer when the roads are dry, I find if I don't watch closely, speed builds up fast and isn't noticed as much as with the smaller vehicles.

reply to post by snowspirit


We could not agree more with your statement above, our truck is 5 years old now but it floats so smooth on the road you really have to pay attention to your speed.

The cabin is sound proofed and I think that is a bad bad idea, you can't hear the road at all and the ride is so nice you feel no bumps either.

All in all a dangerous situation waiting to happen, more so with a younger inexperienced driver at the wheel.

Thanks for your input.
Regards, Iwinder

reply to post by TDawgRex


I met a lady on the road the other day who didn't clean off her Chevy Tahoe. She had about a 5 inch hole she was looking through but I don't think it helped her much as she ran me off the road. I was really hoping that she saw my middle finger that I flashed her as I was going into the ditch! Lucky for her, I'm a professional 4-wheeling-type of fella, and was able to get out of the ditch relatively easy.