F-Body Europe

... made it home safely ... roads were a mess up here tonight ...

Guy in the picture must have passed (again - I think he may have passed me about a minute earlier) on the even worse middle lane ... of course he slid off and into the oncoming traffic ... when I drove by, both drivers were still in the car and probably at least slightly hurt ...

Just about the same thing happened Wednesday morning just 200m earlier ....

Edit: some slightly better pics ... http://www.osthessen-news.de/beitrag_C.php?id=1122898

I got released from work at 1 pm because we already had several inches of snow and it kept snowing. While cars stayed in one line in the "tracks" on the right lane on A6 and trucks just got stuck on A62 ... I took full advantage of the 4x4 and went into the left lane into the "real" snow where nobody else was driving and had fun. Got some applause from a police men when I just pushed a few cars blocking the road slowly out of the way or back into the tracks - bumper to bumper.
Of course I asked the first one if he did not mind (because of maybe scratching the plastic bumper, but I also used a double blanket over mine) and he did not and the others watching just waved for help...
it was easier uphill than with the rope, because the cars did not have to stop again and take the rope off and get stuck a second time, they just needed to speed up when they got traction

2hrs to go home 20 miles...because I heard incorrectly on the news that there was a 23km stau on the A6 at Grunstadt...didn't want to risk getting stuck on the autobahn so I took the bundestrassen and got to go only 25mph the entire way. Got really bad when I got into my town...where it was nothing but ice and people became idiot drivers. Got home and got stuck trying to park in a parking spot. So I just quit and left the GTO all wonkeyjawed.

In retrospect I should have done one of the following:

1) Left the GTO at work and rode home in the Audi with the wife
2) Put winter tires on

blah...is it springtime yet?

put winter tires on

Garry, where is the snow in those pics

Snow would have been OK, but the slush freezing was the problem ...

had about 10 - 12 inches of snow where I live the past two days only, not sure because in between it was raining for an hour and melting some, then freezing over, then snowing again, raining, melting, snowing...
the roads are covered with pressed snow and ice and more snow on top from last night

and I have fun... went offroad and playing a little past two nights

That would be a very smart choice ... is it really worth risking your car (and health or even life) to save a couple bucks on a set of winter tires? Plus, while you are driving around on your winter tires, your nice sticky (expensive) summer tires aren't worn down any!!! So, actually you save money in the long run


Hm ... another 2 1/2 weeks or so?

Hardly anything was moving here yesterday afternoon... and normally we don't get any snow here in March in Mainz! I decided to stay at work until about 8pm and so I could drive home with nearly no problems...

Ben

A 79 Ford Ranchero from our "workshop" was in primer, ready for paint and -should- have get picked up yesterday. Exactely in that moment when we wanted to hook up the cable to the car to tow it onto the truck bed the driver had to leave for an accident nearby... when he left that "little" 12ton truck nearly slid downhill into a house (talk about a few inches), thank god the car wasn´t on the bed...

Later we -had to- pick up the hood for this car from the paintshop. Driving in the thuringia woods with a rwd Ford Transit loaded with a easily scratched hood that bearly fitted into it wasn´t exactely fun:
20kms = 3h.

Oh, and btw the traction control switched itself off after 500meter due to overheating. Thanks Ford

Can whoever ordered the snow please cancel their order? I'm sick of it ... forecast had talked about it getting warmer starting tomorrow, but this seems to have changed again ... more snow and cold weather coming up at least through wednesday ...

This morning, another accident just about 500m from where the other one was yesterday, left three people dead and one in critical condition ... while Police state that the driver causing the accident was too fast for the road conditions, it again happened at the end of a passing lane, which no doubt was - as usual - not cleaned from snow and ice ...

Makes you feel great when you got people coming towards you on that middle lane ...

http://www.osthessen-news.de/beitrag_A.php?id=1122902

I had to work, no release for us who watch the communications of all of USAFE. Roads were BAD at 6pm two days ago. I could only hit about 55kmh on the A6 w/out my rear end breaking out.

Last night was bad, yesterday morning was pretty terrible also, until you got to base. Heck, even now I cant go anywhere w/out getting stuck in my 200sx. I have to park in the Chili's parkinglot cause its the only one groomed. I had the whole team at Burger King helping me get my car out of their parking lot this morning when I went there to get a Crossandwich =(

Meh...the choice was never about money...it had to do with trying to decide if I wanted the 100mph speed rating for the entire winter for potentially only 3 or 4 snow storms. If I was living over in K-town I could see the need for mounting the snow tires as they get snow more often...but we just don't see the same amount of snow. The BFG KDW's have been incredible for what they are...I'm very impressed with snow & wet performance.

As it stands now...we're 3 weeks out from warmer weather...so I'm hold squat and keep on with what I got.

There are winter tires with higher rating than 100mph!?

None that are in my basement.

3 years ago i also had no good winter tires in my basement.
Something changed my opinion about winter tires, somehow.
Can´t remember exactely what it was..

for people to live in area that gets snow (unlike some Americans who come here from non-snowy states), to drive like complete idiots just baffles me...no offense.

Tailgating me, going uphill, at a good degree in the snow crap yesterday.

Passing. As you saw in Garrys pictures....WTF?

Going to fast on shaky roads. A lady w/ her two kids in the back were going way to fast with the snow covered backroad to my house...its not even done yet, and your only suppose to go 30 kph in reg. conditions. I had to pull over to the deep snowed in shoulder, and stop...so it was a bit tricky to get momentum again. Hell she never moved over an inch, prolly more towards the center. I felt bad for her kids. To be subjected to it, just stay where you are till its clear. From what I found out, she crashed later. Ho hum.

Rolling up to intersections/roundabouts, THEN slamming on the brakes...sliding out into traffic.

Pay so much for driving lessons here, have to wait till 18, blah blah blah....

Maybe they didnt need to burn crosses yesterday, but....