The really boring and totally pointless snippets thread V

[reddo]

Sorry to hear about Punto, Wodrick. Thoughts are with you.

I swapped over my Disco's tyres to Alpine/snow tyres last week. Should mean no snow. I got the tyres for a trip to Switzerland several winters ago.
They work very well in cold damp wintery conditions. The Disco is not a light car and the thought of it sliding into another car all because I didn't swap over the tyres is galling.
Also, the thought of being stranded at the side of the road late at night does not appeal either.

[OFSO]

Question often raised by the media when I lived in Germany. How come Germans drive with extreme competence when they go skiing in CH, F and, A, but once home they crash into one another or slide off road when a couple of mm's of snow falls in Germany?

[PHXPhlyer]

RIP in advance to Punto.

PP

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

OFSO, because in cars you are isolated from the environment, especially as regards temperature.
It's also why car drivers go fast in fog that they wouldn't run in if out of the vehicle.
We go slowly in slippery conditions because we get feedback through our feet and legs.
We have both evolved and learned to react to ice using that feedback, which we don't get when our feet are on the pedals of a car.

It's easily fixed by turning off the heating and winding down the windows. Try it (in a safe area). You will drive a lot more carefully in fog and/or ice. Do ensure you have a hat in the car, though, and gloves!

[Pontius Navigator]

It's easily fixed by turning off the heating and winding down the windows. Try it (in a safe area). You will drive a lot more carefully in fog and/or ice. Do ensure you have a hat in the car, though, and gloves!

Or a heated steering wheel

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Lightweight!

[Pontius Navigator]

Wodrick I know what it feels like to lose a close friend. Hopefully you both enjoyed the last days.

[larsssnowpharter]

Thoughts are with you Wodders.

[larsssnowpharter]

On car tyres in sand, snow and ice:

Sand: In the sandpit I had an old and battered Jeep Wrangler fitted with a roll cage and Desert Dueller tyres which was used for dune bashing and longer camping trips. I'd drop the tyre pressure down to about 15 psi on sand and it was fine.
A problem arises in wadis near the sea where the sand looks normal on the surface but is soft and wet underneath. Not quite quicksand but bloody close. Get into that and you are properly stuck. One technique is to carry 4;rolls of carpet, each about 30cm wide and 3 metres long. Use this as you would PSP. Attach the carpet to your vehicle with some rope and, when you get going, keep going until on firmer sand. You will tow the carpet out with you.

Snow and Ice: I lived for 2winters at a place called Asiago at 1000 metres up in the Dolomites. Famous for its cheese and cross country skiing. Nice little airport where I still keep the DG.

For about 3 months of the year you drive on packed snow on many roads. A local solution I adopted was to buy a battered Fiat Panda 4WD with studded tyres. Go anywhere and if you slid off the road you lifted it back on!

[Fox3WheresMyBanana]

Fine vehicles, Panda 4WD.
When I lived in a remote Yorkshire Dale, with lots of snow, the only 3 kinds of vehicle anyone owned were Landies, VW Polos and Panda 4WDs.

[Woody]

Sorry folks, but all this talk of quicksand

[Woody]

Anyone heard from C16 recently

[TheGreenAnger]

Anyone heard from C16 recently

I was in contact with him last week. He is well but taking an Internet break.

[OFSO]

My last snow drive was in the Fiesta, a metre of snow fell in four hours (not drifting), the 45 min drive from Girona home took 12 hours. Left car half way down our hill, walked the rest. Good little car, just the right amount of HP for conditions. Had chains left at home, because, well, we NEVER get that amount of snow, do we! Head of the Mossas d'Esquadra (police) refused to come out, subsequently sacked. 15,000 trucks stranded between the French turn on at Le Bolou and Girona.

[reddo]

I was very happy and impressed with the Disco 4 and proper snow tyres in the Swiss Alps. Very sure footed and comfortable. Then again, it is it's raison d'etre.
A couple of years ago we hired a Merc GLA 220 to drive to Incline Village at Lake Tahoe January 2019. I think it had reasonable tyres on it but very impressed with its sure footedness. Handled every thing easily and with no fuss.

[llondel]

I don't remember the last time I had to drive in serious snow. I've driven on roads with snow piled at the sides, although the last time there was real snow was probably in Reno early last year when we took Faraday to meet her boyfriend. Donner pass was clear (albeit with the piled snow) but it dumped some on us overnight while we were there. I do remember back some years when the M11 got clogged and a lot of people spent the night stuck in their cars because the road was blocked by jack-knifed lorries. I wasn't one of them because I saw the snow coming down outside the office window in Bishops Stortford and said "screw it, I'm leaving now". Took me two and a half hours of interesting driving to do a 30-minute drive. The boss, who lived in the village next to mine, left later than I did, and he was one of those who got to spend the night out.

I think the problem with driving when there's a bit of slippery stuff around is that a lot of the time it's just fine and it is safe to go at speed, but you don't find out until it's too late that you've hit a patch with a lot less grip.

[ExSp33db1rd]

#9931 - Ribrash -

Do you remember the plane that would take you up for a quick flight for a few ££ ?

A few £££ ? Are you joking ? When I was at school a return trip around Blackpool Tower cost 5/- and I could never afford it.

G-ACEJ, a DH 83 Fox Moth flown by a Frenchman callled Gyroux ( Gyro ! ). Many years later I flew with a flying club based at the nothern end of the town, nearer to Marshside, and we shared a hangar with Gyroux, who would push the aircraft out, open the cabin door and his dog would jump in, then he would fly over to his spot on the beach near the pier and await his passengers. I could have afforded a ride in those later years, but never did, pity, should have.

[OFSO]

Morning all. Meteo radar shows very bad weather approaching. Today's Lunch will not be on the terrace I fear.

[Woody]

Thoughts with Wodders and Punto as they approach the Rainbow Bridge

[Woody]

A few £££ ? Are you joking ? When I was at school a return trip around Blackpool Tower cost 5/- and I could never afford it.

PaWoody spent many hours selling and flying trips around the Tower in the early 60’s at Squires Gate