brian2sun
Elite Member
Warning: This is a rant, so if you don't want to hear it - leave now.
I've lived in the same mountain town all my life (except for a couple years while I was going to college). I've seen 7, 8, even 10 ft. snow storms and have been driving in the snow every winter since 1993. The cops have always made 4x4s carry chains when it snows, but this is getting ridiculous and I need to say my peace.
Now since the dumbing down of America is in full swing and nearing total completion, the CHP around here is requiring 4x4s to not only carry chains but put them on too - even when there's only a few inches on the ground. The problem is that they let everbody and their sister come up the mountain in these conditions, and then the idiot "flatlanders" crash their sh*t and block the roads. For every 1 local that gets into an accident in the snow, I would venture to say that there's at least 100 flatlanders crashing their Hyundai Sonatas (or whatever) at the same time.
The CHP thinks if they make everyone on the road put their chains on regardless of where they're from, what kind of vehicle they have, or their driving experience in snowy conditions, then magically everything will be safe and no one will get stuck. The reality is the idiots still get stuck, still block the roads (with their chains on), and still think stopping in the middle of an intersection is the best place to tighten or re-install their chains. Nothing is different except now they expect me with my very capable 4runner to uselessly put my chains on too. And if I don't, I will face up to a $700 fine. Yes, $700 if I'm "caught" driving without them on. Flatlanders have always been required to put chains on before going up the mountain, now the only difference is that the locals who don't crash and know how to drive in bad conditions have to also for no reason.
I'm sorry, but I don't need the f*cking government deciding for me when it's too unsafe to drive my 4runner especially when they do not take experience or the vehicle being driven into consideration. Hell, I've rescued a Brinks amoured car in the snow before that was carrying over $1,000,000 cash with my 4runner and no chains on. The Brinks drivers were so happy that they sent me a $300 check as a thank you and informed me how much $$ they were carrying at the time and how much was at risk. But apparently I'm the "risk" on the road now.
They could just as easily turn the flatlanders around and tell them come back when the roads are clear, but they don't. They purposely let them up to make a mess out of our streets and then try to look like they're solving the problem by misdirecting the attention to the locals. You see, they like to "trap" people up here - get em up here while it's snowing and hopefully they will get snowed in their hotels overnight and then have nothing better to do than spend money in town. But they underestimate their stupidity. The flatlanders think their Mercedes coupe can get through 2 ft of snow so they try to venture out to explore and then they crash - big freakin surprise! And low and behold, the road will close because 17 other douchebags had the same idea.
It just think it's bullshit that I have some of the best snow tires $$ can buy and more than twice as much ground clearance than an average car. And if that's not enough I have 4WD, and if that's not enough I have 4LO, and if that's not enough I have a diff locker, and if that's not enough I have 18 years of experience in this sh*t. So Officer Dingleberry and his crew of numbnuts can go to hell, I WILL NOT PUT MY CHAINS ON UNLESS I DEEM THEY ARE NECESSARY.
I've lived in the same mountain town all my life (except for a couple years while I was going to college). I've seen 7, 8, even 10 ft. snow storms and have been driving in the snow every winter since 1993. The cops have always made 4x4s carry chains when it snows, but this is getting ridiculous and I need to say my peace.
Now since the dumbing down of America is in full swing and nearing total completion, the CHP around here is requiring 4x4s to not only carry chains but put them on too - even when there's only a few inches on the ground. The problem is that they let everbody and their sister come up the mountain in these conditions, and then the idiot "flatlanders" crash their sh*t and block the roads. For every 1 local that gets into an accident in the snow, I would venture to say that there's at least 100 flatlanders crashing their Hyundai Sonatas (or whatever) at the same time.
The CHP thinks if they make everyone on the road put their chains on regardless of where they're from, what kind of vehicle they have, or their driving experience in snowy conditions, then magically everything will be safe and no one will get stuck. The reality is the idiots still get stuck, still block the roads (with their chains on), and still think stopping in the middle of an intersection is the best place to tighten or re-install their chains. Nothing is different except now they expect me with my very capable 4runner to uselessly put my chains on too. And if I don't, I will face up to a $700 fine. Yes, $700 if I'm "caught" driving without them on. Flatlanders have always been required to put chains on before going up the mountain, now the only difference is that the locals who don't crash and know how to drive in bad conditions have to also for no reason.
I'm sorry, but I don't need the f*cking government deciding for me when it's too unsafe to drive my 4runner especially when they do not take experience or the vehicle being driven into consideration. Hell, I've rescued a Brinks amoured car in the snow before that was carrying over $1,000,000 cash with my 4runner and no chains on. The Brinks drivers were so happy that they sent me a $300 check as a thank you and informed me how much $$ they were carrying at the time and how much was at risk. But apparently I'm the "risk" on the road now.
They could just as easily turn the flatlanders around and tell them come back when the roads are clear, but they don't. They purposely let them up to make a mess out of our streets and then try to look like they're solving the problem by misdirecting the attention to the locals. You see, they like to "trap" people up here - get em up here while it's snowing and hopefully they will get snowed in their hotels overnight and then have nothing better to do than spend money in town. But they underestimate their stupidity. The flatlanders think their Mercedes coupe can get through 2 ft of snow so they try to venture out to explore and then they crash - big freakin surprise! And low and behold, the road will close because 17 other douchebags had the same idea.
It just think it's bullshit that I have some of the best snow tires $$ can buy and more than twice as much ground clearance than an average car. And if that's not enough I have 4WD, and if that's not enough I have 4LO, and if that's not enough I have a diff locker, and if that's not enough I have 18 years of experience in this sh*t. So Officer Dingleberry and his crew of numbnuts can go to hell, I WILL NOT PUT MY CHAINS ON UNLESS I DEEM THEY ARE NECESSARY.
