Tips for driving in snow/general winter fuckery, brought to you by someone who has driven in snow way too much recently and has so much anxiety:
This shit genuinely can start up in a second- it’s insane. Recently I was leaving work and I heard that there was a bad storm out, but when I was leaving work it was just flurries. Which I was like pssh- that’s nothing to worry about. And I was driving, carefully but still not super worried- and I could see ahead of me about a block. The air was clear and I could see the sky, and the block after that was completely white. By the time I got up to the light, I couldn’t really see more than a few feet- total whiteout conditions.
Don’t listen to music if it’s insane snow out. Which I get it, driving without music seems insane to me too, and this might be me but I can get distracted with the song playing or if I can’t remember which playlist it is I’ll be thinking about what song comes next. If it’s really bad out, either don’t listen to anything or play a playlist you know so completely through and through that you won’t be distracted by the dip in that one song or which song is coming up next on the playlist. Something that is so familiar to you it’s like a mantra. If it isn’t that and any part of it will take your attention, don’t put it on.
DO NOT let the cars behind you dictate what you are doing. There are people that always have to get somewhere as fast as they can, regardless of what the weather is doing. And this is coming from someone who is always worried that the people driving behind me are mad at me, or that anyone ever in life is mad at me because I am in their way. Coming from me, if it is snowing so much it’s whiteout conditions, and there’s snow on the road and in the air,
SLOW. THE. FUCK. DOWN.
Like down to 20 miles an hour- this way, you will still be moving, but you shouldn’t slide too much. Which, even in terrible weather, people behind you still might pass you. Let them. Maybe their car has a four wheel drive. Maybe they’re driving a big ass SUV. Maybe they just can’t stand to wait- but they are no concern to you. Let them pass. Just focus on moving forward.
But while moving forward- you will need to stop. Soon. Be prepared.
There will be a stop light or a crosswalk or the car ahead of you is slowing down. Try to slow down gradually and not all at once- you still might slide, but hopefully not as much.
Same with taking sharp turns- try to make it as least sharp as you can, go so slow people will think, is that car still moving? Again, you might still slide a little bit but it should be less.
Also, and this is the biggest tip of all-
If the weather looks too bad or shitty or just nasty out, DO NO GO OUT.
And believe me, I get it- I don’t get paid if I’m not at work. I also do not live remotely close to my office and in a city with too many freaking hills from damn glaciers (something I’ve often thought- what is it like to drive in bad weather in a place that is flatter?)
And I know this is different if you work in healthcare or a place where they will actually miss you- and I’m using myself as an example here- if I don’t go in, there will be other people there to sort the damn mail. And if I drive off one of the big ass hills and land in a ditch they will not miss me.
And in this same vein- this doesn’t just apply to work. If someone (like a pushy parent) wants you to come over but A) the weather is shitty and B) coming over requires leaving a building and going anywhere farther than say down the street- you do not have to do it!
I’m a bit of a hypocrite here because I am very bad at saying no and come from a very pushy family (who then wonder why I’m so quiet it’s like… y’all don’t ever stop talking and if I do say something you belittle it or talk over me?) Basically what I’m trying to say here is if there are too many obstacles, don’t ignore them.
For context- my car is about 20 years old (it was my grandmas) and the year this car came out, there was a defect with Toyotas where if the temperature (like the baseline not the wind hill) gets below say -11 degrees Fahrenheit, the car lights will turn on by themselves. They still stay on until either I realize it and run the car or they stay on until the battery drains and then the car says “fuck this I’m out” and dies. Where I live, it’s supposed to reach these deep negatives tomorrow- like the high for tomorrow is one degree. And still when I talked to my mom today (who knows my car does this) suggested I could still come over tomorrow night if I took an Uber. But I have two cats, and I was planning on still coming over the day after tomorrow which will be Christmas Eve and staying overnight. And my mo, isn’t alone- my brother lives out of state but he’s been at her place for a couple weeks (he works remote). And while my mom really doesn’t listen to me, I don’t know, ever? I still repeated a couple times they keep saying there’s going to be forty mile an hour winds, it seems smarter not to go out, and I need to be sure my cats are fed. I think she heard me- but we’ll see if this comes up tomorrow.
Like I know what time of year, but I did see Glass Onion in the theater with you. I will watch it with you when the temperatures are in the positive numbers.
Lastly (and this is more general) even if you are just taking something out to the trash, TAKE YOUR COAT. Honestly I would say take your phone just in case (obviously your keys) but please take your coat. Story time- when I worked in daycare, there was a girl who opened so she worked from to 6am to noon. She would never wear her coat when she went outside- again, this is a cold ass state. If she was taking something out to the trash or getting something from her car she wouldn’t put her coat on. Like once I was putting my coat on to take out the trash, and she asked, “why are you getting all bundled up? You’re just taking the trash out”. And I was like “it’s outside” and it was around the corner- it wasn’t right outside. And she was like “but you’ll be right back”. We went back and forth on this for a while. But my point is- you could fall. There could be ice. Especially if this is dark- if you are lying on the ground in the dark make sure someone can find you.
This is my street this morning.
It’s pretty but this shit is scary.
Please be safe
