[Shotimes] snow and ice

[bjshov8]

> People in the far North US seem to look
> forward to snow, people in the central parts of the northern
> states just put up with it.  the farther south, the worse
> the cold weather drivers are, it is just a fact of what you
> are used to.

We tend to get coatings of pure ice, and nothing gets traction on it no
matter which tires are powered or what they are made out of.  Sometimes it
happens that 50 miles north of us is slightly colder and they get snow, 50
miles south of us is warm enough to just get rain, but here we get rain,
freezing rain or sleet and it ice-cubes the pavement.  Unless you've got
studs or chains you don't go anywhere very fast.  I guess compared to this
ice show would seem like good dry asphalt.

Years ago I remember my Scirocco and Jetta doing better in the ice.  Even
owning SHO's for a long time I haven't had that many chances to try them on
pure ice.  What I do remember is that they would take me where I wanted to
go but I had to take it easy.  More conventional vehicles couldn't go at
all.

Back when I was driving the Jetta I remember one of our yuppie employees had
a new 325e, with antilock brakes.  He came driving into our parking lot
which was nothing but a pure skating rink.  When he touched the brakes they
locked up, the fancy anitlock brake system in his car turned off the brakes,
and he rolled all the way across the parking lot and into the brick wall.
When I arrived shortly after that the simple brakes in my Jetta didn't have
any trouble stopping.