People can't drive on ice in Portland (video)

[Phillycat]

This is unbelieveable.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=SPE8vL5hlFA

[bridgit]

1. good grief, why are they even trying, they need to stay in till the sanders...

or whatever gets on the scene x(

[LeftyMom]

2. That can't be Portland

There are parking spaces available.

[lizziegrace]

3. My parents told me about this a few days ago

(They're in Portland) No one can drive on ice. And with the terrain there? Even more insane to try.

[swag]

4. It was a funny few days. There are lots of videos like that around.

My Prius made it to and from work no problem, but it has front-wheel drive and I learned to drive in Montana. It was pretty stupid of me to drive to work, though, because everybody was skidding all over the road.

[bridgit]

6. yeah but don't you guys get to run on studded tires in town?

or do people not bother wheeling up hoping it will pass :(

[swag]

7. You can get studs, in fact chains were allegedly required downtown

on the afternoon following the big dump.

People just don't bother because they consider snow and ice storms rare events. It usually just rains.

[bridgit]

10. hmm, ice is so precarious...

good thing it passed for you guys somewhat timely

[swag]

11. When we get ice storms, people break their bones just trying to

walk down the street.

[bridgit]

12. i'm say'n, when i used to ice stake one does not merely fall, one falls...

at the speed of light somehow, hubby's daughter is north of you on bainbridge island, seven months pregnant, and making the trek cross ferry, a bus, and a walk up hill to her design group and we both freak when the weather gets funky

you however, swag dearest, will be taking care as well and if easier to digest such protective utterances please consider it a form of direct order :hug:

[swag]

13. Oh, Bainbridge Island.

I went to a lovely wedding up there a couple years ago.

Good for your man's daughter.

[bridgit]

14. all the best to you darlin, need to run out and perform a few tasks...

catch you on the flip-side

[Little Wing]

5. Dat's some dumbassitude right there

GAWD :argh:

[MorningGlow]

8. And that's, why, despite the effects on the environment,

I heart the armada of salt trucks in my region. And my studded snow tires. And my fellow WNYers who shrug at ice- and snowstorms and go on their merry way, usually without hitting anybody.

Actually, that video reminded me of when I lived in Boston--one odd snow-over-ice incident (all of it fell in one night) and I woke too a weird, steady noise I couldn't quite place. "Whap / thud / whang / whap / thud..." Looked out my apartment window to see a steady multi-car pileup on my one-way street. There was a tiny, gradual, totally imperceptible downslope at the stop sign, where another street merged, and there was nothing anybody could do--chain reaction all morning. It got to the point that everyone (including me) would just inch down the street and, once you got to the icy spot, hit the car in front of you, get hit by the car behind you, check to see if anybody had whiplash, and just keep going. Fun!

[pdx_prog]

9. I seen it on the news

and laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes.

[ironflange]

15. Why would a Seattle station run a Portland scene?

Anyway, Letterman ran the first bit of this, last night I think. He introduced the clip as "Lindsay Lohan on her way to Rehab."

[flamingyouth]

30. Because the cities are pretty close and we often share the same weather n/t

[ironflange]

36. Are you sure Seattle isn't just making fun of Portland?

[flamingyouth]

38. Hardly.

Believe me, we have plenty of our own bad drivers here, and we had hours and hours of that footage all of last week. :D

[leftofthedial]

16. people who drive SUVs

think they are invincible

it's comical

[Phillycat]

23. I know! You'll note most of the really out of control ones were SUV's.

They always drive fast as hell on the ice around here too. And I'm like, "Erm, Dumbasses? YOUR FOUR WHEEL DRIVE WON'T HELP YOU ON ICE."

[Parche]

17. PDX

That is why I take MAX!!!!

[swag]

40. Yeah, the MAX had no trouble this year.

Years back, the MAX couldn't handle snow or ice. I guess they have found away around those problems.

[ContraBass Black]

18. So? I've lived in places where people crash into buildings when it rains.

:scared:

[democracyindanger]

19. Obviously California transplants.

[Karenina]

35. BWHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:

[crim son]

20. The video makes me feel better about skidding off the

road last weekend. It looks like that one SUV was planning on taking off after it his the other one. Idiot.

[Xithras]

21. Oh man, that reminds me...

About 10 years ago I was up in Yosemite Valley when a snowstorm rolled in and started dumping on everyone. All the tourists immediately ran for their rental cars and tried to get out of the valley as fast as they could. The result was both predictable and comical (if any of you have driven in Yosemite, try to remember what the roads are like...narrow, winding, and with trees right up to the shoulder).

By the time I got my chains on (I NEVER venture into the Sierras without them, even in the summer) and got onto the road, it looked like a warzone. Minivans on their sides, two cars on their roofs, more crushed bumpers than I could count, lots of people learning the hard way that trees don't have crumple zones...it was a mess. The greatest were the SUV drivers. I swear I'm not making this up: I was driving along at about 25MPH, sticking fine with my diamond pattern chains on all four corners, when an SUV blew past me like I was standing still. I said to my wife "We'll see him wrecked in the next mile". Two turns later, there he was...upside down in the bushes. I didn't stop. About a mile later ANOTHER massive SUV blows by me. I looked at my wife and said "Half mile". A couple of turns later, that one too was off the road. I didn't stop (I'm not a total prig, I DID call them into the ranger). As I went into the tunnel on my way out of the valley (Big Oak Flat Road, for those of you familiar with the area), I had to slow down slightly because I was now in chains on dry ground, which is somewhat risky. A THIRD SUV blew past me and accelerated through the tunnel. I just had time to get out "What an idio.." when he exited tunnel, hit the ice again, and spun into a huge boulder on the side of the road. I did stop for that one.

People just don't know how to drive in the snow. If you tell them to slow down and put on their chains, they look at you like you're an idiot. I did just that, and made it home without a scratch.

[tigereye]

25. I've seen that kind of thing more times than I can count

we were on an interstate north of here, near where I grew up, going to my p's for the holiday, there's a low windy area in the road where it always ices up when there 's even a little snow - I told my husband to slow down, and of course some fool blows by and several cars end up sideways. Luckily no one was hurt, but the SUVer blew out a tire.

Why do people have so little sense? :eyes:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

22. This one's pretty scary, too...

http://youtube.com/watch?v=CTnCvVKtg3k&mode=related&search=

[struggle4progress]

37. "It's got to be safer to sit on the icy roadway than in my car"

"I wish I could remember how to stop a vehicle by letting it drag me along the sidewalk"

[Crabby Appleton]

39. yep, interesting technique

[swag]

24. I think I just figured out what neighborhood this is.

I think it's shallow SW, over by the ballpark.

[swag]

26. Oh, more information:

http://www.oregonlive.com/oregonian/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1169180739240520.xml&coll=7

[6000eliot]

27. Why are these idiots even trying?

[trof]

28. It looks like a pinball game.

Strange things happen when the coefficient of friction is close to zero.
That's hilarious.
Hope no one was seriously injured.

[Arugula Latte]

29. It's true. We don't know what to do when white stuff comes out of the sky.

My husband, who used to live in Minnesota, laughs at my wimpiness about driving in snow (I just won't do it). But I see these videos and know I'm right.

[asthmaticeog]

31. God DAMN!

I'd hate to see any of those poor schmucks trying to drive in Cleveland. Wow. Just Wow.

[Ms_Dem_Meanor]

32. Thank God I don't live there!

:wow:

[Mojambo]

33. What was that first guy thinking?

It looked like he jammed the gas about mid-way through that.

[GOPisEvil]

34. This is why people here stay home when there is ice.

We aren't used to it; don't have the equipment to deal with it and it's better to just stay home.