Snow Driving, Minor Style!

[Sidney'61]

True, I suppose anything can come under that.

[Mogwai]

I went to work yesterday in my midget. seeing as its lowered & has a mental cam it performed amicably (although would have preferred the minor if it was working.much better in these conditions) had today off as nothing can get up the slope at work
Have been requested to bring a spade in tomorrow so no prizes to guess what I'll be doing tomorrow

[eastona]

I work on a trading estate which is ungritted, as most are. The roundabout outside has provided untold amusement.

One chap yesterday in a pimped up Saxo gave us a great understeer/oversteer demo by first driving straight into it, then managed to negotiate half way round before losing the back end and disapearing off up the kerb onto the pavement. Fantastic!

I don't normally spend ages staring out of the window, honest!

This morning it was something like -10 or -12. Maggie started first time, but the inside of the windscreen didn't really defrost until I got to Malvern. The heater is OK, but fighting a losing battle really!

My fuel economy is awesome, short shifting, light on the throttle and travelling much slower than usual!

Andrew

[Cam]

Well, seen my first bout of snow rage tonight. A sprinter was following a Reliant Robin about a foot from his bumper. The reliant then slowed to go round a roundabout and the sprinter locked and skidded sideways a little. Then the sprinter followed even closer and then overtook on the wrong side of the road and slammed his brakes on in front of the reliant forcing him to stop. Two big lads then jumped out of the van and had a blazing shouting match with the reliant driver who also got out of his vehicle. This continued for a couple of minutes with a large queue building up. They were quite animated and I thought punches would be thrown but amazingly there was no violence. They just got into their respective vehicles and went.

I was absolutely amazed at the complete disregard for safety and the stupidity of the sprinter driver & mate.

[mike.perry]

Respect for the Robin driver taking it out on these roads, and only three wheels.
I managed to dig the snowdrift out from in front of my Traveller this afternoon and ventured up the close, into the road and up to the T junction which is uphill in both directions. No way to turn around so I reversed back down the road, by which time the rear windows had misted up, to the close and back into the drive. I then spent an hour excavating my wife's Focus from where she had dumped it halfway up the hill the other day.

[Blaketon]

They reckon using a mobile phone is worse than milder cases of being "Over the limit". If so, why doesn't it carry a ban ?

It does, doesn't it?
I've noticed that people trying to light a cigarette/pipe whilst driving are just as bad, theres no law about that.

I thought using a hand held mobile was a 6 point offense and you need 12 for a ban? There is a KFC "Drive Thru" about a mile from me. My grandparents are buried in the cemetary next to it, so I walk past it fairly regularly. The road into KFC is fairly tight but you see plenty of bone heads driving in there one handed, holding a phone to their ear.

[d_harris]

I thought it was a three pointer & a £60 fine??

One of my mates was picked up for using his phone on the way back from work - the call? His mum telling him to watch out as police were checking for people using mobiles

BTW, this chap is very respectable and not some yobbo driver....

[LouiseM]

I thought it was a three pointer & a £60 fine??

Yes, for a 'fixed penalty'. If the matter went to court the fine could be increased to a maximum of £1,000 (£2,500 for lorry, coach drivers etc) and you could get disqualified.

[aupickup]

I thought it was a three pointer & a £60 fine??

One of my mates was picked up for using his phone on the way back from work - the call? His mum telling him to watch out as police were checking for people using mobiles

BTW, this chap is very respectable and not some yobbo driver....

and still using a mobile when driving

[HarryandDoreen]

There are some fantastic photos and stories on this thread. A small yarn to add...

Bath is quite hilly, and there is a nasty little chicane on a hill in King Edward Road, which is a residential street in the suburbs. We have escaped the heavy snow until Tuesday night...

At 10.30 ish bloke number one comes down the hill, loses control and goes into the rear of a parked car. He calls his brother. He comes down the hill, misses the parked and crashed cars and slams sideways into a garden wall. If he had tried to do it he couldn't have. A marvel of parking. The police and a recovery van are called... (you know what's coming).

The police car loses control, smashes into the once hit parked car and shunts it in into the next parked car. There are cars akimbo everywhere now. Thankfully the recovery van had the sense to stop at the top of the hill and restore some order to the chaos. Nobody was hurt, apart from an Audi, a Vauxhall Astra, a Ford Ka, the Police Car and the original car which was towed away.

It is thawing now. I hope everyone's daily use moggies made it safely through the last few weeks okay.


Harry and Doreen

[Blaketon]

Yes, parked cars don't help at the best of times, let alone in bad weather. I still haven't removed the foot of snow from the lane behind my garage (Or in front depending on how you look at it). Heard someone trying to move their car in the street last week; they were bouncing it off the rev limiter for a good ten minutes .....some of these "Motorists" really are too primative to own cars; it's no wonder cars get into a mess .

Wednesday was my day off but I walked into the shop (9 miles), as I didn't know how I'd fare on Thursday morning. The mountain road is still closed. On Wednesday it was buried under drifts a good four feet deep. I shall not be sorry to see the Spring. I never used to really have a favourite season but when the clocks go on in March is now my favourite time of year, with a good six months of light nights to look forward to (Even if it is p***ing down). Snow and ice is OK if you don't have to get about or if you're a school pupil after a few days off school (I remember helping to reinforce snow drifts to make sure there would be no school bus).

[HarryandDoreen]

South Wales has really been hit this year. I hope it thaws soon enough so you can get the fleet out. I have a good friend who throws a party "to celebrate the end of January" every year. It is a great idea and a get together which no one misses!


Harry and Doreen

[Dryad]

Speaking of Minors in the snow, has anyone seen this Danish Minor pick-up video!?; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fsXuY9Kuvk That's the way to do it!

[MarkyB]

Indeed it is, he's got snow chains fitted.