|
Back Issues |
|
Auto & Travel
AutoMotives:
A Paranoiac's Guide to With the holidays coming on, lots of folks take to the road to visit family or friends. If it was the 4th of July weekend, then the roads could be crowded, but they probably wouldn't be dangerous. But winter driving can be a whole other story. What should you do to make the best of a possibly bad situation? ... Forget what you learned ... Worst things first. ... Have you been a skid in the past few years? ... If you're old enough, then when you started to drive, one of the first things you probably learned was to steer in the direction of the skid. Back then, it worked. Now, not so much. ... Why? Because your car's been turned around on you while you were thinking about other things. ... Odds are, the engine isn't in the back any longer, nor is it the rear wheels that are pushing you along the road. Cars today, with engines in front and front wheel drive, have reversed the old equation. The good news is, with front wheel drive and an engine and drive-train over the wheels, the car is probably a lot easier to deal with in the snow. On the other hand, very little makes any difference when it comes to ice. Watch those road conditions, especially the Black Ice. ... The Long Trip ... If you've got to travel any distance, you may want to be prepared for emergencies. Ok. So your car is pretty new. In fact, it's an unreasonably expensive import. But trust us. Murphy's Law knows no such boundaries. Be sure to have the basics, like a jack and a spare. But also put together a couple of small boxes for the trunk -- one with flares, some salt or a little sand, and, preferably, some tire chains; the other with some non-perishable food, a [space] blanket or two, or maybe even a decent sleeping bag. If you get stuck in the city somewhere, no big deal. But if you're out on the Thruway, half-way between here and Buffalo, and the car dies, it could get to be a long night that you'll remember for a long time if you're not prepared. Besides, it won't hurt to have some extra weight over those back wheels, not to mention something to eat. And if you want to turn what's going to be a pain into something a little less painful, you might even want to consider some hot chocolate, a partially filled water jug {so that when it turns to ice, you won't find it empty or broken}, and s small camp stove with a little fuel. {Try to steer clear of any notion of stashing whiskey back there. It'll only make you feel colder.} What? You've got a cell phone? That's a big help. Then you're just a call away from help. ... But remember what the commercial says: "It's not customer service until somebody picks up the phone." Swallow your pride and call 911 if you have to. Spare me ... We mentioned a jack and a spare earlier. Have you looked at your spare? Many ... way too many ... newer cars gave up on the idea of a spare tire. Instead, they replaced it with something resembling a stale Dunkin' Donut ... an under-sized tire that'll probably get you where you're going, but not in any good time. And if you've never had to try driving on one of those things in less-than-perfect conditions, consider yourself fortunate. Better yet, if you haven't already, replace the damnable thing with a real tire. What else? Well, being paranoid, I'm sure there's something I'm forgetting. But if you really want to relieve the anxiety, you can always invite whoever you were going to visit to come visit you for the holidays. Of course, then there's a whole other set of things to consider and prepare for. But that'll have to wait until next time. I've gotta check the trunk of my car and my spare. Anonymous
******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our AutoMotives feature, or if you simply would like to suggest something you think we ought to cover, e-mail us at ... autotravel@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* |
|
*******
******* ******* ******* For more information, contact DownStreet Magazine by ...
Phone
(802) 453-5124 All
material copyrighted © 2000-2001. All rights
reserved. |
