AND SO it is with some embarrassment that I type up this post!
The other day, it was in the upper 40s and sunny here in Massachusetts. That meant snow was melting BUT still hiding ICE underneath. I pulled into a dirt lot to take a photo of an unusual locomotive. It never came (assumed it stopped down the tracks to work) and what ended up happening? I decided to leave...
It took:
- about a half hour of time
- a bunch of sand
- a cheap emergency shovel
- an old pair of plastic get-me-unstuck mats (one of which disintegrated)
- much embarrassment
... to get the car free. I couldn't even rock the thing, as the snow tires simply had nothing to rock against! Sand did NOTHING. A slight push would have helped but I was alone and few cars drove by.
OH, and while I was stuck there... the locomotive stopped RIGHT next to me. I took a break and nonchalantly took my photos.
In the end, basically, once I saw that the rear tires were burning through the ice, I knew EVENTUALLY I'd hit dirt and that would help. FINALLY I was able to get free in reverse (unusual, especially with directional snow tires). I stood there, looking at the aftermath, thankful the road in front of me is lightly traveled, and hoping the train crew didn't notice I was stuck.
Chalk it up to "experience". Also chalk it up to "ice is NOT snow"!
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| At least I got a photo... not the best BUT I got it... |
As you know I had several LTD, Crown Vics until I switched to a 2006 Impala. I never got stuck in any of them until 1998 when they changed and actually down sized it. My own 1998 ex CT State cruiser hated the snow. I would get stuck on the hill just before my driveway almost every major snow storm. Not with the heavier pre-98 Cruisers. I never got stuck in a Groton or Dunstable cruiser while in duty during a storm, but then stayed on treated roads and most people were not using the roads.
ReplyDeleteYES, you have driven a "selection" of Vics! Mystery Mechanic used to drive in pretty bad snow in a box-body Vic as well, though I had a hard time with my '88 Grand Marquis, I think because of the tires I chose. I swear my '98 was better than the '06/'08! The tires were narrower and of course the car had less horsepower. Then there's the rear-end gearing.
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