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The Theory of Southern Snow
Southern drivers and snow have long been a joke, even amongst themselves. "Southern drivers don't know how to drive on snow. *laugh laugh laugh* They all drive too fast/too slow, slam on brakes, or drive like there's no snow at all. They're idiots!"
Except for the freak weather that mostly hit Raleigh (and resulted in 8 hour drives home that normally would take 30 minutes - just ask![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
researchminion), we haven't had snow this winter. Today is the first instance of snow. There were cars in the ditches everywhere.
And I guarantee you, tonight on the various news reports, that there will be at least one person with a non-southern accent and heritage on there all aghast at the road conditions from the winter weather.
Due to stories from the last several years from friends, family, coworkers and even strangers, I've come to notice a trend. While there are, in every state in this country, idiots who will drive stupid no matter how often there's bad weather (like guys in 4x4 trucks and SUVs), there are also a healthy number of "oh, it can't be that bad" drivers. Drivers who suppose that, because they have "experience" driving in wintery weather, they can get by better than others.
Hee.
For example...last winter there was some snow. Not a large amount, just enough to cause the standard accidents and icing on the roads. Nothing out of the norm. Where my father works they have contractors from all over the world, as well as many local contractors. Out of 50 employees, only two people actually had trouble driving in to work on that snow day: the guy from Canada and the guy from Siberia. They both were shocked - shappalled if you will - at southern snow. They had never driven on anything like it. It's so slick. It was those statements that initially got me thinking, because it's not like Canada and Siberia never see snow. They have experience in the art of snow driving. (Now, let me just say that southerners would be up a creek in the snow shoveling competition. We don't get that much snow to shovel.) If they notice a difference, maybe there is a difference.
So I made it a point to listen and ask questions of non-southerners about our snow. Some have never understood the trouble of driving on it. That's fine. Some southerners still don't understand how it's so hard to drive on (myself included...if folks would just SLOW DOWN...). But some start talking about the shock of the slickness. And finally understanding how southern snow is more difficult.
Some day I'm going to actually write to a local meteorologist and ask for a more scientific explanation of the slick.
So let this be a warning to all those coming to a southern state. If it snows, no joke, it's slick. Do not underestimate our abilities as drivers, or you'll up the non-southern statistic of "can't drive on snow" drivers.
Southern drivers and snow have long been a joke, even amongst themselves. "Southern drivers don't know how to drive on snow. *laugh laugh laugh* They all drive too fast/too slow, slam on brakes, or drive like there's no snow at all. They're idiots!"
Except for the freak weather that mostly hit Raleigh (and resulted in 8 hour drives home that normally would take 30 minutes - just ask
researchminion), we haven't had snow this winter. Today is the first instance of snow. There were cars in the ditches everywhere.And I guarantee you, tonight on the various news reports, that there will be at least one person with a non-southern accent and heritage on there all aghast at the road conditions from the winter weather.
Due to stories from the last several years from friends, family, coworkers and even strangers, I've come to notice a trend. While there are, in every state in this country, idiots who will drive stupid no matter how often there's bad weather (like guys in 4x4 trucks and SUVs), there are also a healthy number of "oh, it can't be that bad" drivers. Drivers who suppose that, because they have "experience" driving in wintery weather, they can get by better than others.
Hee.
For example...last winter there was some snow. Not a large amount, just enough to cause the standard accidents and icing on the roads. Nothing out of the norm. Where my father works they have contractors from all over the world, as well as many local contractors. Out of 50 employees, only two people actually had trouble driving in to work on that snow day: the guy from Canada and the guy from Siberia. They both were shocked - shappalled if you will - at southern snow. They had never driven on anything like it. It's so slick. It was those statements that initially got me thinking, because it's not like Canada and Siberia never see snow. They have experience in the art of snow driving. (Now, let me just say that southerners would be up a creek in the snow shoveling competition. We don't get that much snow to shovel.) If they notice a difference, maybe there is a difference.
So I made it a point to listen and ask questions of non-southerners about our snow. Some have never understood the trouble of driving on it. That's fine. Some southerners still don't understand how it's so hard to drive on (myself included...if folks would just SLOW DOWN...). But some start talking about the shock of the slickness. And finally understanding how southern snow is more difficult.
Some day I'm going to actually write to a local meteorologist and ask for a more scientific explanation of the slick.
So let this be a warning to all those coming to a southern state. If it snows, no joke, it's slick. Do not underestimate our abilities as drivers, or you'll up the non-southern statistic of "can't drive on snow" drivers.
