Post by asahartz on Nov 30, 2010 19:42:21 GMT
It's taken me 2.5 hours to get home. Snow on top of black ice, a lethal combination, but the worst thing was where people were actually driving too slowly down hills. There's only so slow you can make a car go downhill without braking, and as soon as you touch your brakes on that you lose control. It's only due to some skill on my part and a huge miracle that Sky is still the same shape today.
I had to negotiate a moderately steep hill in a village (Blidworth) and the road isn't very wide, plus it's windy. Just as I approached the steeper part, I saw a couple of cars stuck halfway up, hazards on (seemed to be a lot of new Corsas stuck today...). So the traffic had to wait while a couple of cars came the other way. A 4x4 going too slow caused the Fourtrak behind it to brake; I nearly pooed myself seeing a huge 4x4 sliding towards me! An Audi A8 tried to pass the stuck car, gave up, and turned round. The Punto in front of me made it OK, I waited for another couple of cars before setting off myself. Second gear, gently spinning wheels and slipping the clutch plus a few prayers got me to the top of the hill and I set off down in first gear. Unfortunately the Punto was now doing the too-slow bit down the hill. Even in first, there's only so slowly you can crawl and my grip gave way. Out of control now, I knew there was little I could do, but steered around the Punto - towards the opposite side of the road, with a stationary car coming up the hill looming ever larger!!!!
Then the miracle happened. I bounced off the kerb and swung across in the opposite direction, somehow managing to miss both cars, succeeded in straightening up, and regained control down the hill! I guess both of them must have called me some names, but the truth is I had no intention of doing that, and it was minor skill and sheer luck that brought me and Skye through unscathed. Phew, new underpants please!
When I got home I couldn't even get the car into the drive. 10 inches of snow blocked my way, and I had to dig the car into the drive, fetch some grit from the nearby grit bin, and get a push from Linzie just to get me off the path which I was straddling, unable to move forward or back! I haven't seen snow like this for 20 years - well not in this country.
Here's Skye stranded in the driveway, and below, Nemo in the back yard - the snow is over the sills!
I've already phoned my line manager to say I won't be able to get to work tomorrow - and he knows I'm no wimp!
I had to negotiate a moderately steep hill in a village (Blidworth) and the road isn't very wide, plus it's windy. Just as I approached the steeper part, I saw a couple of cars stuck halfway up, hazards on (seemed to be a lot of new Corsas stuck today...). So the traffic had to wait while a couple of cars came the other way. A 4x4 going too slow caused the Fourtrak behind it to brake; I nearly pooed myself seeing a huge 4x4 sliding towards me! An Audi A8 tried to pass the stuck car, gave up, and turned round. The Punto in front of me made it OK, I waited for another couple of cars before setting off myself. Second gear, gently spinning wheels and slipping the clutch plus a few prayers got me to the top of the hill and I set off down in first gear. Unfortunately the Punto was now doing the too-slow bit down the hill. Even in first, there's only so slowly you can crawl and my grip gave way. Out of control now, I knew there was little I could do, but steered around the Punto - towards the opposite side of the road, with a stationary car coming up the hill looming ever larger!!!!
Then the miracle happened. I bounced off the kerb and swung across in the opposite direction, somehow managing to miss both cars, succeeded in straightening up, and regained control down the hill! I guess both of them must have called me some names, but the truth is I had no intention of doing that, and it was minor skill and sheer luck that brought me and Skye through unscathed. Phew, new underpants please!
When I got home I couldn't even get the car into the drive. 10 inches of snow blocked my way, and I had to dig the car into the drive, fetch some grit from the nearby grit bin, and get a push from Linzie just to get me off the path which I was straddling, unable to move forward or back! I haven't seen snow like this for 20 years - well not in this country.
Here's Skye stranded in the driveway, and below, Nemo in the back yard - the snow is over the sills!
I've already phoned my line manager to say I won't be able to get to work tomorrow - and he knows I'm no wimp!
