Joe Tonich
12-23-2003, 9:47 AM
Hi All,
We're supposed to get a significant amount of snow in the coming days. As a State Highway worker my job is to keep the highways safe. It's nearly impossible to do with people driving like idiots. The first snow of the year I was able to keep everything wet (on my route I have a 12 1/2mi. stretch that goes from 3 lanes to 5 lanes + the ramps) and people were passing me on the berms because I was only going the speed limit (60mph). I have no idea how they know if the road froze up again ahead of me. I know most of the time, not always, because the road usually gets a "Greasy" look to it. (This is especially true for bridge decks. They freeze up a lot faster than the road.) This last weekend was worse. Cars were flying off the road no matter what the road was like. I can't remember how many times I called for assistance because people lost control. Low speed lanes were wet and high speed were slushy, and where did they drive? Not where it was just wet, they couldn't go that slow. Drivers also don't realize that I have to slow WAY down going over bridges, they have expansion joints. If you hit one with your blade, you KNOW you hit one. It can (& will) stop a truck dead in it's tracks and it HURTS!!! (DAMHIKT :( ) I also have to make sure the snow doesn't go over the side of the bridge onto the roads underneith them. What is the hurry??? Time is something that can't be made up. Once it's gone, it's gone. If it's nasty out, leave a little earlier. Seems to me that if your flying because you are late, the only thing you'll get to faster is the end of your life, or even worse, mine or another persons. In this high speed world, PLEASE slow down a little. Remember, the life you save can be ANYONES!!
Have a SAFE and HAPPY holidays!!!
Joe
We're supposed to get a significant amount of snow in the coming days. As a State Highway worker my job is to keep the highways safe. It's nearly impossible to do with people driving like idiots. The first snow of the year I was able to keep everything wet (on my route I have a 12 1/2mi. stretch that goes from 3 lanes to 5 lanes + the ramps) and people were passing me on the berms because I was only going the speed limit (60mph). I have no idea how they know if the road froze up again ahead of me. I know most of the time, not always, because the road usually gets a "Greasy" look to it. (This is especially true for bridge decks. They freeze up a lot faster than the road.) This last weekend was worse. Cars were flying off the road no matter what the road was like. I can't remember how many times I called for assistance because people lost control. Low speed lanes were wet and high speed were slushy, and where did they drive? Not where it was just wet, they couldn't go that slow. Drivers also don't realize that I have to slow WAY down going over bridges, they have expansion joints. If you hit one with your blade, you KNOW you hit one. It can (& will) stop a truck dead in it's tracks and it HURTS!!! (DAMHIKT :( ) I also have to make sure the snow doesn't go over the side of the bridge onto the roads underneith them. What is the hurry??? Time is something that can't be made up. Once it's gone, it's gone. If it's nasty out, leave a little earlier. Seems to me that if your flying because you are late, the only thing you'll get to faster is the end of your life, or even worse, mine or another persons. In this high speed world, PLEASE slow down a little. Remember, the life you save can be ANYONES!!
Have a SAFE and HAPPY holidays!!!
Joe