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Old 11-16-2018, 04:50 PM
 
10,180 posts, read 6,226,409 times
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The worst of this snow was that it changed to Sleet in early morning. Snow, then layer of ice, and more snow on top. Getting in my front door, and cleaning off my car, snow was up to my knees.

Husband was coming home yesterday afternoon along 80 West and 611, cars were stranded in the roadway. They hadn't plowed it. He always said cars were stranded in fast food and mall parking lots.

I will say this much about my local street (Echo Lake Road off 196). It was plowed early this morning. Although a school bus route, our local public schools were closed today. Get out of my local road but have nowhere to go on main roadways????? Crazy.
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Old 11-16-2018, 06:14 PM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,754 posts, read 17,966,022 times
Reputation: 14730
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jo48 View Post
The worst of this snow was that it changed to Sleet in early morning. Snow, then layer of ice, and more snow on top. Getting in my front door, and cleaning off my car, snow was up to my knees.

Husband was coming home yesterday afternoon along 80 West and 611, cars were stranded in the roadway. They hadn't plowed it. He always said cars were stranded in fast food and mall parking lots.

I will say this much about my local street (Echo Lake Road off 196). It was plowed early this morning. Although a school bus route, our local public schools were closed today. Get out of my local road but have nowhere to go on main roadways????? Crazy.
When I was a truck driver there were states that did a great job clearing their roads and there were states that did a rotten job. There were also districts in the states that did good jobs and some that did rotten jobs clearing snow. Massachusetts did a great job; but in Vermont it was hard to spot any plows on the roads after the sun went down. Maybe things have changed in the last ten or so years since I drove? But I always rated our particular PennDOT district as one of the worst in the State and pretty poor in the Nation. They were always great with excuses but not great at their job. While I do not blame the workers; I do blame their leadership.

They should never have stranded motorist on any roads. Either they get out there and close the roads to all traffic or they do their job and clear the roads. I don't like this blaming the motorist that actually pay their salaries!
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Old 11-16-2018, 06:36 PM
 
Location: Kentucky Bluegrass
28,840 posts, read 30,072,374 times
Reputation: 19016
Quote:
Originally Posted by fisheye View Post
When I was a truck driver there were states that did a great job clearing their roads and there were states that did a rotten job. There were also districts in the states that did good jobs and some that did rotten jobs clearing snow. Massachusetts did a great job; but in Vermont it was hard to spot any plows on the roads after the sun went down. Maybe things have changed in the last ten or so years since I drove? But I always rated our particular PennDOT district as one of the worst in the State and pretty poor in the Nation. They were always great with excuses but not great at their job. While I do not blame the workers; I do blame their leadership.

They should never have stranded motorist on any roads. Either they get out there and close the roads to all traffic or they do their job and clear the roads. I don't like this blaming the motorist that actually pay their salaries!
I agree, Penn Dot should have a fleet parked and ready, however, they CLAIM, that it was because everyone went to work and then left when the snow started falling, and tractor trailers got stuck and then behind them cars. They claim we are a hub here in PA for Tractor trailers, with many on our roads....also schools left out mid-day which also put thousands more on the roads...so they do have a point....usually snow falls which start in the morning or evening, after rush hours, can be maintained.

What do you say?
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Old 11-16-2018, 07:02 PM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,754 posts, read 17,966,022 times
Reputation: 14730
Quote:
Originally Posted by cremebrulee View Post
I agree, Penn Dot should have a fleet parked and ready, however, they CLAIM, that it was because everyone went to work and then left when the snow started falling, and tractor trailers got stuck and then behind them cars. They claim we are a hub here in PA for Tractor trailers, with many on our roads....also schools left out mid-day which also put thousands more on the roads...so they do have a point....usually snow falls which start in the morning or evening, after rush hours, can be maintained.

What do you say?
PennDOT and the school districts should have ironed out any problems before the snow. The safety of the kids is at stake. If they did not communicate it looks bad for both the school district and the DOT; there were no winners where one can say it was the other one's fault. Bad planning by bad managers!

It isn't that PennDOT does not know the issues. If they don't they are not doing their job. Some of the trucks were dispatched from California to NYC and they had no real warning about the dangers ahead. Of course everybody should pay attention to the weather; but dispatchers only look at the job at hand and they simply want everything to be delivered on time. If a truck driver tells their dispatcher that the roads are too dangerous the dispatcher will tell the truck driver that they are fired - it has to come officially from the state. Then the drivers have an alibi.

By the way, while our local DOT likes to talk about how we are a trucking hub; but where are enough parking lots for all of the trucks on our roads when they want them off our roads? I don't think that our two Monroe County Rest Areas are big enough to accommodate all the trucks that pass through our County when the economy is strong. If they want to help they should look at 'inviting' another large truck stop (maybe to the Blakeslee area).
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Old 11-16-2018, 07:13 PM
 
Location: Kentucky Bluegrass
28,840 posts, read 30,072,374 times
Reputation: 19016
Quote:
Originally Posted by fisheye View Post
PennDOT and the school districts should have ironed out any problems before the snow. The safety of the kids is at stake. If they did not communicate it looks bad for both the school district and the DOT; there were no winners where one can say it was the other one's fault. Bad planning by bad managers!

It isn't that PennDOT does not know the issues. If they don't they are not doing their job. Some of the trucks were dispatched from California to NYC and they had no real warning about the dangers ahead. Of course everybody should pay attention to the weather; but dispatchers only look at the job at hand and they simply want everything to be delivered on time. If a truck driver tells their dispatcher that the roads are too dangerous the dispatcher will tell the truck driver that they are fired - it has to come officially from the state. Then the drivers have an alibi.

By the way, while our local DOT likes to talk about how we are a trucking hub; but where are enough parking lots for all of the trucks on our roads when they want them off our roads? I don't think that our two Monroe County Rest Areas are big enough to accommodate all the trucks that pass through our County when the economy is strong. If they want to help they should look at 'inviting' another large truck stop (maybe to the Blakeslee area).


Good Job Fisheye.....

I'm with ya....

remember that fiasco a few years back up on 78 West, a little bit of snow early evening, and people were stuck all night. What DOT refuses to tell people is how they keep laying off drivers....to save money, yet, they continue to get their raises.

This is how dumb they "think" we are.

I wrote Casey asking him to please do something about all the puppy mills. He writes me back months later, telling me, he is proposing a bill that any breeder with over 50 dogs has to let their dogs out of their cages to run for an hour each day.

Now tell me, who is going to enforce that? And how stupid does he think we are...???? Or how stupid is he on the subject?

Trump was voted in to send a message, but apparently they refuse to get it.....

I am so totally disenchanted with those who we pay to oversee our country.....they've taken power way too far...and have now for years.
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Old 11-16-2018, 09:16 PM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,754 posts, read 17,966,022 times
Reputation: 14730
Quote:
Originally Posted by cremebrulee View Post


Good Job Fisheye.....

I'm with ya....

remember that fiasco a few years back up on 78 West, a little bit of snow early evening, and people were stuck all night. What DOT refuses to tell people is how they keep laying off drivers....to save money, yet, they continue to get their raises.

This is how dumb they "think" we are.

I wrote Casey asking him to please do something about all the puppy mills. He writes me back months later, telling me, he is proposing a bill that any breeder with over 50 dogs has to let their dogs out of their cages to run for an hour each day.

Now tell me, who is going to enforce that? And how stupid does he think we are...???? Or how stupid is he on the subject?

Trump was voted in to send a message, but apparently they refuse to get it.....

I am so totally disenchanted with those who we pay to oversee our country.....they've taken power way too far...and have now for years.
I want our DOT to be as good as the best of the best. If I watched Tennessee mill and pave a five mile long single lane in one ten hour work day; I want us to do the same or better. If I drive through Ohio's 65 mph work zones and see fewer accidents than I see in our 45 mph work zones; I want us to do better. If I see New Jersey efficiently lay lots of asphalt during just the wee hours of the night; I want us to do that or better. If I see bare pavement after major snow storms in Massachusetts; I want our roads to be bare even faster.

I just don't buy all the excuses. I know that we have hills and cold weather; but other states have their problems. We supposedly know our problems; so we should be able to adjust. Many times I feel that we did a better job in our past. I remember seeing our PennDOT trucks sitting and waiting for the first flakes so they could start plowing. Many times I thought that was wasteful; but they got the job done. Now it seems more like they deliberately wait for the last flakes before they make a good effort. Possibly they do not have the workers they once had? I just do not remember drivers stuck like the backup on I-78 that you mentioned or like what just happened.
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Old 11-17-2018, 02:46 AM
 
2,861 posts, read 3,824,577 times
Reputation: 2351
I'm curious how ("coming soon") autonomous driver-less cars and trucks will deal with that kind of weather.

My guess is, if well programmed, they'll just stop...somewhere and everywhere. Then maybe wait for spring or their handler's command to proceed. Or, if badly programmed, will keep going until they stop ... somehow

or
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Old 11-17-2018, 05:10 AM
 
Location: Swiftwater, PA
18,754 posts, read 17,966,022 times
Reputation: 14730
Quote:
Originally Posted by jimazee View Post
I'm curious how ("coming soon") autonomous driver-less cars and trucks will deal with that kind of weather.

My guess is, if well programmed, they'll just stop...somewhere and everywhere. Then maybe wait for spring or their handler's command to proceed. Or, if badly programmed, will keep going until they stop ... somehow

or
There are many 'programing issues' that have been discussed in this quest for autonomous vehicles. Such as: If it has no options; does it aim for one person or does it aim for the crowd. I always wondered about the weather. The vehicles get their information from sensors; but sensors are not always right. My pickup has a problem with dirt or mud that can affect the ABS braking system. The question is how does the central vehicle computer deal with faulty information?

Like you also state: Will the programing tell the vehicle to stop? If it does; will it tell it where to stop that it will not pose a danger to other vehicles? Maybe it will 'see' a bad weather forecast and head directly to a motel; but can the driver afford that motel? It could possibly plot a path around the storm or dangerous roads which could also add many hours to the trip? I guess we will really have to wait and see what happens. There is a lot of money pushing these systems. Many of these decisions will ultimately be handled in court as soon as somebody gets injured.

We could have the same questions about human drivers. Most new drivers we throw on our roads without ever experiencing driving on ice or snow. I learned in large parking lots and driving on lakes when I was young - something that we do not permit today. I have always thought that it would be wise to have a 'skid course' for all drivers to experience when they get their licenses. I feel there is a disconnect between the driver's handbook instructions and the reality of controlling a skid on slush, snow and ice.
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Old 11-18-2018, 12:33 AM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
32,758 posts, read 35,962,679 times
Reputation: 43470
Quote:
Originally Posted by charmed hour View Post
It never turned to rain outside of JT. My other half tells me there's nearly a foot down and still snowing. And of course our community has yet to plow. They bid it out and every year the same guy gets the contract. He stinks; he's slow to get out there, many roads go unplowed or get only one pass. He also consistently drops snow piles at the top of my driveway. Go 5 feet either way, pal and dump it in the drainage ditch.



I didn't even bother trying to come home last night. I checked Waze at 3:30 and it was nearly 6 hours. That was before the GWB was shut down and parts of 80 through Jersey. My cousin in E. Stroudsburg left Westchester county at 4p and got home at 3am. 33 was shut down for hours.
Clark, is that you?
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Old 11-18-2018, 04:24 PM
 
10,180 posts, read 6,226,409 times
Reputation: 11258
I did my Thanksgiving Dinner shopping yesterday at Walmart on 380. Total insanity. Not from customers but from all their deliveries this Saturday. Could not get down the aisles with all the delivery carts. Forget getting anywhere near the Meat/Turkey selections. Parked my cart on one aisle (Seasonal) and walked all around carrying my groceries back to my cart. Turkey? In big delivery bins. Pick what you want you and clerk was marking your selection on the spot. Asked what is wrong? "We couldn't get our delivery on Friday.

Went to Shop Rite for items I couldn't get there. Night and Day. All fully stocked. So why couldn't Walmart get their delivery but Shop Rite COULD after the snow storm?

Should have gone to Shop Rite instead, and closer drive for me.
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