Do I need to get all weather tires? (Dallas: deductible, live)

[HyperionGap]

Still have my summer tires. Was planning on getting all seasons over thanksgiving. Today was an absolutely brutal commute. Took me 1:40 to get from downtown to hartland bit at least I didn't end up in a ditch!

[mbradleyc]

All-weather are fine.

It happens every year, people forget how to drive in snow the first time and then they get it right from then on.

It's psychological, we just don't want to believe snow is here. Winter f*ckin' sucks!

[SamirD]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

Still have my summer tires. Was planning on getting all seasons over thanksgiving. Today was an absolutely brutal commute. Took me 1:40 to get from downtown to hartland bit at least I didn't end up in a ditch!

I would've thought it would have been better today? It was pretty clear this morning for my wife's commute here in the downtown area. Did the snow melt and ice up out that way?

Originally Posted by mbradleyc

All-weather are fine.

It happens every year, people forget how to drive in snow the first time and then they get it right from then on.

It's psychological, we just don't want to believe snow is here. Winter f*ckin' sucks!

I don't know. In the 5 minutes I waited to turn, I saw two cars not realize they couldn't accelerate fast enough and floor it to avoid being hit (one by about 5 feet), two cars lock up all four tires trying to stop at the stop sign, two more cars that drifted across one lane to the next making a right turn, and the topper was the guy in the black BMW in front of me who got sideways a total of 5 times by the time I got across town. I actually was staying back from him waiting for him to spin out and tag something. Nannies or not, I wouldn't be playing with going sideways in snow unless I knew how to drift...well...

[HyperionGap]

My post was referring to Monday's commute. I think I posted it at midnight.

[SamirD]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

My post was referring to Monday's commute. I think I posted it at midnight.

Ahh! My bad!

How much snow was on the ground when you were out? And was it fresh or had people already matted it down into ice?

[HyperionGap]

No clue. It was snowing during morning rush hour and there was no salt or plows out on the roads yet was the main problem.

[SamirD]

Originally Posted by HyperionGap

No clue. It was snowing during morning rush hour and there was no salt or plows out on the roads yet was the main problem.

Wow. Yes, I can see where that would be a problem. It was the same here downtown. At 7:15am, everyone on the road were the careful types that got up extra early and buffered their time to get to work, keeping enough distance, being extra courteous, etc. By 8am when I was leaving my wife's work in Schlitz Park, it was like people were driving like normal and not even thinking about the snow and slush that everything had turned into.

No ifs ands or buts for me--full-out snow tires. It doesn't take much to get into an accident with conditions like those.

[SamirD]

And more evidence that Milwaukee just doesn't get snow driving.

My wife and I were coming back from church somewhere in the Brookfield area, I think (I just drive, she tells me where to go). When we got there, the snow had just started. By the time we got out, there was at least a good 2 inches on everything, including the road.

So this was our first venture out in our newly acquired Kizashi awd. It had the factory tires on it, all seasons, but the tread was about half gone. We didn't have much grip at all as squeezing the brakes a bit would instantly send it into ABS. I knew we had a careful and slow commute home.

But then the crazies strated coming out onto the road. A rwd car spun in front of us as the driver decided to have some 'fun' taking a u-turn. People couldn't stop at red lights (sometimes even we couldn't) and we almost got tagged in the rear three times. I moved from the left lane to the right to allow a huge ram pickup to just slide by us on the right (he wasn't going to stop), who prompted to bust a hard right and floor it, getting sideways. A Scion xB slid into traffic and was lucky enough to stop 2 feet before being tagged by a van.

I was happy to get home on one piece. I'm definitely pulling the trigger on some serious snow/ice tires soon. That, and a dash cam. I'll have video to post every day during the winter season.

[northnut]

I only drove to the grocery store & back yesterday & that super sucked. I almost hit a parked car & a curb while trying to turn onto my street & I was driving totally slow. Where were the plows yesterday? They always seem to disappear when it comes time the roads actually need the plows. Here's what bites about snow: If it's not shoveled, that crap is staying on the sidewalk for the rest of the season. The stress of being a walker in the winter is exhausting.

[SamirD]

I know what you mean! I kinda feel better now hearing how a veteran of the area slid too in that mess. So it wasn't just me.

I didn't see plows until in the evening. At 9pm, our main street which I can see from my window was still not plowed, and then around 10pm it magically was. This morning, everything was plowed.

I noticed a lot of people shoveling their sidewalks almost immediately after the snow fell. And forgive me for my ignorance, but what makes walking so difficult in the winter besides the ice and danger of slipping and falling? I thought maybe walking would be a nice alternative to driving when it gets really bad, but maybe not.