Say Goodbye to November...

...And with it, the nice weather (we had in Fort Wayne, anyway). This weekend marks the beginning of NASTY WEATHER...the forecasters are talking about 2-5 inches "possible" (that means they don't have a frigging clue) with the chance of freezing rain (again, totally clueless). We could trust that they're "hopeful" of an accurate forecast, but that depends on all the "models" they look at on their computers (I'll wager they're more like VS models in most cases...LOL).

We're heading into December with less than favorable skies...great for shopping, eh? And naturally, people will have FORGOTTEN HOW THE HELL TO DRIVE IN THIS KIND OF WEATHER! We can expect the "slideoffs" galore, rearend smackups, skids, slides, and spins all over the place. I've always said this makes the BEST argument for NOT having 300 BHP under the hood of ANY personal vehicle (snowplows and other trucks are a different animal). Imagine having all that horsepower JUST to spin your wheels and go absolutely NOWHERE...neat, huh?

Of course hardly ANYONE knows about using LOW gear to get out of bad situations these days....that's what CELLPHONES are for. The young drivers will be the worst....after all, the movie "Fast and the Furious" never ran the cars on streets laced with wet leaves, snow, ice, or other moronic drivers, did they?

Yessir...the insurance companies are smacking their chops when this weather hits...you can hear the drool dripping for MILES! Add to that the wrecking companies AND the collision services ALL do quite well with these "early Chistmas gifts"...don't they?

A few things to do to help you on your way would be to carry an old piece of carpet in the trunk (for traction)...or a few 50 lb. sandbags if you're riding on "baloney-skins or Maypop tires"...lol. Top off your windshield washer fluid resevoir...VERY important! Also have some sort of snowbrush/scraper combo. Add to that your fully-charged cellphone and/or digital camera (makes for great instant pics during accidents...even if you're just a witness and not the victim). A flashlight , road flares, reflective "road hazard" triangle, and jumper cables are great to keep in the trunk. Cold weather will deplete a battery in NO time...trust me on this one. Even a CB radio is good to have if stranded. And keep a blanket in case that happens. and always TAKE YOUR TIME...better to be (the good kind of) late than DEAD (the BAD kind of "late")...right?

All I can say is to be AWARE of what's going on around you at ALL times in this weather...you never know when someone "from left field" will come at you for the sole purpose of merging their auto with YOURS. And unless you BOTH have like colored vehicles, the result won't be a pretty picture.

Remember...the life you save...might JUST be your OWN!