I've posted about this before, when we had a snow storm last year. This my "Southern 'Drivers'" link from last year. I've also added this content below, to this post.
https://sites.google.com/a/google.com/tmb/Home/southern-drivers
At least this year there were very few drivers on the roads. Unlike last year when many incompetent drivers ventured out, at least this year the weather was bad enough to keep them at home.
However, there were still a few people out. See the following pictures.
In the first picture, we see police cars parked side-by-side on Factory Shoals Road for no good reason. I drove up slowly, and an officer got out and waved me by. They were just parked there, of all places, to stop and chat. I'll stop my comments there. If you can't say something nice...
In the next series of pictures we see a bunch of trucks parked on Riverside Avenue. Turns out I was able to make it through with some creative driving.
On a related note: Do people eat more in bad weather? This is a serious question. Whenever there is even a hint of bad weather down here people run to the store and buy everything. The forecast is for ONE DAY, maybe two, of bad weather. Do you really need to stock up for weeks, people?
Finally, I'll repeat my web post from last year.
Southern "Drivers"
Summary: Southern drivers suck.
Snow in Atlanta on the night of Thursday, January 7, 2010. Roads were very slick as the snow packed down, melted, froze, etc. Drive home was treacherous. Everything was closed, both on Thursday night and Friday morning.
Roads were still very bad Friday morning. I made the safe choice and left the Acura Integra (no anti-lock brakes, somewhat old tires) at home. I took the Ford Escape (purchased when I lived in the Twin Cities and drove regularly to da U.P.--all-wheel drive, anti-lock brakes, tires that are only a couple months old) to work. It was the right choice.
I thought it was going to be an easy drive in because few people would be on the roads. With no traffic and clean roads I can make that drive in 20-25 minutes. With empty roads and a little ice I could go out, slide the car around, and have some fun on the ride in. Unfortunately, it didn't work out like that. The drive ended up taking about an hour longer than that. And the few Southern drivers that did venture out made it a very dangerous drive. In general, I had to drive much more slowly than usual. But there were a number of specific things that delayed me.
Point B on Map
First of all, I had to pass a Toyota RAV4 on a neighborhood road (Highview Drive SE). This guy was doing about 3 mph (literally). Just amazing. Not sure what he was thinking (if anything). If I had to guess, though I would say that it appeared that he had recently pulled out of his driveway and was second-guessing whether he should even be venturing out on roads like these.
Point C on Map
I lost a bunch of time when I had to turn around due to the closure of Concord Road in the "covered bridge" district. There is one bridge that crosses a creek, and to get to that point you have to descend a hill down a narrow two-lane road to get to the one-lane bridge at the bottom of the valley. I can see why it was closed in retrospect. Cars would have been sliding down the hill, and some would have failed to make it up the hill on the other side. In fact, on the drive home yesterday I was sliding downhill in my Integra heading northeast on Concord approaching the bridge from the other direction, and I ended up turning onto Covered Bridge Drive as a safety turn off to scrub some speed. I wasn't in a bad situation but I was feeling some slipping as I approached the steepest part of the road and made the safe choice.
Point D on Map
Okay, so I turned around at Point C, as shown on the map on this page. Unfortunately, not long after I turned around I got another taste of Southern driving. There was a woman doing 10 mph or less, literally, on Concord road. Concord is a 35 mph road, a major commuter route. Yes, the roads were slippery. But 10 mph?
Point E on Map
I looped to the north to get around the road closure. At the intersection of Hurt Road SW and Harris Road I got my first taste of running red lights. I had a solid green and a car came through a solid red (southbound on Harris), right in front of me (I saw this developing so I was not in danger). No attempt to stop or even slow down. I don't know if the intersection was so slippery that he felt he couldn't slow down or stop or if he was just focusing on the icy roads so much that he didn't even bother to glance at the light. Either way, Southern drivers suck.
Along Hurt Road I got caught behind a slow van who was behind an even slower car. At least the car driver pulled off the road when he realized that going 10 mph was greatly inconveniencing a number of people behind him.
Point F on Map
For the second time, I saw a car run a solid red light (southbound on Floyd). Not even close. No attempt to slow down.
On Floyd Road, which is two lanes in each direction, I got my first taste of coordinated blocking. It's frustrating when you have one lane and someone is blocking it. But when it's two lanes, and drivers gang up on you to drive slowly, side-by-side, in both lanes, it is even MORE frustrating.
Point G on Map
More coordinated blocking of two traffic lanes. Really, people? You can't drive one behind the other if you're both doing 15 mph?
Point H on Map
Some of the most incompetent driving I have ever seen in my life. More on this later, including pictures.
Point I on Map
And for the third time, I saw a car run a solid red light (eastbound on Six Flags Drive). Same story.
My drive into work, Friday morning, January 8, 2010
View Larger Map
Point H on Map
Here are some pictures of the most interesting moment in my drive in to work this morning. A Chrysler Concorde and I approached the following scene. A minivan and small truck had crashed (?). A Suburban had apparently been unable to climb the hill and was stalled just beyond them. This is a four-lane road, no turning lane in the middle.
The Chrysler driver paused for a little while, then made the decision to try to drive around the Suburban, into oncoming traffic lanes. Visibility is not great so this was not an obvious choice, although it was the only logical choice.
Problem was, like any horrible southern driver, she went so slow that she lost traction and could not get going again. She also stalled her car, just a bit forward of the position shown in Picture 2, below.
All of the above is understandable. But what I can never figure out in situations like this is: WHY DO YOU JUST SIT THERE? I waited, 5+ car lengths back, for her to decide what to do. Back up a little, try to find better traction, and try again. Back up in a "Y" turn and turn around (don't attempt the pass on the hill). Back up all the way down the hill to get a running start at the hill. Anything. It all starts with this simple piece of logic: If you can't go forward, go backward. I left her plenty of room.
But no. They all just sit there. They freeze and do nothing.
After 3-5 minutes of this (I really waited, I swear), I couldn't take it anymore. Now I have to analyze my choices. I can turn around (I really don't want to do this). I can go around the Concorde, into the one remaining oncoming traffic lane, for which I don't have good visibility (not a good choice). Or maybe, just maybe, I can drive forward, squeeze between the Concorde and the truck, then turn hard to the right to get around the Suburban. Which is what I did. Worked perfectly.
Picture 1, Initially Approaching the Scene
Picture 2, The Obstacle Course
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