Bumper cars in downtown Portland

[cartman]

One of my buddies up in Portland sent me this link. I'd hate to be an insurance guy up there. Click on the video in the link for some amazing footage.

hxxp://www.nwcn.com/topstories/stories/NW_011607ORNstorm_portlandLJ.46895f63.html

[LoneStarGirl]

Where on Earth did these people have to go to that they would drive in that kind of weather? Stay at home!

[path12]

It's been like that here over the past week also. Fun to watch as long as it isn't you!

[thesloppy]

This place gets nutty when it snows, and pretty much the same thing happens every year. We max out at a couple inches, but the temperature will flutter around freezing the whole time, so you'll get a layer of snow, a layer of sleet on top of it, then the temp will peak a bit above freezing to soften it all up, and then re-freeze overnight, turning everything into a two-inch thick, solid block of ice. Toss in your west-coast drivers, and you're in for a good time.

[wishbone]

This place gets nutty when it snows, ...Toss in your west-coast drivers, and you're in for a good time.

I'm in Hillsboro (just west of Portland) and we have the same stuff. I love the advise from my co-workers

guy1: "when it snows, and you have an automatic transmission never take your car out of 1st or 2nd"

guy2: "always put the chains on the front axle"
me: "but it's a rear wheel drive"
guy2: doesn't matter, they always go on the front"

guy3: "no problem, I have an SUV" (referring to a Honda CRV with AWD)

[dawgfan]

The Pacific NW is full of people who have absolutely no fucking clue how to drive in the snow and have no business doing so, yet they do it anyway. After the first snow this Winter and witnessing the moronic driving, I sent this sarcastic set of rules for driving in the snow to my friends:

1. Drive a rear-wheel drive vehicle, preferably lightweight. Use racing-style slick tires when possible. If you're driving a light-weight truck, don't bother with putting things in the bed to add weight.
2. Don't carry chains – they're for wusses. If you do have chains, don't use them.
3. This is an ideal time to talk on your cell phone while driving, especially if you don't have a hands-free device.
4. Don't give any consideration on choosing your driving route to the amount of hills you'll encounter.
5. When you find yourself stuck on a hill without traction, floor the accelerator – this will polish the already slick compact snow and ice into a glossy sheen a Zamboni driver would be proud of. Extra credit if you manage to get yourself angled so as to block multiple lanes of traffic.
6. If you're stuck near a supermarket or convenience store, don't go inside and buy cat litter or some other gritty substance to throw under your tires for traction to get un-stuck.
7. Backing down the hill you're stuck on is a sign of weakness – don't be a quitter.
8. If you do wuss-out and try to back down the hill, don't back towards the curb to better get yourself facing downhill – just keep sliding backwards with a lack of traction.

Watching that video, seems pretty clear that the first guy in the clip, once he has his first accident, flips out and tries to wreck as many other cars as he can.

[kingfc22]

Was that first guy a complete idiot? Don't think he could have hit more cars if he was trying to.

[dawgfan]

Was that first guy a complete idiot? Don't think he could have hit more cars if he was trying to.
I think he was trying to, at least after the first impact. Either that, or he somehow thought he could speed away from the scene of the accident. Either way, he leaned on his accelerator after the first accident, so he was either trying to get away or he'd come unhinged and was trying to hit as many cars as he could.

I'm enjoying the thought of all those car owners putting in claims against his insurance company and using that video tape as proof of his idiocy - I can't see how he doesn't get dropped by his current insurance company for being a raving moron.