WOW, what a drive home tonight

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Old 12-07-2007, 04:22 PM
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Default WOW, what a drive home tonight

So I left Greenwich at 5pm. They had not salted or sanded yet and the snow came down about 3/4" before I left. The roads were extremely icy and everyone was going 20mph orless. I didnt get what the fuss was about but everytime I took my foot off the throttle (to keep from hitting the slow guy infront of me), my car would just start sliding.

So I put the car on the less traveled areas of the road where there was still snow instead of just a sheet of ice.

Farms Road was completely ice and people coming up the hill were just spinning tires. It was inches between me and he other cars. If no throttle applied, it was like skating.
Got to Long Ridge Rd in Stamford which was bumper to bumper both ways, nobody moving. Luckily I could cross but then an uphill made me put a little power down to get up.

Got to Wildwood which is an uphill and there's a minivan sideways on the road and three cars stuck at the bottom. I powered around them but the car had about 1% grip, all four tires spinning their way up the road and the car was fishtailing like made. but once I got past that one little bit the car got grip and took off.

Next road, Haviland. Honda across the road into the back of an Escalade which took out someones giant bolders in their front yard. Pickuptruck stuck on the left side of the road. Enough room to pass but stupid me lifted off the throttle. I just started sliding backwards down the hill. Couldnt believe it. Gave it some power and the car stopped sliding but all four wheels just spun in place.

I decidedto go for it instead of sliding down backwards and didnt know where Id end up so instead I put down the power and barely eeked by the honda. It was inches and thecar had no grip whatsoever. If I lifted it wouldve been all over. So I got past the honda bu there was no more going up the hill. Not enough momentum, all ice. So I pulled down a sideroad and parked. The guy in the honda was watching and said all four wheels were spinning together, then one by itself. He said it was a sight, couldnt believe I couldnt find grip.

Other cars would come up and slide backwards. I pushed some minivan down the hill just around a lexus rx300. With enough momentum and staying on the power, getting up the hill was OK for the awd vehicles but a I said, I stopped on the hill. Bad bad bad move.

Salt truck came, helped the honda on his way, turned around and went home.

Ive driven in snow storms, ice storms, fog, rain sleet, and never was I so unable to move on the road as tonight. Not a lot of snow but the roads were polished clean and a solid sheet of ice.

For the record, A3 3.2 Quattro with dunlop wintersport M2's. I was very nervous the whole time.

Hope everyone made it home safe.
Old 12-07-2007, 04:42 PM
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Default Damn! Good thing you made it home alright!

Can you imaging if you still had summer tires or all-seasons on? That would have sucked.
Old 12-07-2007, 05:34 PM
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damm glad i worked out of the midtown office today... i still have my summer tires on!
Old 12-07-2007, 07:30 PM
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Default What an experience for you...just proves, even with Quattro, you need to be fully alert..

...and know how to handle each situation differently.

Ice is nothing to joke about in Winter...I've been there before.
Old 12-07-2007, 09:10 PM
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Default Man...after reading that boy am I happy I left for my Frisco business trip last night......

glad you all is OK.
Old 12-08-2007, 04:59 AM
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Default 2 hours to go 5 miles in Stamford-rant

I was on Long Ridge also
I have never seen such a blatent example of how people do not understand the very basics of vehicle dynamics. Granted the snow melted and turned to solid ice, but the driving techniques I saw being used were uncanny. I saw 4wd SUV's that couldnt get up inlines with what looked like decent all season tires. Drivers have no conception of gas/brake modulation what-so-ever. I had a rental Chevy POS with nearly bald tires and had no issues getting up steep side road hills. Rant over.
Old 12-08-2007, 07:52 AM
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Default Was bad. My office manager left Milford at 4:00 he lives in Monroe ~20 miles

with closures, accidents and icy roads he called me a little after 8 pm. Four hours to get home. I'm lucky I live four miles down the road.
Old 12-08-2007, 08:51 AM
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Default Wow, I left at 7pm and the merrit was fine. No ice just a few nervous souls...

made it home in about an hour.


Just about normal. even the hutch was moving pretty well.


Looks like you should have stayed and worked more
Old 12-10-2007, 06:44 AM
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Default A3's don't have quattro (just a badge) they're haldex

just sayin'
Old 12-10-2007, 07:54 AM
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Default Was on Hutch, 684, 84 Friday evening as well

Bumper to bumper for miles, tons of cars off the side of the road, a few accidents. 2hrs to go 40 miles or so... Was so not happy, i was more worried about some rice sliding into me...
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