ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, January 21, 1996 TAG: 9601220089
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
NOW THAT YOU'RE dug out from the snow, maybe it's time to stock up on what you'll need to keep from getting stuck during the next winter storm.
Let there be no doubt, after the 1996 "Looks Like a Blizzard, Quacks Like a Blizzard, Must be a ... Snowstorm," that we are truly a people driven by our drive to drive.
Two feet of snow blocking us in? No problem.
A slab of ice behind the car? Forget it.
We'll try anything under the tires to get a fraction of traction: sand, gravel, kitty litter, Clorox, laundry detergent, roof shingles, pizza boxes, rugs, floor mats, bird seed, blankets, woodstove ashes, water.
Surely, that's only the tip of the (sorry) iceberg. Who knows what else we threw on the ground last week in our desperation to get OUT!
Here are some tips called in by readers in response to our query - how to beat the winter weather the next time a snowstorm comes around?
n"Besides cat litter and a scoop with which to shovel it, a big bundle of your newspapers provides a lot of traction," reports Camille Thoroughman of Roanoke.
nJoe Riggins of Salem drives a big rig for a living. He suggests pouring Clorox around the tire - "but don't get it on the tire because it will melt the tire just like it will melt the ice." Another caller also favored bleach, but apparently used it directly on the tires. "It softens up the rubber, like the dragsters do. It helps you get better traction." (In the interest of protecting the environment, we at the newspaper don't advocate this method.)
nGarvice Jones of Roanoke said he goes to the cement plant on Reserve Avenue and picks up a five-gallon bucket of sand for a buck. "If you get stuck, just pitch a handful under your wheel and go on." He notes it is cheaper than cat litter.
nPowdered laundry detergent also works, according to Wayne Tiller in Roanoke. The chemicals in the detergent melt ice better than rock salt. He did not recommend a particular brand.
nHarold Bowman of Salem said he hosed down the snow all around his car and melted it. But the temperature outside was about 32 degrees, he said. Logic would dictate not to try this in colder weather.
nPam Hultquist of Rocky Mount prefers bird seed. It gives traction and feeds the birds when you're done.
nPerhaps Don Ringstaff of Roanoke had the best solution. "If you're looking for something to put under the wheels in the winter time, how's about Interstate 75 in south Florida?"
OK, you're out of the driveway and on the road. Now what? Our callers also had several tips for how NOT to drive.
nDon't pull up too close to the person stopped in front of you, warns Nicholas Maneen, Roanoke. If the other person gets stuck, they need room to rock back and forth. And you'll need room to pull around them. Maneen says as long as you can see the other guy's rear tires on the pavement, you're close enough.
nKeep your car in low gear, says Mildred Sanford of Roanoke.
nDon't drive at all, said the person who wished to remain anonymous. His best tip for whenever there's two feet of snow out there is "walk wherever you are going. It is just not safe to do anything else, and look out for crazy motorists who may be out trying to run you over."
Several readers agreed, saying the best thing to do is stock up on fuel, food, batteries, candles, matches, medicines and drinking water so when you get socked in, you can forget about driving. "Settle in to enjoy the storm, nature is soooooo beautiful," said Susan Carroll in Blacksburg. She sits in front of her six windows and sews while watching the snow.
Adds Hultquist: "Instead of getting twerped up because your road hasn't been plowed, play with your kids in the snow, talk about what it was like for people who lived in earlier times [before snowplows]."
As for the city of Roanoke's role, some readers suggested alternating parking for the winter season. For instance, we park our cars on one side on odd days, on the other side on even days. The city is considering such a plan for future storms.
Other tips: One woman said she would sweep her front stairs and walk every couple of hours to keep it from piling up. When the snow stopped, she watched her neighbors shoveling, while her walk was clear.
When ice clogged Nancy Aker's gutters, she used common sense. The Roanoke resident hooked up a hose to her washing machine's hot water faucet, borrowed an extension ladder, and ran hot water over the ice. It took four times because she kept running out of hot water, but "It works like a charm and keeps you from having to pull your gutter off the house."
Lastly, for those of you with livestock, Faye Nichols of Copper Hill urges you not to let them wallow in deep snow. Her 26-year-old quarter horse wallowed right down the hill and ended up stuck in a 4-foot drift, on its back, legs in the air.
It took Nichols half an hour to dig the horse out. Both horse and owner are apparently fine.
For more tips on preparing your car and home for winter storms and other natural disasters, call for a free brochure from the Red Cross, 985-3550.
TRACTION TIPS
Stuck in the snow? Here are some unconventional weapons that readers say you can use against snow and ice:
Bird seed
Cat litter
Sand
Gravel
Laundry detergent
Roof shingles
Pizza boxes
Floor mats
Rugs
Blankets
Woodstove ashes
"This is extremely ugly and ridiculous-looking but, by George, it works! To be able to walk through deep snow and keep your shoes dry, get two large black garbage bags. Step into an empty garbage bag, fasten it around your upper thigh with an elastic band. Repeat for other leg. Now walk over to your senior citizen neighbors and check that they're alright."
- Catherine James, Blacksburg
LENGTH: Long : 116 lines ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC: Robert Lunsfordby CNB