BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....

Subject: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Janie
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 02:40 PM

He and his Dad had both assured me he knew how to handle snow covered roads, and his Dad let him drive the truck here the other night to take to school the next day. I noticed he had parked on the dirt berm facing up-hill and told him to go back out and park facing downhill as snow was predicted overnight.

"What for Mom, I have a lot more torque in reverse!"

*sigh*

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Ebbie
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 02:57 PM

I remember those couple of years so well; when my daughter hit 13, she hit it hard. I tell people that there were times that I threatened to run away from home.

But it gets better. :)

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: gnu
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 03:05 PM

If it was a 4X4 he would... if not, the fact that he has parked the truck with the major weight (engine) uphill gives him more potential energy but less traction because the rear wheels will hit the snow first. Of course, if the snow is heavy and he is parked as you say, the lack of traction on the rear wheels may not compensate for the increased rolling resistance on the front wheels.

In any case. There is a solution. A shovel.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 03:48 PM

What kind of truck? Pick up trucks are bad in bad weather.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Janie
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 05:13 PM

Trust me, torque was not called for, and could have got him in trouble, while parking downhill held no danger at all of him getting stuck.

It was his notion that the first solution to slick is higher torque that gave me pause. He had no thought that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Besides, I was just using that as an example of some of the small worries of parents of teens about the teenager's lack of experience and lack of judgement. (You can imagine his rolling eyes and disgusted sigh at his Mom's stupid request as he stomped out the door to turn the car around.)

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Arthur_itus
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 05:50 PM

"You can imagine her rolling eyes and disgusted sigh at her Dad's stupid request "

I get that all the time. Mind you my wife is just as bad.

When we had the very bad snow and road conditions, I tried to stop my daughter getting the bus from Lincoln to Market Rasen midday. I warned her that she may not get a bus going back. My daughter and my wife with no experience of driving on such roads, just blanked me.

Anyway, my wife went with my daughter to the bus stop to go home. An hour later, my wife called and said that the bus hadn't arrived. They stood in -10 for over an hour and my daughter finished up with a nasty cold and is still suffering.

Well DOH.

It finished up with me driving my daughter home through freezing fog and icy conditions. Exactly what I didn't want to do. At least I got as nice hug from her when I dropped her off. :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Slag
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 06:22 PM

One of the first things I learned from my Dad was to ALWAYS park with your tail uphill regardless of what sort of vehicle. Suppose it won't start (assuming you have a stick shift). If you have to summon aid it's a benefit to the service people. And many other reasons as you can imagine. When I learned to drive big trucks we were given the the three rules of backing up: Don't back, don't back, DON'T BACK!

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 06:38 PM

The days when reverse was lower than 1st are largely over.

A 2WD pickup truck, with no weight on the drive wheels is doubleplusbad on traction.

A 4WD, if it has difflocks in all three diffs, no difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Joe_F
Date: 18 Dec 10 - 09:01 PM

I recently read about a couple of people who drove across the US in the early 1920s in a Ford (I forget which model) that had no fuel pump. (The things we take for granted in this effete age!) As the tank was in the rear, that meant that on going up a sufficiently steep grade the engine would die. The usual recourse was to go up steep hills in reverse. However, these guys were smart (headed for Caltech, in fact). They fitted a bicycle-tire pump to the gas cap, so they could pressurize the tank by hand if needed.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Janie
Date: 19 Dec 10 - 02:46 AM

Many people my age have grandchildren the same age as my son. It ain't always easy for me to remember, and therefore tolerate, what it is like to be 17.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Darowyn
Date: 19 Dec 10 - 04:52 AM

It was only a few weeks ago that I passed a car using a low reverse to climb a steep hill that was too steep for the first gear of an early Vintage Morgan.
This was on the road from Rudyard Lake up to the top of Biddulph Moor in Staffordshire Moorlands.
We will not be going that way today after all the fresh snow has fallen.
You see, our car has too much torque and too wide tyres.
Cheers
Dave

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 20 Dec 10 - 05:03 AM

The old Morris Major with its skinny tyres could drive thru slush that wold make cars 20-30 years its junior get bogged to the axles.

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: GUEST,Dani
Date: 20 Dec 10 - 07:46 AM

Aargh. Feeling your pain.

Dani

Subject: RE: BS: Teenagers - I wasn't worried until....
From: Noreen
Date: 20 Dec 10 - 03:07 PM

You know what they say-
employ a teenager while they still know everything!

Aaaaargh! (been there too)