skating on thin ice

[blipvert]

Black ice, to be specific, which is actually not black at all but quite transparent. When the temperature hovers close to the freezing point, roads can acquire small-but-deadly patches of very thin ice. These tiny pockets of antigravity are virtually indistinguishable from the surrounding road surface — until you happen to drive over one, and discover that your brakes and steering no longer work. If it weren't for my cat-like reflexes, I'd be blogging to you from beyond the grave right now.

Comments

[feste-sylvain.livejournal.com]

Yeah, black ice is how I broke my wrist.

Bridge freezes before road.

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

It's scary! Even steering into the skid like they tell you doesn't always work, there's so little friction to work with.

[frotz.livejournal.com]

I'm very happy to not have you blogging from beyond the grave.

That said, I find myself curious how you'd do so, as you seem convinced that you'd be able to.

Plus, I don't understand how having an immediate deliberate wash, followed by a nap, has aided your escape.

Nonetheless I am happy for you.

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

It's called a metaphor, Spock.

[aflaminghalo.livejournal.com]

~adds to list of why not to drive~

Maybe you need to knock up some sort of flamethrowing ice destroyer on your bonnet?

And yes, don't die!

my Christmas wish list just got a bit longer...

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

I think I should have a flamethrowing ice destroyer just because!

[bellabelball.livejournal.com]

It did something to your icon though; are you sure you didn't get shifted slightly out of sync?

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

Lost horizontal hold for a bit, but I think it's back. Although something does still seem out of sorts.

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

Great icon! :)

[bellabelball.livejournal.com]

Thanks! It was made by none other than blipvert. :)

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

Sweet!!! :)

[marmota.livejournal.com]

Happy Thanksgiving! Not Being Dead is a good thing to be thankful for. Hopefully also any bystanders, other cars, other drivers, your car, any passengers, the scenery and so forth are also comparatively unscathed. Stuff the turkey, not your car.

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

Nothing damaged except my underpants, thank Eris.

[cz_unit]

Could be worse: You could tank your car without license, registration, tags, or insurance with a trunk full of happiness.

Then again could be better.

CZ

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

The bright side of things huh? :p

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

Amazing the things a person does 15 years ago to the date last month that one still gets reminded about...

[cz_unit]

I've found that time is quite odd. 15 years seems like a few weeks ago.

We also love you.

CZ

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

I appreciate that you meant it in a good-natured way, but the truth is that people did go to hospital that night because of me, for injuries which turned out to have been minor but might well have not been. That's not a part I talk a lot about; you're forgiven for not being aware of it, but you ought to know that it's painful for me to remember. I do hope I've learned something from it too.

You're a good friend and a good person, CZ, always have been. Sorry to get so down and heavy all of a sudden, but I felt I needed to explain my earlier reaction.

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

Glad you're ok!

We had it up here too! I even deliberately went out later just because of it but it was still out there when I left! *sighs*

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Well you know what they say about black ice and taxes.

I swear, if it weren't for low housing costs and corruption-free government, no one would ever want to live here.

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

I thought that was death and taxes???

*grins*

I wonder every day after listening to talk radio why anyone would want to live in MA because of those two things.

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

It has to be our pothole-free, easy to navigate roads with abundant signage.

[the-fuzzy-bunny.livejournal.com]

I thought it was the appeal of the ever increasing toll prices!!!

[speedingslug.livejournal.com]

Glad your ok.

I hate driving in snow too. Many moons ago I was driving on a dual carriageway at about 40 mph like everyone else when a sports car shot past. Further up the road it slid into the kerb of the central reservation and just flipped into the air and landed on the other side of the road, it was like watching a film. I had a few bottom clenching slides myself.

[blipvert.livejournal.com]

Good lord... that must have been horrifying to watch.

Thankfully I had been keeping down my speed and leaving plenty of room between myself and the car in front of me, so when I started spinning I was able to recover. But there are plenty of other people who don't, even on some of the narrow, winding little country roads we have around here. It's madness.

[vorvolaka.livejournal.com]

I don't drive but it's bad enough walking over the stuff.

Glad you're okay and I hope your underpants can be saved.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

Tuesday nite, around 11 pm in Connecticut on highway 84 moving at approximately 70 mph. And same night, around 2:30 am, in New Jersey on highway 287 about a half hour from my mom's house, moving at approximately 60 mph. The second one got me, and I freaked. Patch each time was enough to feel the slide, but over in a flash before the car left it's lane. I drove the last half hour to my mom's at about 40 mph, eyes wide open and panting a bit, holding the wheel in a death grip.

I feel your pain.