chuckle at closure of the Grapevine, etc. (not to mention the requirement
for chains). However, conditions here are much different than "back East".
1. Rust Belters are prepared for snow and ice. They know how to drive in it
(most do, anyway), they have proper tires and maybe chains, their wipers
(winter/snow wiper blades) are fully functional, and so on.
2. The government resources are up to the task.* Plows are continually
traveling the streets, and sand and salt are spread liberally (which I
suspect would bring howls of protest in CA).
3. The environment is different. In the Rust Belt, the snow falls,
accumulates, is plowed away, and that's that. In the Grapevine, Cajon Pass,
Donner Pass, etc., the snow falls and accumulates, sometimes very quickly,
often turns to rain which a) freezes, b) partially melts the snow, then
freezes, c) melts all the snow before freezing, and/or d) wets the pavement
and freezes into black ice before changing to snow and accumulating on top
of the ice. (That was not a multiple-choice question; correct answer is "All
of the above".) This is further complicated by the drastic changes in
altitude (and thus temperature and conditions) and other prevalent weather
factors such as wind hazards.
Therefore, Caltrans and CHP cannot guess when it will be safe to drive over
these passes, or even whether, though it's safe "now", it's safe everywhere.
This is why when they do open the road, more often than not it's with escort
(so that the officer can say, "Hey I just hit an unsafe patch; everybody
stop").
----
Now, let's mention the issue of the complainers:
1. Are they highway safety experts?
2. Might their perception/judgment be biased by the inconvenience they
suffered? (We won't get into whether they could have avoided that
inconvenience.)
3. Is that "'nuff said"?
-------------------
* Even if the union workers choose not to be. (End of political comments.)
----- Original Message -----
From: "kevin asato" <kc6pob@yahoo.com>
To: <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, January 06, 2011 4:03 PM
Subject: Re: [californiadisasters] CHP Prevents Traffic Disaster: Surviving
Idiots Complain
Surviving Idiots Complain - Nice Summarization!
Most did not have chains, most can barely drive on a wet street. Yet they
are well prepared to drive on the inclines and declines of he Gravevine
covered with snow and ice. Glad to say I was not on the road with them.
73,kevinkc6pob
--- On Thu, 1/6/11, Kim Noyes <kimnoyes@gmail.com> wrote:
From: Kim Noyes <kimnoyes@gmail.com>
Subject: [californiadisasters] CHP Prevents Traffic Disaster: Surviving
Idiots Complain
To: "CaliforniaDisasters" <californiadisasters@yahoogroups.com>
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2011, 11:44 AM
Motorists criticize weather-related closure of the 5 Freeway in the
Grapevine
The CHP says the section of the roadway had
to be closed Sunday because of dangerous conditions. But some travelers
are not convinced.
By Sam Allen, Los Angeles Times
January 5, 2011
Should the Grapevine have been closed
for nearly 24 hours because of a snowstorm?
That was a question some motorists stranded by the closure of
California's main north-south artery were asking Monday. The storm
brought inches — rather than feet — of snow to Interstate 5. Several
motorists noted that the scene seemed tame compared to last month's
blizzard that snowed under streets in New York and the Northeast.
"In other parts of the country, this is nothing," said Todd Anderson,
who was delayed on his way home to Shaver Lake and spent Sunday night at
a roadside inn in Castaic. "I know if they would just let me up, I
could make it through easy."
But the California Highway Patrol on
Tuesday strongly defended its decision to cut traffic off, saying that
the icy road surface, steep grade of the Tejon Pass and heavy
post-holiday traffic volume made the Grapevine simply too dangerous to
navigate.
"It's not a decision we like to make," CHP Officer Patrick Etchebarne
said. "The thinking is let's close it now before it gets really, really
bad. If you don't, you're going to have a nightmare."
Etchebarne said that closures on the Grapevine and other mountain roads
are designed to prevent a worst-case scenario, and that they generally
are based more on road conditions than the experience level of
individual drivers.
Most vehicles can traverse the steep inclines even in snowy conditions
if they maintain a steady speed, he said. However, if an accident forces
traffic to slow or come to a complete stop, and snow continues to fall,
hundreds of vehicles can become stalled at once. The Tejon Pass is
particularly vulnerable because of its steep hills and the number of
big-rigs that travel on it, Etchebarne said.
In December 2008, the CHP waited too long to close the interstate and
faced that exact scenario, Etchebarne said. Hundreds of drivers had to
be rescued after their cars became stranded, and the American Red Cross was
called to the scene.
<SNIP>
View entire article here:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-grapevine-20110105,0,5999310.story
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