RJM62
Touchdown! Greaser!
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2007
- Messages
- 13,157
- Location
- Upstate New York
- Display Name
Display name:
Geek on the Hill
I presently have winter tires on my car. As far as I'm concerned, they're the best winter tires I've ever owned (General Altimax Arctic, studded). Last year I wound up driving through some major snowstorms, and they scoffed at it all. They even made it up and down Sparrow Fart Hill when it was covered with ice. They're really good snow tires. (And yes, I did in fact get a great discount on them from Discount Tire Direct after rebates.)
Better yet, they still have about 5/16" of good tread left with no damage, so it looks like I'll get a third winter out of them as long as I get them off before the weather warms up, which it looks like it's going to do this weekend. Woo-hoo! I've never gotten three years out of a set of snow tires before.
The problem is that I know that if I swap the tires now, we'll surely have a blizzard before the end of March, so I'm debating whether I want to do that. On my end it's no big deal: It's just another hour spent in the driveway with a jack and an impact wrench. It's other people I'm concerned about. Is it fair for me to cause a blizzard knowing others will be impacted by it?
To further complicate issues, there would be both positive and negative consequences to a blizzard. On the positive side, there's been almost no snow so far this winter, which is going to cause summer water shortages downstate. The New York City reservoirs draw their water from this watershed, and no snow means no spring melt, which in turn means summer water shortages for The City.
On the other hand, however, New York Governor Andy Cuomo has this weird snow obsession. He declares martial law, starts shutting down major highways, and in doing so basically gridlocks the entire Northeast every time a snowflake is rumored to be making its way toward earth. Do I want to be responsible for all that commotion?
I'm leaning toward swapping the tires even though I know it will result in a blizzard. I think the benefits of replenishing the water supply outweigh the pandemonium that Andy creates every time it snows. I might even get some sort of award from The City once I tell them that it was I who started the snowstorm! That would be nice.
Such weighty decisions I have to make. It's not easy being me.
Rich
Better yet, they still have about 5/16" of good tread left with no damage, so it looks like I'll get a third winter out of them as long as I get them off before the weather warms up, which it looks like it's going to do this weekend. Woo-hoo! I've never gotten three years out of a set of snow tires before.
The problem is that I know that if I swap the tires now, we'll surely have a blizzard before the end of March, so I'm debating whether I want to do that. On my end it's no big deal: It's just another hour spent in the driveway with a jack and an impact wrench. It's other people I'm concerned about. Is it fair for me to cause a blizzard knowing others will be impacted by it?
To further complicate issues, there would be both positive and negative consequences to a blizzard. On the positive side, there's been almost no snow so far this winter, which is going to cause summer water shortages downstate. The New York City reservoirs draw their water from this watershed, and no snow means no spring melt, which in turn means summer water shortages for The City.
On the other hand, however, New York Governor Andy Cuomo has this weird snow obsession. He declares martial law, starts shutting down major highways, and in doing so basically gridlocks the entire Northeast every time a snowflake is rumored to be making its way toward earth. Do I want to be responsible for all that commotion?
I'm leaning toward swapping the tires even though I know it will result in a blizzard. I think the benefits of replenishing the water supply outweigh the pandemonium that Andy creates every time it snows. I might even get some sort of award from The City once I tell them that it was I who started the snowstorm! That would be nice.
Such weighty decisions I have to make. It's not easy being me.
Rich
