Snow.

[Al Swearegen]

When I was a kid and it snowed, there was hills close by that we'd slide down. On plastic sacks. Very fun. 

Less snow these days. I think it was bought by a multinational or something.

Last year there was a day where it "snowed". That is little flakes drifted down and basically dissolved before they hot the ground. But it was interesting and sort of snow.

[Calandale]

Yeah, in conditions like those, you need at bare minimum, studded tires and AWD/4WD.

It's best to have chains though because you can't beat, the traction on ice and snow.

Many stretches of road here legally require chains in the winter. If you get in an accident without them on, you get fined.

I've never understood the West's preoccupation with chains. They are illegal in NY, and no one is sliding
around like that. I don't know anyone who has studded tires either. Ok, I'm sure in the mountains, they
make sense, but in Portland?

If you are caught in those sort of conditions without proper snow tyres and/or 4WD, you are screwed.

Realistically they shouldn't even be trying to drive in those conditions with the tyres they have on. Once they realize that they can't steer, can't brake, they panic.

I (and damned near everyone in the NE US) have driven in a lot worse than that pretty regularly with nothing more than radials.

Sure, you can do donuts in the parking lot (although I do remember being in the car for a surprise 180), but so long as you're
careful, and aware that there is ice, you only slide a little here and there.

This is people driving who've never dealt with icy conditions, is all I can think.

[Yuri Bezmenov]

Yeah, in conditions like those, you need at bare minimum, studded tires and AWD/4WD.

It's best to have chains though because you can't beat, the traction on ice and snow.

Many stretches of road here legally require chains in the winter. If you get in an accident without them on, you get fined.

I've never understood the West's preoccupation with chains. They are illegal in NY, and no one is sliding
around like that. I don't know anyone who has studded tires either. Ok, I'm sure in the mountains, they
make sense, but in Portland?

FFS, do you bother reading what you type??

If chains are illegal in NY it's probably because they use massive amounts of salt and gravel on the roads to keep them passible, besides there's probably not too many steep mountain passes in NY.

Here in Orygun they only used lava rock which is environmentally friendly. Not to mention that there's several mountain passes that they have to keep open in the winter. Chains or studded tires are legally required on most of them. When was the last time you tried to take Hwy 126 over the Cascades in winter??

[Calandale]

Yeah, in conditions like those, you need at bare minimum, studded tires and AWD/4WD.

It's best to have chains though because you can't beat, the traction on ice and snow.

Many stretches of road here legally require chains in the winter. If you get in an accident without them on, you get fined.

I've never understood the West's preoccupation with chains. They are illegal in NY, and no one is sliding
around like that. I don't know anyone who has studded tires either. Ok, I'm sure in the mountains, they
make sense, but in Portland?

FFS, do you bother reading what you type??

If chains are illegal in NY it's probably because they use massive amounts of salt and gravel on the roads to keep them passible, besides there's probably not too many steep mountain passes in NY.

They do. But, it sometimes takes a while to get the salt down. Especially where my mother lives, which is in the mountains.
Nothing like what you live in, where I'm sure chains are required - but a hell of a lot worse than in Portland.

It's people who don't understand how to use brakes in super slippery conditions.

Salt can also cause greater problems. There are certain temperature bands (quite common in Western NY) where the salt
doesn't melt the ice fully, so you have a sheet of ice with a thin layer of liquid on top - which is worse than the ice was.

[odeon]

You'd have winter tyres, normally. Chains are sort of extreme.

But that sliding around like that, that's just over-the-top stupid drivers? Right?

Pretty much. It's fun to do if you know how, though.