37 Replies to “Rightfully Mocking the Inhabitants of Canada’s Left Coast”

  2. You have no idea how true that is…On Vancouver Island it can be worse. I can’t count the number of idiots with 4X4’s who routinely get stuck or just spin their wheels at the first sign of snow or ice. Most years I don’t even put on my snow tires, because I learned to drive in Alberta. In their defense, the snow here is very different and is usually slicker than snot.

  3. I grew up and learned to drive in Sask.8 months of winter and 4 months of poor sledding so the snow in Vancouver doesn’t bother me-its the idiots and, in an attempt to fleeze people, they force you to buy 4 snow tires(can”t just buy 2) which lulls people into thinking its OK for them to drive in snow when they shouldn’t even be allowed out of thier driveway..
    A few years ago I was on the freeway when it had snowed quite heavy for a few days. Only brave souls(and some idiots) were out. I was going reduced speed (probably about 50 K) when I came upon a lady driving in the middle of the road, white knuckles clutching the steering wheel going about 10-15 K. I can just hear her later saying “this idiot in a truck passed me going dangerously fast”
    Ive never had snow tires and can, and will drive, in any conditions because, although the snow and ice here IS different than Alta or Sask.knowing HOW to drive in those conditions is the key.

  4. Time to call out the army. Then Vancouver can be as ridiculous as Toronto. Why is it that people who vote Communist and Asians can’t drive?

  5. This is intended to be a bit of humor. Please don’t take this too awfully personal.
    Having spent (exactly) 10 years commuting back and forth from White Rock to Edmonton, I have to take some issue with this information.
    For one thing, one the Coast we normally get heavy, wet snow that pack in the tread of your tires and makes driving extremely difficult. And, of course, we only see this one or twice a winter. Now, from observation, I’d have to say some of the very worst drivers that I’ve seen are folks who moved out here from somewhere EAST of here (please choose your own definition of that**on a bad day Eastern Canada starts in Abbotsford to me). People from the Prairies are accustomed to driving in nice, dry powder snow. It’s very easy to get around in that. I know because I did it.
    The very scariest thing you can experience is to watch people at a light on the first day of any snow in (insert name here). They all line up at the stoplight and when the light goes green they all bury their foot in the induction system and sit there with their wheels spinning. When the light goes orange to red they all lift off and instantly accelerate through the intersection. No end of difficulties follow.
    So, if all you folks think us folks out west can’t drive, maybe you should retire to Ontario instead of the Lower Mainland.

  6. “…. Vancouver can be as ridiculous as Toronto”
    Puleez …. Vancouver has always been ridiculous … always. Toronto was well managed and hard-nosed
    until Mayor John Sewell when the leftist euphoria set in.
    MM

  7. Heh,heh.
    Yep,there’s nothing like the Lower Mainland when they get a little snow.I lived there for about 15 years. Biggest problem is that people are too cheap or stupid to buy decent tires,look at the vehicles when they’re parked and you’ll see most still have Summer or all-season tires,only about 10% seem to have winter tires.
    Now,for those Prairie folks who like to think they know what Winter driving is, try the highway from Blue River to Prince George some February. You’ll blanch at the Goat River hill, and sh** at Ptarmigan creek hill!
    I’m from Manitoba,and the winter conditions there come without 8% grades and corners banked the wrong way.

  8. Oh puleeez! I reside in the Vancouver area and choose to stay off the roads on days with the white stuff because I can. The snow here is indeed different than what I usually see on the eastern side of the Rockies. Having spent decades driving through Northern BC, Alberta, Sask, and Manitoba in winter I have to say the citizens of Calgary take the cake for theatrics in the snow. The things I have seen on the Deerfoot Trail…. *sigh* Aren’t most people in Calgary immigrants from Ontario?

  11. That goes for most city people. They either try to drive like it’s summertime, dodging from lane to lane. Or become traffic hazards driving excessively slow.
    Can’t count the number of times I’ve seen a car fishtail a little bit, the brake lights immediately come on. Entertaining, if nothing else.

  12. Posted by: Stuck In Bridge Traffic
    The Calgary-Banff Trans Canada used to make me giggle.
    Me in a 1986 Dodge Shelby Daytona on all season 225/50r/15 tires, and nutball ski-Moms parking their
    4×4 SUV s upside down in the ditch.
    8% grade? Please step off the gas and drift the corner.
    People who don’t know how to drive should stay at home.
    Out here in Powell River, it took me one day to learn the wet snow, threw 100kg of ballast in the back of my Mazda light truck. Good to go.
    dwright

  13. Although the conditions are indeed different across Canada during snow storms, until I see a vast improvement of drivers in my province of Alberta I can’t really criticize any other provinces drivers.

  14. Indeed, agreed with the others. Spent a few winters in the Peace country, night and day condions between there and here on the left coast. One inch of wet snow, compacted turns into greasy snot, that is a challenge for all but the best vehicles.
    And it depends on your vehicle, and tires.
    Experience?
    Ford Aerostar….horrible vehicle in snow.
    Ford Explorer, 99, possibly the best vehicle I’ve driven in the snow, go anywhere, great weight distribution.
    2000 Jetta, a fine example of German exgineering, even with the low profile tires, as for the rest of the car……..
    97 Tempest. TerribleIdle set too high, just wanted to spin, poor brakes too.
    05 F350. poor weight distribution (typical truck) but a new set of better tires should make yeards of difference. Now, if only we could get some snow to test them out……….in lotus land.
    and contrary to some opinions, a good set of tires can make a huge difference.

  15. Its exactly the same here in Toronto even though we at least get some snow every winter. But what you people who live in rural Saskatchewan have to realize is that the traffic is a bit heavier here in Toronto. For example at the 401/DVP/404 interchange we have 18 lanes of traffic converging. More traffic probably passes that point in an hour than all the cars in Manitoba. Its bumper to bumper 120 km an hour until the traffic gets denser and people have to slow down. Throw snow into the equation and it only gets worse. It provides more driving challenges than the odd herd of deer in the road.
    I don’t bother going out in the snow any more unless I absolutely have to. Its not worth the hassle.

  16. Minuteman, the Deerfoot 500 Calgary is a truly terrifying race.
    I call it that because it is the Daytona 500, without a pace car. People need to learn to slow down for weather conditions…
    Same every year…
    dwright

  18. Yea…ya might want to try Ft St. John to Prince George….in winter…in a snowstorm. That my friends will test your mettle…Big time. Near filled my pants on a couple of occasions and that was with snow tires, 7600lb, 06 Crew cab 4 X 4 Duramax with some weight in the back to boot…at night. Not a lot of fun.
    Having grown up in YVR, the issue is one that even snow tires will not solve…very WET snow. No amount of ”
    snow tire” will help you out on that stuff – only studs or chains. It’s not the dry stuff you get out here in the prairies.

  19. lets be honest and call it for what it is, MOST PPL JUST CAN’T DRIVE, snow just is for more entertainment on the road!!!

  20. Too true, dwright. Calgarians also seem incapable of merging into the correct lane. I was out today and tried to change lanes before intersections to assist those making right turns. It didn’t matter, they’d come over 2 or 3 lanes to get in front of me anyways.
    On the main topic I’d suggest that all cities go through a thinning process during the first snow of the year. Most cities are accustomed to snowy conditions by the time Vancouver gets its first snow of the year, so those who’ve had their “how do I handle this stuff again?” experience for a couple of months get to laugh at the newbies. And Vancouverites don’t get a chance to get used to it: it’s gone in a couple of days and will be weeks or months before it returns. I drive on aggressive all season tyres in Calgary, and try to leave 3 seconds between me and the car ahead of me. I cannot drive on the Deerfoot – no one will allow the proper stopping distance. The van my wife and kids usually travel in has winter tyres and we still try to avoid the Deerfoot. When you know the hazards and can avoid them, you’re half-ways there.

  21. FWIW Tire Pressures.
    The comment above about most urbanites not being able to drive in snow has some merit.
    Since gas prices have gone up a lot of people over inflate their tires for fuel economy.
    Usually 2 to 4 psi. (scarily,, some even more!)
    When that crud snow hits the coast, if you don’t have snows on,,letting about 4 psi out of your tires and slowing down helps immensely. Rear wheel drive vehicles especially.
    I’ve run them at 25 psi but never going more than 80kph until I could re-inflate them.
    Of course that means investing in a tire gauge at crappy tire, and learning how to use it and keeping it in the glove box.
    This saved my butt a couple of times in Mustangs and BMW’s with only all seasons.
    I’ve never had snows on any of my vehicles and have never needed a winch out,, but your luck may vary. Driving other vehicles with snows on in bad conditions does make a big difference in handling though.
    Its easy to let the air out a bit at a time by pulling off the road or in a parking lot.
    You have to remember its only a temporary fix and you have to get your hands dirty and put the air back in as soon as possible to avoid tire damage and a huge fuel bill.

  22. I’ve lived and worked and driven
    From the East coast to the West,
    And one thing I can say for sure,
    It’s always the other driver
    That’s the pest.
    With apologies to Stompin Tom; it’s my first attempt at poetry.

  23. Yes – it takes all of 10 snowflakes before Toronto calls it an emergency.
    But seriously – it makes sense for Vancouverites to get upset. Their snow clearance is a joke. They don’t have enough deicing fluid at Vancouver Airport. I remember staying in Point Grey over
    Christmas, back in 1991 – unduly cold weather. Right at the corner a big pile of snow/salt developed, which was a perfect car trap. A couple of times we had to go out to push cars out of the pile.

  24. When I was teaching my boys to drive in Calgary they learned the first rule of driving the Deerfoot. I call it “spot the idiot” and it goes like this. When merging onto the Deerfoot you have 30 seconds to check your mirrors and scan the traffic ahead to spot the idiot driver. Once identified you adjust speed and lane selection to distance yourself from the idiot. If you are unable to identify the threat in 30 seconds then you are the idiot. That and being in the lane you need well in advance are keys to surviving the Deerfoot 500.

  25. The Deerfoot is an experience, drivers think that they’re on the Autobahn (the Autobahn was a blast to drive on, but watch the passing lane, cars come out of nowhere).Vancouverites do tend to freak out at first sight of snow, but they’re lousy drivers in the summer as well. Driving through the mountains with no chains on will get your heart racing, especially with a big rig on your azz.

  26. Here in Ontario we get every kind of schlock from the skies, from lumpy rain to hard powder and everything in between.
    Every single year its the same thing. First snowfall, cars are in the ditch. Cars are upside down. Cars are spinning their wheels in the parking lot. Cars are sliding sideways on the highway for no reason.
    Toronto, Hamilton, Barrie, Caledonia, makes no difference. Everywhere the same, there are some IMBECILES who forget how to drive in the snow, every year. Then after a couple of storms, everyone has it figured out.
    Well, except truly hard core imbeciles. Fat middle aged white women with glasses seem to be the demographic that can’t learn. Not -all- of them naturally, but every time I see a car doing something indescribably stupid in mid-winter that’s who’s driving it.
    For myself, I have semi worn out all-seasons on the F-250 and have no problems with any of it so far. Last year I added a weight box but this year I didn’t bother. Weight or no, the big Ford has crap traction in 2x. Put it in 4x and it can pull a stump. Lotsa weight up front.
    Toronto is traffic insanity at the best of times, a nice snow storm actually improves the situation in my opinion. Speeds get reduced, timorous immigrants stay home, and lane hoppers in lowered rice rockets can’t get over the hump in the middle. Even tail gaters back off a couple of lengths once you give them the brake lights a couple times. Something about that big gnarly trailer hitch surging toward their windshield…

  27. Oh and the added bonus in Vancouver this year is the new Port Mann Bridge shedding ice bombs down on unsuspecting motorists. And the people in charge not putting out some anti icing on the bridge during lousy weather. Couple of weeks ago there was a 50 some car pile up in the middle of the bridge. And you have to pay to use it. There are always scary places to drive but the scariest I ever experienced was driving 21/2 miles home from work in the Arctic in a 2 wheel drive pick up with no 2 way radio, in blizzard like conditions, and no one at home to tell someone if I didn’t make it. Scared the crap outta me.

  28. I have lived in 4 provinces (BC, AB, MB, ON).
    First difference; driving on snow in -15c is so much easier, almost like a summer’s day compared to near freezing temps.
    Secondly, i believe most lower mainland cars come with summer tires. you need all-seasons.
    Thirdly, greater Vancouver has a lot of newly minted Asian drivers who have never seen the white stuff let alone driven on it. Let’s face it, some of them can’t even walk on it especially the young women who won;t give up the tall pointy heels in the snow.
    ‘Multirec’ you are correct about the Vancouverites freaking out at the first sighting of snow. They will work on construction in monsoon type rain, but a couple of snow flakes and they get severely nervous
    My best winter driving vehicle ever (don’t laugh too hard) a 20 year old Volvo 145s with factory option limited slip diff., snow tires (I did a lot of mountain driving in the winter) with a shovel in the back just in case. Fabulous weight distribution, great gearing.
    Complain about the bad Vancouverites (and some were worse than bad), but get into the mountains and the worst were the 4×4’s (a lot ended up on their roofs) and the wood chip haulers on their sides in the ditch.
    Have fun driving in the winter. i miss my last volvo 240 I took off the road this fall. Also a great disguise for a conservative; the lefties always assume you are one of them—then comes the ambush!!

  30. Robert, over and above the usual considerations (the Sixties, the Baby Boomers, “alternative” lifestyles, feminism, The Big Chill, etc., etc.), the Anglophone exodus from Quebec in response to the rise of Quebec nationalism has had a uniquely significant impact on the political culture of Ontario generally — and Quebec, of course. I think something like 500,000 Quebec Anglophones have moved to Ontario, beginning in the Bourassa years (1970-1976) — recall that the Quebec Liberals were the first to introduce restrictions on the use of English in Quebec, not the Parti Quebecois (which went farther, of course).
    Couple that with the particular “intellectualized” public image of Mr. Trudeau, who was seen by these particular migrants as a bulwark against Quebec nationalism, along with the arrival of smaller numbers of Americans seeking to avoid the Vietnam War draft, and I think you could point to somewhere in the mid-1970s (Mr. Sewell was elected mayor of Toronto in 1978) when the “latte liberal” — moral equivocation and detachment, cultural equivalence, uncertainty about what constitutes knowledge, tolerance-demands-acceptance, etc. — changeover in Toronto really got moving.

  31. It’s fine to make fun of BC, but in winter there are just as many idiots in Saskatoon as Vancouver. The difference here is that Saskatoon drivers actually believe they know how, all evidence to the contrary.

  32. There’s no good reason to know how to drive in snow or to have good winter tires for Vancouverites. It’s just not an issue until it is. Then it’s a disaster admittedly.

  33. Being from the Southeast US it is with some amusement that I read these complaints. I would have thought competent snow driving is a given for everyone in Canada. Where I live we are subject to ridicule from our Yankee transplants about our overreaction to small snow events, yet there’s now so many of them living here that surely more than a few of the idiotic maneuvers on snowy roads are being done by these transplants who “know how to drive in this s**t”.
    In Dixie’s defense, when it does snow here it is usually only a few degrees away from freezing. The snow is extremely heavy and wet, becoming a sloppy mess with the slightest bit of latent heat from the ground. Cold, powdery snow is much easier to get around in. I’m more than happy to let 2 inches of snow mean a day off from work 🙂

  34. Yes. It’s wet,slushy,heavy snow,but no worse for driving in than any other,if you drive to conditions!! I always laugh when thwe leftard coast brings up snow.Cripes.We have more snow removal equipment at YEG than the WHOLE lower mainland of hippie land. But then, I guess when you’re stoned from that good weed,or your free shot,the munchies take priority over everything else.

  35. There is a reason my Canadian GF is going to move here to Texas, and not me moving to Ottawa. I can drive in the snow and ice (we get ice storms here in TX) but most of the other drivers can’t, so I don’t chance my vehicles in the hands of the idiot drivers we have here. Heck, most of them can’t drive for crap when it rains, much less frozen stuff.
    Plus, I like my cars lasting longer than 5 years or so before the body crumbles into a rust pile.

  36. Mikey
    “I like my cars lasting longer than 5 years or so before the body crumbles into a rust pile.”
    No kidding.
    There’s waaaay more salt covering the roads here than there was a decade ago.
    More third world immigrants that can’t drive, more road salt, and more vehicles you need to replace sooner.

  37. You just have to drive around Vancouver in the summer to realize we have the worst drivers in the country. Winter is just more entertaining.

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