Just Above Freezing Temps Are Dangerous

Harvey wrote:

Although not particularly dangerous, our son Michael shared that he encountered a first time thing yesterday evening, I think at the Pilot in Chemult, Oregon. He had parked for his 30 minute break and got out and when he came back he noticed his truck was slowly sliding out of the parking space. He said this lot had an incline to it.

Harvey I respectfully disagree; this is potentially dangerous as it can happen. It's quiet...no one is expecting something like this. The slightest incline can cause something like this on very thin ice. Gradually increasing momentum can be destructive.

I can think of several times when I parked in relatively flat Walmart lots; when icy, just to be sure, after I pulled the brakes, lowered the window to listen for any indication the truck was sliding. When I exited the truck; I watched it for about one minute to see if there was the slightest bit of movement before leaving it to enter the store.

Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Perhaps I should have been clearer, it could have been dangerous but it had just moved a little before he was ready to leave, not on the same scale as losing traction driving on the freeway. Certainly there is some danger and that is why I brought it up and suggested the kitty litter. I thought it was worth bringing up because of that risk.

It’s dangerous… period.

…and that is why I suggested he execute the steps as described to prevent potential danger. That was the salient point of my reply.

It’s dangerous… period.

…and that is why I suggested he execute the steps as described to prevent potential danger. That was the salient point of my reply.

Okay, you win. But I don't think it had moved at all in a minute, it moved just a little bit in 30 minutes. The kitty litter was what I had suggested as a preventative measure, trying to take action BEFORE it moved.

The only ice I like is the ice in my cooler. Ice on the pavement not so much. I just loaded my truck with a small amount of sand and road salt. No kitty litter yet, but I will add that when I get to a Walmart soon.

Harvey replied:

Okay, you win. But I don't think it had moved at all in a minute, it moved just a little bit in 30 minutes. The kitty litter was what I had suggested as a preventative measure, trying to take action BEFORE it moved.

This is not a game for me Harvey. And that applies to most of us. Is that what this is to you?

I do not appreciate, nor will I tolerate you minimizing this exchange as some sort of competition or debate, it's not. You were not there, so you really don't know what happened. Secondhand information is only as good to the extent of what Michael cared to share with you, your interpretation of the information and what you chose to share with us. Loosely translated, secondhand information is not 100% reliable which is why I frequently "check-you" like I have done here.

The winners here need to be Michael and other drivers who have yet to experience a situation like this. Not you or me.

I've been in his situation countless times and learned how-to handle it safely through my own experience and the guidance of others more experienced than me. I've witnessed an unattended tractor slowly slide on ice, out of control. It was terrifying, even though it was only a tractor. The information I offered was for Michael and others to digest and put in their knowledge base for future reference. It was not provided to extend the discussion with you or debate the definition of "what is" or "is not dangerous". I suggest you mention it to him if you haven't already.

The most obvious sign that you should slow down because the roads might be icy:

This is not a game for me Harvey. And that applies to most of us. Is that what this is to you?

No, this is not a game for me. But you seem to want to split hairs to find fault in what I wrote and I never minimalized anything. I pointed out a problem to point out the risk in truck stops and Michael's encounter and I also pointed out preventative action that he can take. Nobody has brought up this risk in a truck stop before from what I can remember. Of course, there is danger, just not on the same scale as what was being discussed in the original post. I would have thought you would instead have thanked me for bringing up a good point that drivers need to be aware of. That's all.

I'm to "thank you" for stating what Michael encountered is, and I quote: "not particularly dangerous". What hair was I splitting?

Unfortunately, you missed the most important point, refused to acknowledge it.

Kitty litter can assist with traction when trying to move a stuck truck...I agree with that. This however is something entirely different. I offered how I handle it, and how others have handled the same situation. Your refusal to acknowledge the information I posted, reposted, it's value and relevance is "telling".

I stand by what I said. "On you" and foolish if you choose not to share it with Michael.

I'm sure you'll attempt to get the last word on this...like you typically do. I'm done trying to reason with you Harvey.

This is not a game for me Harvey. And that applies to most of us. Is that what this is to you?

No, this is not a game for me. But you seem to want to split hairs to find fault in what I wrote and I never minimalized anything. I pointed out a problem to point out the risk in truck stops and Michael's encounter and I also pointed out preventative action that he can take. Nobody has brought up this risk in a truck stop before from what I can remember. Of course, there is danger, just not on the same scale as what was being discussed in the original post. I would have thought you would instead have thanked me for bringing up a good point that drivers need to be aware of. That's all.

My attempt in here is not to get in the last word. However, the splitting hairs is me commenting about a problem Michael had and me saying it wasn't "particularly dangerous" and you said it was "potentially dangerous". Of course I commented about this because of it's potential.

The information I gave is for others to take it into account and watch out for it. As far as I know, nobody has brought this up here before and it was a good time to bring it up, I thought. Secondhand or not, the situation was worth sharing and provided you with an opportunity to add more information.

I have already shared with Michael about what you had recommended. You wrote:

Kitty litter can assist with traction when trying to move a stuck truck...I agree with that. This however is something entirely different. I offered how I handle it, and how others have handled the same situation.

I can think of several times when I parked in relatively flat Walmart lots; when icy, just to be sure, after I pulled the brakes, lowered the window to listen for any indication the truck was sliding. When I exited the truck; I watched it for about one minute to see if there was the slightest bit of movement before leaving it to enter the store.

Ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

You didn't explain what to do to prevent your truck from sliding. Please offer some some advice on that if kitty litter isn't sufficient and I will share that with Michael also. He came home yesterday and returns to work on Saturday so I can share it before he leaves.

If you're parked overnight, is waiting a minute enough or do you take any other measures if parked on a slight incline?

So far, in the west, this has been a stormy winter. It's Michael's third winter and he's driven for 28 months without any events and I hope he can keep it that way.

The problem with this entire issue is whenever parking the truck on ice, it's best to make sure it's not sliding before exiting it. Which makes it rather tricky. If it is sliding, you gotta move to more level ground (if possible), look for a place that is either not icy or level.

As far as preventing it from occurring once parked and ensuring it's stable? Throwing ice melt (salt) around your tires would help, same with the kitty litter. My experience with icy Walmart lots, I tried to park as close to the curb behind the trailer tandems as possible, using it like a wheel chock and I lowered the landing gear touching the ground, then 1 half turn or so, ensuring that it puts ample pressure on the ground pads pushing into the street surface.