Being born in January, I got my Learner's Permit at 16. My dad made a point to take me out as soon as he could.

In maybe my second or third time out, he brought me to an unplowed parking lot after about a 6 inch snowfall. He told me to get the speed up to about 30 MPH and slam on the brakes. To this day, I've yet to find a roller coaster to match the terror of the car spinning wildly in the parking lot.

I'm sure there are a lot of folks, especially our Northern neighbors who can add to this. Granted, you may not wish to attempt the drive, but in the interest of your future safety...

* ALL WHEEL DRIVE is better than 4 wheel-drive if you can rent it.

* All/four wheel drive helps you accelerate, but does not mean you'll brake any faster! If you don't believe me, look at all the flipped-over urban assault vehicles in the next snowstorm.

* Find out if your car as ABS. If not, pump the brakes, if so, hit the brakes.

* Without ABS, your car CANNOT turn while the brakes are applied. As ludicrous as it sounds, if you are hurtling towards an obstacle, take your foot off the brake and slowly turn the wheel. A side-swipe beats a head-on (and especially a side-impact) anyday!

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As far as Wednesday, that is my wife's birthday. As much as I would love to meet everyone, I much prefer sleeping in my own bed to the couch!

Please don't change on my account, but if another day is better for most, it makes life easier on me!

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"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed or numbered. My life is my own."



[This message has been edited by Jon Toner (edited 11-30-1999).]