Meridian Magazine

20 December 2007

Slip Sliding Away

Last winter I was driving to work during one of the snowstorms. I took the road that goes around the Costco because the left turn arrow turned red at 53rd south. Rounding the curve in the Blue Explorer I spun out in the middle of the road. This maneuver elicited a round of applause from the construction crew working on the IHC Death Star hospital.

Fast forward to 1 December this year, the first snowstorm of this winter. I left in the morning to get McDonald's breakfast for everyone. As I pulled onto fashion Boulevard I thought to myself, "these tires feel a little splashy." Not 10 seconds later I found myself going straight when the road curved.

I had lots of time to see what was happening and evaluate and react. I just couldn't stop my slide. The car was going to hit the curb sideways and I didn't like that prospect so at the last minute I turned into the curb and went up onto it with the two front tires. Still sliding sideways I took out one of the no parking signs in front of the old Cottonwood Hospital.

The impact with the sign pretty well destroyed the driver side mirror, put a small dent in the driver side door and destroyed an ornamental quasi running board on the driver side. After we had breakfast I took the car to get new tires. A new mirror cost me about $40. I popped most of the dent out. I have yet to purchase the running board thingy.

I guess I need to drive more carefully around Hospitals.

P.S. I recently found out that the same day, same spot, within a half hour another guy in our ward did the same thing, except he hit the curb sideways and did about $6000 damage to his suspension.