Rant: rocks on Calgary roads

[TrailBlazerSS]

OK, most likely 99% of people out there have had rock chips or broken windshields from the friggin' rocks that are spread all over the roads in the winter, but this year takes the cake for me... and it's only January!

During a very rare drive on Deerfoot about 2 months back, a big monster truck kicked up what looked like a boulder into my windshield. The rock was so big and made such a mess of my window it actually looked like someone tried to shoot me! Windshield replaced - goodbye $400.00

Well, call me a sucker for punishment. This time driving along Blackfoot, a small innocent pebble hits my windshield and leaves what looks like a possible chip. I turn on my wipers to see if it's just 'rock dust' or an actual chip, and then craaaaack... small chip turns into a huge crack from one end to the other. Goodbye to another $400.00

The front of my ride is absolutely riddled with chips, I even noticed a big gouge in the center of my hood. It's terrible. I will have to get the entire front end repainted.

But then I think, why bother? Unless you have some sort of protective dome around your car, you might as well drive an old beater if you live in Calgary. :confused:

Oh, any you have to LOVE the people that pass you and then immediately cut into your lane, showering you with even more lovely rocks!

/End of rock rage rant.

[redline]

:dunno:

Maybe try and ride a bike... or get glass coverage...

[Kloubek]

I'm with ya man. If I look carefully, I can see certain images when I play connect-the-dots on my windshield. Even with my TJ (which has a near-vertical windshield), it was never as bad as this year in the 6 years I've lived here.

[TrailBlazerSS]

Originally posted by redline
:dunno:

Maybe try and ride a bike... or get glass coverage...

hmmm, a bike, why didn't I think of that?! :rolleyes:

glass coverage - well since this is the second replacement, I'd have to replace it 2 more times this year to justify the cost of coverage. But anything is possible.

I think the real question is why do we have to put up with rocks all over the roads! Isn't there anything else that can be done?

File this under the 'who cares news', I guess.

[Redlyne_mr2]

This has been going on for 28 years.. so basically every since I've been alive. Much better than all the salt they use out east.

[RZRSHARP_SVX]

hey I have 4 chips within 1 inch of each other. hey shit happens not much you can do. rather have a rock to the winsheild that hitting than rocks in the ditch

[ShermanEF9]

i just leave broken glass on as long as its not in my way... then replace it in the spring.

[kevie88]

broke the windshield in the STi last week.. phuck around.

[94boosted]

I guess I've been pretty lucky after driving in Calgary for 5 years I have never had a bad chip or a crack, sure a bunch of small chips here and there but I just get thosed filled in ASAP.

*Knock on wood*

[kaput]

.

[BlackArcher101]

Are you sure the rocks are coming from the sanders? The stuff they put on the road is sifted and any larger rocks are removed. Odds are the larger rocks are falling off other vehicles.

[whiskas]

Changing your windshield during winter is like wiping your ass in the middle of a dump... pointless. Just wait until May when street cleaning is done to get it replaced.

[ragu]

Originally posted by Redlyne_mr2
This has been going on for 28 years.. so basically every since I've been alive. Much better than all the salt they use out east.

I honestly don't mind the salt in East; why? because it gets compensated for waaaay clear roads, no black ice and none of these 1100 accidents in the first week.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally posted by ragu


I honestly don't mind the salt in East; why? because it gets compensated for waaaay clear roads, no black ice and none of these 1100 accidents in the first week.

My car from quebec says otherwise.

[TrailBlazerSS]

Originally posted by whiskas
Changing your windshield during winter is like wiping your ass in the middle of a dump... pointless. Just wait until May when street cleaning is done to get it replaced.

LOL... point taken re: butt wiping.

Wait until May, so I can have 3... maybe 4 months of reasonable driving conditions. Calgary rocks!!... errrr... :P

[ragu]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101


My car from quebec says otherwise.

Obviously it would, I am not saying I love rust; I love clear roads free of shit load of accidents and 3hrs commute.....

[sjaswal]

buy a bus pass

[hampstor]

Deep down inside, you guys all like the gravel. It's the easiest way to deal with pesky tailgaters :angel:

I know some of you guys do it! I see people putting a tire in the gravel to deal with a tailgater all the time!!

[ragu]

Originally posted by sjaswal
buy a bus pass

If bus system in Calgary was as good as Toronto, I would!! lol

[ShermanEF9]

Originally posted by ragu


If bus system in Calgary was as good as Toronto, I would!! lol

goes on strike every three months?

[Eken9]

That rant sounds about right with the city's theory of dumping gravel and salt on the road until the chinook clears everything up.:guns:

[Kaos]

Originally posted by ShermanEF9


goes on strike every three months?

Hahaha :D
To be honest, the only thing that can save you is by going onto slower roads in the city than sticking to highway or industrial areas.
You won't be safe guaranteed but you'll minimize your chances.

[chkolny541]

Originally posted by Eken9
That rant sounds about right with the city's theory of dumping gravel and salt on the road until the chinook clears everything up.:guns:

:werd: and they wont begin the cleanup till about mid august

[Sorath]

yeah the windsheild on my sti just got a nasty crack on it :(

[Meback]

thats why we have beaters??

[skylinegtr20]

Roads are fine here, lots of rocks but way better than other places... test out Lethbridge. Moved up here 5 months ago and have gone back a couple times to visit family. Once in the snow, which was horrible. They don't use any salt but use TONS of sand/rocks which basically sits on top of the snow and adds practically no traction. They only clear a couple major roads and they do a horrible job of it.

Calgary is a breeeeeze.

[infected]

Repaint and new windshield... yay!

[Ashers]

It's all fun and games... till you get a toonie sized chip on an S Class...

[LongCity]

Last Thursday I had a rock stuck in my shift linkage. Couldn't get over to the left side to shift into 1st or 2nd... Never ever in my life or anyone else that I've talked to has heard of this problem. Majority of my friends drive manuals too. Idiotic Honda design...

[ShermanEF9]

haha where the linkage is like the lowest point on the car?
i hate that.

[psycoticclown]

Originally posted by skylinegtr20
Roads are fine here, lots of rocks but way better than other places... test out Lethbridge. Moved up here 5 months ago and have gone back a couple times to visit family. Once in the snow, which was horrible. They don't use any salt but use TONS of sand/rocks which basically sits on top of the snow and adds practically no traction. They only clear a couple major roads and they do a horrible job of it.

Calgary is a breeeeeze.

QFT, Lethbridge sucks.

[LongCity]

Originally posted by ShermanEF9
haha where the linkage is like the lowest point on the car?
i hate that.

Come again?

[avow]

Originally posted by Meback
thats why we have beaters??
no kidding. my 91 accord doesnt even get washed til may:rofl:

[ragu]

my 91 accord hasn't been washed for more than a year, I do clean the interior though....lol, still a tank!

[heavyD]

Originally posted by BlackArcher101


My car from quebec says otherwise.

Quebec is very humid, Calgary is very dry. As long as you wash your car in the winter I would take salt over the sifted chips which is a fancy name for small rocks. It has been tested over and over and the rocks only help the initial few cars passing over (majority of rocks get spit out the side) so they are essentially a major waste and are the most costly expense in our winter budget. Throw in the $$$ spent to clean up the mess left and it's alot of money for only 10% of cars that get the benefit.

[sputnik]

http://www.overclock.net/attachments/mac/77789d1215798907-64-bit-vista-imac-waambulance.jpg

[Kona9]

No kidding! on the whambulance!!! I think most people that live in this city want nothing but to complain! Damn whiners!

If people aren't pant pissin' about the snow in the first place, it is the sanders, the salters, the side streets, the rock chips, blah blah blah blah ....... but never anything THEY can do.

Don't drive main roads if you hate chips that much. Sure other routes take longer, and there is no garantee you won't get chips but if it's going to shut some of Calgary up, reduce your risk, take the side roads.

The guys driving the sanding trucks don't put the sand in their trucks, someone else does that for them. Ease up. If you want to bitch and make things heard, get it into Bronco's ear or better yet your local Alderman.

I like how Calgary offers a 311 service and people bombard the lines with complaints about plowing side streets. Something in which has never been done. It's only a little bit obvious when winter comes, prepare yourself for it. Put down the tissue and realize it is winter in Calgary, not Toronto, not Quebec etc.

It's winter! Sand, gravel, rocks get used EVERY year! If you can't handle your baby getting scratched, park the damn thing and buy a shit box. Man you people are whiners!!!

PS I am not psychic or anything, but next year is going to be the same. Get ready for it!

[core_upt]

So,

The city doesn't sand quick enough after it snows.
The city doesn't plow side streets.
The city doesn't clear the gravel in the middle of winter.
The city charges too much in taxes.


Fuck, they can't get anything right. Time to put a dome over this place.

/sarcasm

[LongCity]

... I didn't say anything about rock chips.

[BigMass]

Originally posted by core_upt
So,

The city doesn't sand quick enough after it snows.
The city doesn't plow side streets.
The city doesn't clear the gravel in the middle of winter.
The city charges too much in taxes.


Fuck, they can't get anything right. Time to put a dome over this place.

/sarcasm

i'd rather the city do nothing than dump gravel on the road. Only in very few places with steep inclines should they be doing this.

[BigMass]

Originally posted by chkolny541


:werd: and they wont begin the cleanup till about mid august

lol yeah. We're lucky to get 2-3 months out of the year with clean roads.

[ExtraSlow]

well, fuck my life. I'm forced to live in this shitty city and I even got a rock chip in my Trailblazer SS

[Tik-Tok]

Originally posted by core_upt
Time to put a dome over this place.


An air-tight dome would be nice (while i'm not here)

[heavyD]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
well, fuck my life. I'm forced to live in this shitty city and I even got a rock chip in my Trailblazer SS

It's not that it's the money and overtime spent on spreading and removing gravel that only serves a purpose for the initial passes of vehicles. Gravel is required at certain areas but salt would be cheaper and more effective in alot of places.

[Destinova403]

Originally posted by heavyD


It's not that it's the money and overtime spent on spreading and removing gravel that only serves a purpose for the initial passes of vehicles. Gravel is required at certain areas but salt would be cheaper and more effective in alot of places.

then we have rust to worry about....

id rather have rock chips... get 3m and you dont need to worry about it.

[Shunsui]

Originally posted by Destinova403


then we have rust to worry about....

id rather have rock chips... get 3m and you dont need to worry about it.

There's many ways to avoid rust aswell, like rust protection it kept my dads 89 mercury rust free till it broke down, in Ottawa.

[Moe Man]

i just hate the fact the they take forever to clean up the rocks in the spring, but they are so fast at sprinkling rocks.

[Kona9]

Originally posted by Destinova403


then we have rust to worry about....

id rather have rock chips... get 3m and you dont need to worry about it.

Get a winter car then. There is nothing about winter driving that is positive and pleasurable to a vehicle in this season.

3M wrap is not the be all end all of rock chip prevention. I had several penetrations of the film on my 05 Frontier when I had it.

[rony_espana]

Originally posted by whiskas
Changing your windshield during winter is like wiping your ass in the middle of a dump... pointless. Just wait until May when street cleaning is done to get it replaced.


:rofl:

but yeah, I just got 2 rock chips in the last 2 weeks....I think I'll wait until spring to change it though.

[heavyD]

Originally posted by Moe Man
i just hate the fact the they take forever to clean up the rocks in the spring, but they are so fast at sprinkling rocks.

That also bothers me as to me it's not just about cars. I travel to the US from time to time on business and there's nothing worse than coming from a US city then back to Calgary in April, May, or June where the roads are still full of sand and gravel. This city is one of the cleanest you will find in North America for about 3-4 months a year. The rest of the time it's looks like crap with all the dirty roads.

[sr20s14zenki]

Ahhhh, rocks, a good way to deal with tailgaters :devil:

[skylinegtr20]

Originally posted by psycoticclown


QFT, Lethbridge sucks.

Interweb thug here.:rolleyes:

And yes it does.... I was stating that.

This picture is perfect for this thread. So many people complaining
http://www.overclock.net/attachments/mac/77789d1215798907-64-bit-vista-imac-waambulance.jpg

[cloud7]

Originally posted by Kona9

There is nothing about winter driving that is positive and pleasurable to a vehicle in this season.


Actually I haven't had so much fun in a long time when we got so much snow on the road without plowing earlier this winter. So much fun in fact that they should just not plow or put gravel on the road at all... hehe.

[arian_ma]

Man you guys must be a bunch of prissy school girls to say this city is shitty to live in because they put gravel on the streets to save your retarded asses from crashing into each other.

Hard knock life you all must have going.

[Xtrema]

1) Winter Beater

2) 3M your front end

3) http://www.metacafe.com/watch/793138/auto_windshield_protection_film_guard_reconditioning_service/

[TrailBlazerSS]

jeez, I had no idea my one thread in about 6 months would start such a war. Yes I was whining, I think I admitted that by calling my message a rant... I'm frusterated by the chips, it's sucks, what can you do... sh-t happens.

Use salt, use rocks, get some 3M, get a winter beater, take the bus, suck it up... all great advise. Next time I post I'll be sure to put on the flame suit you all talk about.

Tough crowd.

[khtm]

Originally posted by ragu


I honestly don't mind the salt in East; why? because it gets compensated for waaaay clear roads, no black ice and none of these 1100 accidents in the first week.
You realize that salt does jack shit when it's -10 and colder eh?

[Mr_ET]

the biggest difference is they plow the streets back east. If all streets had been plowed here, all roads would look like deerfoot right now which is all paved road.

rocks and sand don't make your car rust. Calcium from salting does. Rust proofing a car helps but it still rusts over time. The only thing that really helps is washing the car every other day if you don't want it to rust but no one ever does that.