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International students introduced to joys of winter driving
BY DONNA LONGENECKER
Reporter Assistant Editor
Weather forecasters are calling for snow in Western New York this weekend, and if there's more than a dusting, area residents will be jolted into their usual anti-skid, anti-crash vigilance or find themselves picking car metal out of someone else's bumper or surfing the ditches along the Thruway.
Imagine for a moment that you're an Indian or Malaysian student driving in snow for the first time—it can feel like, well, like you're a deer caught in the headlights, to say the least. For international students raised in tropical regions, the old adage about Buffalo's four seasons—winter, still winter, almost winter and construction—has a ring of truth to it.
And while Western New Yorkers are otherwise known for their friendliness, it can be a bit intimidating for international students caught in their first snowstorm to be surrounded by bird-flipping, horn-honking, road-rage enthusiasts.
To help these students cope with the unfamiliar experience of winter driving and develop some defensive tactics of their own, the Office of International Student and Scholar Services hosted a winter driving class taught by James Yoerg of AAA Travel Agency to introduce international students (a.k.a. snow virgins) to the ins and outs of dealing with the white stuff.
Although most of the students said they had survived at least one Buffalo winter, all but one admitted that they hadn't yet had the pleasure of driving in it.
Yoerg's lighthearted but informative presentation focused on safety tips for both pedestrians and drivers, beginning with what might be the most important "must-have" item of the season: a decent pair of winter boots with ample tread for gripping snowy sidewalks and pavement—not to mention icy accelerator and brake pedals.
"I'm sure that being at a university, they'll have all the sidewalks salted and plowed," said the overly optimistic Yoerg, "but," he continued, "if you're wearing high-heeled or smooth-soled shoes, you're going to be dancing out there."
"Trust me, the boots look a lot better than sitting there with a cast on your arm," Yoerg told the ever-alert students.
The students chuckled nervously during a video showing cars spinning out of control and what drivers can do about it, if anything. They asked polite questions about the benefits of using sand verses kitty litter for traction when the car is in a stationary, tire-spinning mode, and how to get rid of that annoying fog build-up that can entomb a car in minutes. In true analytic fashion, one computer science student explained that the air temperature inside the car had to be the same as the air outside the car to eliminate the blinding build-up that often is soaked up by coat or shirt sleeve-covered forearms.
Worried about rust from de-icing products used on roadways, Ravindranth (Ravi) Gummadidala, a computer science and engineering graduate student, said he would take the bus, rather than drive, during peak snow periods. Then again, this winter will be Gummadidala's first time at the wheel here and he admitted he doesn't have a lot of experience—he mentioned unfamiliarity with "the braking concept" as a concern. Quite a few area residents need to brush up on the same concept.
Yoerg described a recent storm in which Buffalo was buried under snow for a few days, leaving drivers stranded in cars for up to 12 hours.
"Are you prepared to sit inside your car if a storm comes and traps you inside? My father always told me to carry a box of winter supplies in the trunk of my car," Yoerg advised.
Among the essential items to be collected and placed in the trunk during an emergency include a bag of frozen chicken wings to grill over the engine block, weck rolls (the salt on top could thaw the Arctic) and lots of candy bars.
Seriously, Yoerg explained that jumper cables, a bag of sand or kitty litter for traction, small shovel, flashlight, flares or reflective triangles, blanket, gloves, an old sweatshirt or fleece pull-over, cell phone, roll of paper towels, extra windshield-wiper fluid, ice scraper and socks, as well as juice boxes (water freezes) and non-perishable food were items all winter drivers should carry in their cars.
Yoerg constantly emphasized what he called the number one winter driving rule: slow down. That point, as well as allowing adequate stopping space between vehicles, was stressed throughout the presentation.
"If the speed limit says 30 m.p.h. and it's icy, you need to drive 20 m.p.h.," Yoerg said. "You have to slow down; try your skills out in the parking lot—try braking in snow in a parking lot," he instructed the students.
He also described what he called the "busy" driver—that cavalier fellow with a cheeseburger in one hand, a coffee cup in the other, a cell phone pressed between shoulder and ear, and one fingertip on the steering wheel. "The number one cause of all highway accidents is driver inattention," he added in a cautionary tone.
Yoerg fielded a variety of excellent questions and elicited a few laughs as well.
"After turning the power on, how long should I wait before leaving," one student asked. "Let the car warm up 10 to 15 minutes before you go," replied Yoerg, who's obviously never been late for class or bingo at the local parish church.
All in all, the students picked up a variety of useful winter driving tips and learned a thing or two about negotiating icy curves and car maintenance during winter months. And though Gummadidala may refrain from the challenge of navigating through a blizzard, he was candid in his assessment of snow.
"When I first saw snow in Buffalo last winter, I was fairly excited, mainly because it doesn't snow at all at the place I come from, or rather the part of the country I come from-a place called Hyderabad, India," he said. "It's close to the tropics and the weather is, for the most part, hot and humid. Judging from what I have seen, I think the winters here are harsh and inclement, and I don't want to spend too many winters here.
"As for liking the snow, I guess I don't particularly like it any more after having seen so much snow last winter," said Gummadidala.
But, "I'm certainly glad I came," he said of the winter driving class.