I was playing around in the walmart parking lot two winters ago with my jacked cherokee, and hit what i thought was a snowbank in the middle of the parking lot. Long story short, the guy running the loader who was plowing the lot decided to bury his friend's car who worked at another store in the plaza. OOPS! Needless to say, the cherokee came to a quick stop, on its side. I tend to be much more careful now

 

Many many years ago, I had my dad's k5 blazer and was tearin' it up in a field with some friends. There was development of some kind pretty much all around with this big piece of field still undeveloped - except for the big concrete square sticking up about a foot with a man hole. That makes short work of a tire and rim.

One more story, and proof I don't learn very well from my mistakes.

The very next winter I had a 72 k5 blazer. I was on my way to work and was turning off the main road onto an access road for the plaza where I worked. There was about a 3-4 foot pile of snow that had been piled from plowing the lot. I hit it at about 30mph without think about that it had been like 40 degrees the two previous days and only about 20 that day. It was solid ice! The front of the truck went so high all I could see was sky, and the back bumper hit the top of the ice burg. The truck landed half on the back bumper and half on the rear tires, then slammed to the ground. I sat there for a minute trying to center myself. My brain was mashed potatoes, I bit my tongue and my kidneys were in my throat. A guy knocks on my window and says "are you alright." I said, "yah, I think so." He said, "good, cuz that was cool." So I re-start the truck cuz it died, and start to drive away. Uh Oh! busted up all the u-joint assmebly at both front wheels. Cost me some $ and some time to get it all fixed up again. So I am a little more cautious now - but not much.

 

not to be a party pooper, but looks like most of our problems with our trucks are due to abuse. had a guy with a chevy that i couldnt keep trans working very long. i found out a year later that he was driving like u guys. after the 3rd time i told him to stick it.

 

Finding an icy parking lot isn't stupid, it's training. I've taught 4 people how to drive and everyone goes out to the mall/factory/stadium parking lot at least once. It's much better to know what the slide is like when you expect it. I95 rush hour is no time to learn.

 

What you can't see under the snow, like water, always makes me nervous. I was with a friend who decided to pass a parked car in a dirt road. The road had a strip of water about 8 feet wide on the shoulder, no apparent problem. Well, it was a ditch about 5 feet deep and his jeep disappeared up to the middle of the windshield.