Date: Mon, 16 Nov 1998 16:22:38 -0800
Reply-To: davidson <davidson@SIERRA.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From: davidson <davidson@SIERRA.NET>
Subject: Re: Snow tires, Police, getting stopped, etc.
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
Malcom,
You may speak for the flatlander Californians, but not us mountain folk
Californians up her in Lake Tahoe and other mountain communities. Most
people who live here year round have aggressive snow tires. They're not
rare here at all. In fact, this time of year that's about the only thing
the local tire shops sell here. If you are interested in buying studded
tires this is the place to get them. The good ones. And most likely cheaper
than in the flat lands since they sell so many of them up here. If you by
them from Stone's Tires in Truckee they will switch them back to your
summer tires for free each spring.
Bill
90 Westy Syncro
Lake Tahoe
----------
> From: Malcolm Holser <mholser@ADOBE.COM>
> To: vanagon@VANAGON.COM
> Subject: Snow tires, Police, getting stopped, etc.
> Date: Monday, November 16, 1998 3:15 PM
>
> Well I got stopped yesterday by the California Highway Patrol while on my
> way to take our trash to the county dump. He stopped me for two reasons
--
> first, he had never seen a doublecab Vanagon, and second, I had no
current
> registration sticker...
>
> Well, he looked the truck over _real_ good, but not as a search. He was
> real interested in it as a vehicle. He called in my license, and found
out
> that I was registered all properly, and was a bit amused at the
dispatcher
> having troubles deciding what model VW it was with commercial
registration.
>
> Meanwhile we chatted. I noticed that he had very aggressive *studded*
tires
> on his patrol car, and we discussed them. Studded tires are pretty rare
in
> California -- I'm not even sure they are legal for civilian use. His car
> (a big Ford) had them on all four wheels. He loved them. I mentioned
that
> I didn't think they'd be too safe in a high-speed pursuit, and he said
they
> were real scary, but that they don't have much occasion to chase folks
around
> where I live, but they often must go out on emergency calls on ice and
heavy
> snow. I don't know the brand or anything -- I didn't bother looking.
The
> CHP tends to use tires that are too expensive for the rest of us.
>
> It was interesting to see real meaty studded snow tires for a change.
The
> rest of us in California have to carry chains everywhere.
>
> Now I have to go and get a registration sticker and slip -- I guess they
> musta been "lost in the mail". The sticker on the truck expired in June.
> They don't check too often -- now they notice because we're nearing the
> end of the year.
>
> So while lots of folks are debating various police agencies, I would like
to
> say that _all_ of my dealings with the CHP have been pleasant. I know
that
> some are not, but I think that the CHP is the largest police force in the
> US, and might be one of the best in the world. I _have_ been roughly
> treated by the RCMP, so the mounties don't get my vote.
>
> Malcolm H.
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