Just last week after the last blizzard
I dropped my car off at the shop
figuring I’d seen the last of winter’s blast
the guys gave my winter tires the swap.
Now it’s not because I like the look
of my lovely alloy wheels
and it’s not because I like the way
driving with skinny summer tires feels.
No it’s really because I’ve been a teacher too long
and I’ve a reputation to upkeep.
From those winter tires I’ll get five years
and I don’t care if you call me cheap.
But I feel a little off this morning
with the weather so very wicked
and my car on the lawn up off the road
lest the Pearlie cops give me a ticket.
So what odds I’ll head ‘er out
and crawl my way to work
driving slow with cars backed up behind.
I’ll be that slow coach you think’s a jerk.
But laugh all you want, it’s spring after all
soon the rain and fog will melt it down
and soon enough we’ll get to see again
winter garbage strewn about the town.
So when you drive with your studded tires
all decked off like tracks on a skidoo
ripping ruts in the road as you go along
I’ll be the one who’s cussing you.
Yikes! 🙂
Is this regulated in Canada – the earliest day you are ‘allowed’ to use summer tires? In Austria you can change any time you like on principle, but you have to face penalties if you are involved in an accident impacted by bad weather before April 15.
Here you can use winter tires year around but you cannot have studs in them between May 1 and October 31. They’re pretty much considered a necessity so people don’t need much coaching. In fact, many are reluctant to remove them because of the many off-season storm we get. Last week, for example, we got 48 cm of snow over a 12 h period and just last night we got 14 cm between 3 AM and 8 AM. Later today it will be 9 C and rain so it won’t last.
Speaking of “last” I take them off my car (a Toyota Corolla) in Mid April and take them off my wife’s (A Dodge Avenger) in mid May. I don’t like leaving them on when not absolutely necessary as the soft winter rubber just doesn’t hold up to dry, warm roads. I’m cheap.
I’m not sure what the rules are here in Vermont. We purchased new tires for the Subaru last fall and deliberated for quite some time about ‘flavor’ (All-Season or Winter). We decided to go with All-Season and I spent all of February and March looking at the Winter tires on nearly every other care around. As it turned out, we have a very mild season and what I had on the rims served just fine. I am sorry that winter has had such a tenacious hold up there. We are cold at night with only a scattering of snow the other day. Cheer up … spring will come, eventually.
Ha! This was fun! And it makes me think that you are ever the optimist😉