聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 Oh, it may not have seemed like much snow compared to someone who grew up in the mountains, but the walloping Estevan got in the week covering November 28 to December 6 was a memorable one for us prairie chickens.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The week started with a three-day blizzard which dumped four inches of snow on the Monday and another four inches the next day, then blew it around on the third.聽The following Monday resulted in roughly another foot of snow. The few days prior to the first blizzard, it was seven degrees Celsius and everything was nicely brown. Winter struck with a vengeance.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The valiant efforts of the City of Estevan crews to clean up the first snowfall were blunted by the second. Our street had been bladed over to form a three-foot tall, eight-foot wide windrow of snow in the centre. Unfortunately, before they could collect it with the giant snowblower and trucks to haul it away, the foot of snow arrived.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I spent the morning snowblowing and acting as taxi and tow truck helping pull out whoever I could with my wife鈥檚 Ford F-150 4x4. But the tow that stuck out in my mind happened almost directly in front of our house.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 A teenage girl from down the block had gotten stuck in the drift along the side of the road. Despite the blizzard being one of the worst in my own memory, she was wearing runners and a bunnyhug, and that鈥檚 it. No jacket, no mitts, toque, gloves, shovel, tow strap, nada. I sent her scurrying home, three doors down, to get some proper clothes on while I secured the car to be towed back. Her dad, who came out to help, was appreciative. 鈥淎lways more authoritative when it's not a parent and the situation demonstrates its necessity!鈥� he posted later on Facebook.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 When I saw her in her bunnyhug and runners, what I actually saw was not the neighbour, but my own 12-year-old daughter afflicted with 鈥榯eenageritis,鈥� thinking that she doesn't need to dress up for the weather. It may have been the neighbour, but to me, it was Katrina, four years from now, in a car stuck in a snowbank. While this was going on I had Katrina get out of our truck to see how I hooked up the tow chain. Seeing me scold the neighbour, and her coming back fully dressed this time, I think my message to my own daughter got through very clearly.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 And this is where I was somewhat astonished. This recent model Chevy did not have anywhere a tow chain or strap could be attached to the rear of the vehicle. Not even one of those tie-down loops you see on the front and back of some vehicles. Zero. I ended up wrapping the chain around the lower A-arm of the rear wheel suspension.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Half an hour later, I was trying to attach the same chain to an older Chevy minivan. Again, there was nowhere to attach a chain to, this time from the front. Again, the chain was threaded through a lower A-arm.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 She was stuck so bad, it took a front-end loader pulling me, pulling her, to get her out.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Earlier that morning, I simply could not get my chain hook or clevis through the tie down on a small import hung up on snow. Someone else with some magic chain work succeeded, however. I ended up buying looped two straps for each of our trucks later that day. That won鈥檛 happen again.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 How is it that in 2016 the Canadian government allows vehicles to be sold in this country without factory-built tow points on both front and back? Did it slip someone鈥檚 mind in Ottawa that we can and do have snow up to six months of the year? A modern car has airbags up the wazoo, daytime running lights, backup radar, antilock brakes, backup cameras, navigation systems, traction control and crush zones, but no one has figured out a simple large loop should be welded onto the chassis both front and back, which might cost all of $10 to incorporate?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This is not rocket science, people!
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Tow points should not be optional, like on some trucks. They should be mandatory. They can be hidden below the bumper without too much difficulty. How many vehicles in Canada don鈥檛 need a pull at one point in their existence?
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Carmakers, you have work to do.
