• jubilationtcornpone
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    2 months ago

    We should reframe climate change as an attack on winter recreational activities. Then Republicans might actually give a shit about it.

    “Oh, I’m not worried about climate change. But I’m very concerned about the impending demise of snowmobiling.”

    • Mike D.@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      There was one particular parking lot near my house that was not plowed for years. The snow would fall, melt a little during the day, and then refreeze. Spent many evenings there.

    • sugar_in_your_tea
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      2 months ago

      But snow isn’t particularly slippery, the only way that works properly is if there’s a layer of ice underneath. So you need a warmish day with some rain, followed by a bitter cold night, followed by a dusting of fresh snow to really lose traction in a parking lot.

  • Jiggle_Physics
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    2 months ago

    It has been a long time since most of those places have been cold enough, long enough, to have a lake become that solidly frozen. It has been 30+ years since I have seen this happen in the mid atlantic.

    • corsicanguppy@lemmy.ca
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      2 months ago

      The water’s really deep there, too, so it’s riskier. Isn’t that were the Titanic sunk?

      • Zagorath@aussie.zone
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        2 months ago

        I think by “mid Atlantic” they mean a city in the US on the Atlantic coastline, but not the northern tip of the country, or the southern end. The mid part. But they’re talking about lakes or rivers in those areas, not the ocean itself.

    • Boomer Humor Doomergod@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      I’ve lived in the mid Atlantic my entire life and have never driven on a frozen lake.

      I do my donuts in parking lots that haven’t been salted or plowed yet.

      • Jiggle_Physics
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        2 months ago

        back in the 90s there was a couple times lakes in western PA/NY froze over enough people were out driving on them.

  • Dasus@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    Idk about the etymology of the American “whipping shitties”, but seeing it’s popular a saying in States where there have historically been Finns, I guess there could be a connection. Or not.

    But in Finland we call it “ajaa paskarinkiä” “driving in a shit circle”

  • Hemingways_Shotgun@lemmy.ca
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    2 months ago

    Wait until they learn about parking your half-tonne on it, building a hut and sitting there fishing with some beers for hours.

    • bluewing@lemm.ee
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      2 months ago

      And having your house warm enough to fish in your underwear while drinking said beer and fishing.

  • MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world
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    2 months ago

    NJ here and at no point could you drive on lakes. It doesn’t get that cold. Most of the winter you cannot skate on ponds.

      • MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Where? I have lived here since the 1970s and 85% of the winter it would be dangerous to skate on most of the ponds let alone bring a car onto ice

        • loopedcandle@lemmynsfw.com
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          2 months ago

          Fellow NJ-ian here. I have definitely driven on frozen lakes when I was a stupid teenager. TBH they were more like tiny ponds though.

        • logos
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          2 months ago

          Well, within 100 mi of NJ and we raced motorcycles on them.

          • MothmanDelorian@lemmy.world
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            2 months ago

            Motorcycles are lighter and 100 miles from NJ could place you in a much colder climate as you moght be in the mountains.

  • samus12345@lemm.ee
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    2 months ago

    I’ve always heard it called that regardless of what you’re driving on. I assumed it referred to the circle of tire tracks it leaves.

  • Rhaedas@fedia.io
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    2 months ago

    You know the old trope about how people in the South can’t drive in snow? We do donuts on the roads unintentionally once the snow falls and refreezes to ice. No lake needed. I guess if you only have snow on the roads you have to seek out places where the car will slide around.

    • sugar_in_your_tea
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      2 months ago

      In the PNW, we don’t get a lot of snow and it doesn’t get cold enough to freeze lakes, but we do get plenty of black ice. Rain + tons of shade under evergreen trees can cause a lot of issues.

  • TriflingToad
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    1 month ago

    Am Floridian, can confirm. Istg every few months I learn something about cold places that’s terrifying like ‘black ice’

  • Hikermick@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Am from NE Ohio and have never heard people driving on frozen lakes except to ice fish. We would do donuts in large parking lots. Bonus if you do it with the windows down. Bumper skiing was another one. Ah to be young and insane again…