A Learning Experience

Last Sunday, I drove to London to collect Jen, due to her internet being so bad, she couldn't work properly. Before you get your pitchforks ready, we both had coronavirus tests a few days beforehand, and Jen had been self-isolating for several weeks. However, I did not realise the full extent of the weather.

Normally, I would have taken Dad's Range Rover, as my car is very, very noisy on the motorway, and I have insurance that states I cannot do more than 1,500 miles a year. But due to the suspension problems, I felt it unwise to drive it on a 178 mile round trip, so I took the GT-R, with it's summer racing tyres. It was snowing.

When I left Lymington, there was no snow. Driving through the New Forest, there was a superficial amount of snow over the heath. When I arrived at the motorway, it was a bit heavier. Mum had warned me that there was snow around Winchester, and Jen advised me that it was quite bad in London. But based on what I could see, it would be scary, but doable. It was not doable.

The other side of Basingstoke was a disaster. There was only one and a half lanes open. Any time someone changed lanes, snow sprayed everywhere. Whenever I had to change lanes, I could feel the car react. At one point I had to break, and the entire car lost control and began to drift sideways. Luckily, it has traction control, and trick four-wheel/rear-wheel drive. So combined with many years of playing racing video games, I knew what to do and had it under control almost instantly. The road and weather conditions got worse on the approach to London.

Once I was in the capital and on the side roads, I discovered that I had absolutely no traction whatsoever. My breaks were completely useless, and accelerating away from a traffic light had to be done at a snail's pace. Having survived a few close calls, I finally made it to Jen's road, which had cars parked either side, and an ambulance coming towards me.

Despite nearly hitting two parked cars, I made it, but decided to park in front of someone's drive temporarily, rather than risk further one lane roads. The exact second I got out, the residents pulled up in their pickup truck, so I had to move. Luckily, there was a very convenient spot nearby, and close to the main road. Jen's father helped us load the car, and we made off for home.

Not a single problem followed. Breaks worked, traction was there, and the now empty motorways were virtually cleared of snow. If only I had left two hours later.