Accidental Double parking on Cotham Road

Half an hour after TG was encountering grief on Horfield Road, Cotham Road was downgrading from a wide street with room to pass to a narrow one-lane only road, a Montpelier-class street. Why? Cars not making it up the hill.

This audi got towed out by a Landrover, so I didn't get to rent out my beloved Z-Chain snow chains -"best snowchains of the Pacific Northwest". More to the point, I didn't have to get on my hands and knees and fit them, which is always the miserable part of the process, especially if passing cars are chucking up slush in your face.

You get a good view of the cars here. I've just helped get another car out of the road and parked when the Herbert's Bakery Delivery van "getting you your baguettes" got stuck and then three of us were pushing it away from parked cars. It gave up trying to get up and opted to reversing down safely, which created more problems for the cars behind, especially those in it blind spot. Once you stop, you stay stopped.

The Z-chains site has some good winter advice, which is worth reading. In the PNW states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho they don't grit, they plough the top layer and put signs up saying "cars with chains or 4WD with winter tyres only". The hills of Bristol should have had them today.
Other tips they don't mention

• Walking is a practical and convenient travel option
• Use 2nd gear, not first for pulling out.
• When any "traction control" light starts flashing, pull over and put chains on or start your walk
• Don't stop on an uphill. Keep your speed up
• On a downhill, keep those wheels rolling.
• 4WD does nothing for your stopping distance if you lock the wheels.
• If you have a front wheel drive with chains on, the back of your car still fishtails badly if you turn fast. You need good tyres on the back.

Have fun out there. Send the photos to bristol.traffic at gmail dot com