On Sun, 6 Feb 2005 19:11:19 +0100, Frantisek <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Hi Marnie, it apparently lowers the temperature snow and ice melts, as IIRC salt water has lower freezing point. Apart from that, it damages water reserves, is not much good for the environment and destroys your leather shoes in no time ;-) That's why I dislike having to be in a city during the winter with its melting snow slush... Not mentioning that is looses all the beauty of snow filled streets ;-)
I ~hate~ the crap!
Here in Toronto, it's used as a substitute for proper snow-plowing. We salt the streets to melt the snow until two inches have fallen, and
only then bring out the snow-plows.
It makes the streets giant slush pits. I know, I ride my bike through the crap all winter long. It works well below -25C, and let me tell you, wet feet at that temperature is no fun.
Apparently, in Canada, you use Calcium Chloride as it works at lower temperatures. At least, that's what the Chevrolet salesman told me when he was trying to sell me an ambulance and explaining how corrosion-proofed it was. As I pointed out to him, he might have had a better chance if the door handles had been installed the correct way up. 8-)
Funny thing is, it's easy to drive on hard packed snow. When I was a kid in Montreal, they sanded the streets, not salted. It worked great for traction on icy bits and hard-packed snow, and was much more environmentally friendly - not perfect, but better.
I much prefer this to slush, on a powered two-wheeler. The real nightmare is the time when the hard-packed snow starts to melt - ice with water on it is not conducive to good grip. As my rheumatic shoulders will testify.
mike glad February is started - it will soon be over....
