Catch921

Ok, well here is the deal. I may be transferring schools to Tufts University, just outside of Boston. I'm from Miami and have never had to deal with the cold/snow and a car before. In addition, I hear horror stories about the salt on the road eating up the belly of cars.

What should I know about moving to the New England area and how do I combat any harmful conditions to my car?

aznt1217

It's fine just wash your car properly and wax it well. Be careful about door dings around that area... I traveled up there and somebody in the Harvard parking lot owned my car.

Catch921

ok, sounds good. thanks.

kdUbz

yeah get ready for the "boston bump" if you park on the streets...i went out and bought off-street parking because of the terrible drivers on the streets...mostly college kids not caring about their beaters..

Worth

enjoy all the new bumper dings you'll get. people cant parallel park for sh!t in boston. oh yeah, the pot holes are awesome too!

special e. dition

The winters here are just like the winters in every other town in the North- THEY SUCK!

If you just hose your car down (making sure to include the undercarriage) you will be fine. Any chance you get to apply a fresh coat of wax should be taken advantage of!

Pot Holes In My Lawn..sorry got side tracked - They are usually on top of potholes.. and if you happen to get a flat because of one, they will reimburse you the cost to fix your tire. I have done this in the past so I know it to be true!

Parking- I do not live directly in Boston but I can concur that parking does indeed suck! Even when visiting, you pay an arm and a leg and half of your neck to park!!!!

If you transfer to Tufts then you will be able to attend the MASS/New England meets with the rest of us.. along with getting your seasonal MASSHOLE license! lol

dj Dozhe

Putting an "I Love Steinbrenner" sticker on you car can be hazardous to it's health. Here's hoping you're not a Yankees fan.

That aside, wax is a good preventative measure, and salt on the car is like bird shit on the car: wash off as soon as possible.

MMsTSX

Well, I'm from the Boston area.
I lived there for 18 years.
I lived in Maine too for another 8 or so years.

I know all about the winters up north.

Sadly, none of it is good for your car.

Being in Boston, parking is a MAJOR concern of yours now.
Boston is full of one way streets, double or triple parking and
absolute loss of care for other people's cars.
There's lots of road rage going on there too because of the poor
design of the streets and such. (Boston was built for horses, not cars)

Yes, you'll witness salt and sand from the roads killing your car.
If you don't regularly wash it, it'll start to effect your bolts and wiring too.
The constrction there is a nightmare as well, so are the streets.

Boston is in the midst of a huge, huge blunder. The "big dig."
Traffic there is terrible, other drivers are terrible, the streets are terrible,
and the weather is also terrible. Ever hear of a "Masshole?"
If not, you'll be well aware of the term soon. It's fairly accurate.

Oh, I forgot to mention the thieves there too. They're fairly abundant.
The TSX has lots of goodies in it that can be stolen, and a flaw in it's
security system to boot (won't post it here though for obvious reasons).

Not to scare you or anything, but you did ask.

So...
Get a clear bra for one.
Get a year pass to a local car wash for another. (Or plenty of stuff to do it yourself)
(like that'll happen in the winter though...)
Get some nice wax and use it often.
Try to never park on the streets in Boston. Off street parking is worth it.
Get a shovel and a window scraper. Small brooms are good too to have.

Oh, and driving in the snow is a whole new ballgame, nothing at all like driving
in normal conditions. Lucky you, you have VSA, so you'll probably be okay.
But... Brake far before you plan to stop in the snow, plan on sliding.
Don't ever slam on your brakes if you want to stop in the snow, you'll just slide.
If you're sliding the wrong direction, take your foot OFF of the brakes and apply
a little gas instead (with your wheels pointing where you want to go).


Good Luck up there.

Icculus

Boston doesn't sound so bad. I'm in NYC, take all this boston bologna and multiply it by 8.

Although I must admit, as much as drivers suck in general, Massholes are probably the worst I've ever seen.

dj Dozhe

I tried to add onto my original post, but I missed the 5 minute mark.

When your car is going to be parked for a while and you know/think it's going to be icy/snowy weather, lift your wipers off the windshield. Also, try not to run your wipers over an icy windshield. It will ruin them. So use that ice scraper! I suggest something with a rubber handle for good grip, and don't go cheap on the ice scraper; it's worth every penny. I also put my seat heater on HI and set the car temp to 80° Auto before I shut it off so when I get back into the car when it's been sitting for awhile I don't have to think about it. When it warms up enough, just turn it down to what's comfortable to you.

Parking on the side of the road...well, if you have to (which is often when you're in the city) there's a few things to remember: Bend in your side view mirrors. There are dipshits everywhere. Also, when it snows, the plows will obviously plow it right into (and under, and around) your car. SO, get a good shovel, get to your car early enough to finish excavation and make it to class on time, and I even carry a pair of emergency chains (easy to apply. takes about 2 minutes) just in case. A little hint: Brush the snow off you car first before shoveling. That way you don't have to shovel twice.

That being said, I go to BU and have to park on the street a lot. My car was only bumped once, and in the same night some spineless *&^$^%$ keyed the side. BUT those were the only times :knocks on wood:, and I was downtown. I live in Everett (5 miles from the city), not the cleanest/best area around Boston, but my car has NEVER been vandalized or broken into in this area. :knocks on wood again: ymmv

Good luck!

Oh and if you're used to people using turn signals, and waiting for oncoming traffic to stop before turning left, leave those dreams behind. lol. A proper mix of aggressive and defensive driving will help ALOT. And pedestrians always have the right of way. If you don't stop for someone walking across the street you very likely will get a ticket if a cop sees you.

Sorry for the GIANT post, but things are a bit different up here and I thought the more knowledge and suggestions I gave, the better your experience will be.

dj Dozhe

I lived in Kansas City for 4 years saving up money to move back to the east coast. If you want to see the most painfully aggravating drivers in the country go check it out. In Boston we have traffic jams because of too many cars on the street, accidents, or construction. In KC they create traffic by cruising at 60MPH in the left lane of a 65MPH highway. I've never cursed more in my car than when I lived there.

Also if it snows even 2 inches they shut EVERYTHING down. it's hilarious. Sorry for the digression.

Sclass88

Tufts is in Medford so it's not exactly in the city. You'll be fine, the car won't suffer too much.

Catch921

Well Tufts is in Medford, MA. I probably won't be driving to much in Boston. I hear the public transportation is great to and from the city if I have to go. Regardless, from what I have heard, if friends and I go out as a group to the city, I may just hitch a ride instead of drive.

The comments/advice thus far has been really helpful. Thanks a lot everyone.

MMsTSX

Yes, more good ones.

The wipers up before the storm is good.
There's one more we all forgot:

Dry Gas!!

In the winter, you'll want to put dry gas in your tank everytime you fill up.
Dry gas is simply isoproyl alcohol and is pretty cheap, always keep at least
a couple bottles in the car for the winter time.
I'd buy the stuff labeled as dry gas, not just rubbing alcohol.
The bottles in the automotive store have just the right amount in them,
plus they have that skinny top.

Or you can buy one bottle of dry gas and just refill that bottle with 70%
isopropyl, whatever is clever for you.

I'm so glad I don't live up there anymore... For now anyway.

black label

Here's everything you need to know about Beantown.......
Welcome to Bawstin

For those of you who have never been to "Bawstin", this is a good guideline.
I hope you will consider coming to "Beantown" in the near future.
For those who call New England home, this is just plain great!

Information on Boston and the surrounding area:

There's no school on School Street , no court on Court Street, no dock on Dock Square , no water on Water Street . Back Bay streets are in alphabetical "oddah": Arlington , Berkeley , Clarendon, Dartmouth , etc.
So are South Boston streets: A, B, C, D, etc. If the streets are named after trees (e.g. Walnut, Chestnut, Cedar), you're on Beacon Hill . If they're named after poets, you're in Wellesley .

Massachusetts Ave is Mass Ave ; Commonwealth Ave is Comm Ave .
South Boston is Southie. The South End is the South End. East Boston is Eastie. The North End is east of the former West End . The West End and Scollay Square are no more; a guy named Rappaport got rid of them one night. Roxbury is The Burry, Jamaica Plain is J.P.

How to say these Massachusetts city names correctly:

**Say it wrong, be shunned**
Worcester : Wuhsta (or Wistah)
Gloucester : Glawsta
Leicester : Lesta
Woburn : Wooban
Dedham : Dedim (like denim w/ a D in the N pace)
Revere : Re-vee-ah
Quincy : Quinzee
Tewksbury : Tooks berry
Leominster : Lemon-sta
Peabody : Peabuddy
Waltham : Walth-ham
Chatham : Chattum

Definitions:
Frappes have ice cream, milkshakes don't.
If it is fizzy and flavored, it's tonic.
Soda is CLUB SODA.
"Pop" is Dad.
When we want Tonic WATER, we will ask for Tonic WATER.
The smallest beer is a pint.
Scrod is whatever they tell you it is, usually fish.
If you paid more than $6/pound, you got scrod.
It's not a water fountain; it's a bubblah.
It's not a trashcan; it's a barrel.
It's not a spucky it's a sub.
It's not a shopping cart; it's a carriage.
It's not a purse; it's a pockabook.
They're not franks; they're haht dahgs. Franks are money in France .

Police don't drive patrol units or black and whites they drive a "crooza".
If you take the bus, you're on the "looza crooza". It's not a rubber band, it's an elastic. It's not a traffic circle, it's a rotary. "Going to the islands" means Martha's Vineyard & Nantucket. If something's good, it's "pissa". If something's really good, it's "wicked pissa".



The Pat's = The Patriots
The Sox = The Red Sox
The C's = The Celtics
The B's = The Bruins
Things not to do:
Don't pahk your cah in Hahvid Yahd they'll tow it to Meffa ( Medford ) or Slumaville (Somerville).
Don't sleep in the Common. ( Boston Common)
Don't wear Orange in Southie on St. Patrick's Day.

Things you should know:
There are two State Houses, two City Halls, two courthouses, two Hancock buildings (one old, one new for each).

The colored lights on top the old Hancock tell the wetha:
"Solid blue, clear view....."
"Flashing blue, clouds due...."
"Solid red, rain ahead...."
"Flashing red, snow instead...." - (except in summer; flashing red means the Red Sox game was rained out)

Route 128 is also I-95 south. It's also I-93 north.
The underground train is not a subway. It's the "T", and it doesn't run all night (fah chrysakes, this ain't Noo Yawk).
Order the "cold tea" in China Town after 2:00 am you'll get a kettle full of beer.

Bostonians... think that it's their God-given right to cut off someone in traffic..
Bostonians...think that there are only 25 letters in the alphabet (no R's).
Bostonians...think that three straight days of 90+ temperatures is a heat wave.
Bostonians...refer to six inches of snow as a "dusting."
Bostonians...always "bang a left" as soon as the light turns green and oncoming traffic always expects it.
Bostonians...say everything in town is "a five-minute walk." (Pronounced "wok")
Bostonians...believe that using your turn signal is a sign of weakness.
Bostonians...think that 63-degree ocean water is warm.
Bostonians...think Rhode Island accents are annoying.

TS_eXpeed

Not to get too off topic, but is the Michigan(sp?) area similar to this (salt, etc)??

Catch921

lol Black Label, I enjoyed reading that.

Icculus

I've never heard of this 'dry gas' stuff. I've lived in this climate my whole life and never had a problem with any car in the winter.

I think the only think somebody has to keep in mind when moving to the northeast is learning how to drive in the snow... which happens only a few times a year.

Done.

Simba91102

Dry gas in the Boston area (or any area where 10% ethanol blended gas is used) is a waste of money; you'd just be adding more ethanol (that's what dry gas is).

Icculus

For Catch921...

All this info is probably making you nervous and most of it is a load of doody.

The only thing you have to know about driving when living in the northeast is to go slow in the snow, especially around turns making sure your front tires dont lose grip, and turn off the traction control when you're stuck - all this which only happens maybe a couple of times a year. Roads are usually plowed within hours or a day.

End of story.

black label

+1

I've never used dry gas in any of my cars and have never had an issue.

If you have the chance, try the cold tea thing, it works.

Catch921

Thanks Icculus, it did begin to seem a bit overwhelming. Completely different than in the south.

MMsTSX

Ah, well I was unaware that they use a blend up there now.