Snow Belt versus Seattle Cars

I grew up in the Snow Belt of upstate New York, where it snows eight months of the year (if you’re lucky). My trip Back East last week reminded me how different vehicle types and conditions are between Seattle and the Syracuse area. Some of it is necessity; others, preference. Here are the main differences:

• All-wheel or four-wheel drive SUVs. This feature is a necessity in the Snow Belt, given the severity of snowfalls. In the Seattle area, these vehicles are used more for carrying capacity (think carpooling) or going on washboard Forest Service roads. There is one exception: Who in their right mind is going to drive a Mercedes SUV costing over $70,000 on a one-lane dirt road with a steep drop-off in Olympic National Park?
• Hybrid or electric cars. You’d be hard pressed to find one of these in my hometown. In Seattle, they’re status symbols of your political correctness.
• Parking places. I had no problem parking my rental Nissan Versa around upstate New York. The parking lots were striped to accommodate SUVs and trucks. Many parking lots and garages in Seattle have “compact car” spaces. This does not, however, hinder drivers of Ford Explorers from shoehorning their vehicles into these spaces.
• Snow or traction tires. These are a necessity in the Snow Belt. In the southern reaches of upstate (Ithaca), you can get away with all-season tires – or take the bus if you live in town. The only people with traction tires in the Seattle area are those who go skiing in the winter or routinely go over the Cascade passes. Some infrequent pass commuters keep tire chains in their car; however, most folks are clueless on how to put them on – even bus drivers.
• Rust. Most cars over five years old in upstate New York have visible rust, due to road salt used in the winters. Ignore the hype about rustproofing services, rust is destiny in the Snow Belt. Some folks have “winter rats”, old rusty cars that come out at first snowfall and are driven throughout the winter. My grandfather had a 1951 Chevy truck in the late 1970s that he’d drive in the winters instead of his Pontiac. The floor of the truck cab was so rusted out that our dog, Lucy, was reluctant to ride in it. Seattle rarely uses road salt, and then only on major streets. You’ll see rusty cars and trucks on the Olympic Peninsula, but the rust is from salt spray off the ocean.