Department of Smug and Invulnerable

[Shaun Mullen <smullen@philly.infi.net>]

With stories popping up on the list of quattro-esque deeds from
Stateside folks that already have had serious snow, I thought I'd add my
own experience off of our first serious snow here in the Middle
Atlantic: I left Center City Philadelphia in heavy snow in my 100CSQW
feeling smug and invulnerable, my fifth winter in a quattro, and all was
as it should be: I'd loaded the broom and shovel, blankets and other
winter-driving needs.  Brand new wiper blades front and back, engine
freshly tuned, new coolant and timing belt.  I was zipping right along,
of course, when I looked over to the oncoming traffic on the southern
end of the Girard Point Bridge.  There, in sickening slow motion,
unfolded a horrible chain-reaction crash involving a tractor-trailer
rig, another big truck and who-knows-how-many cars.  Slick highway
surface, people probably driving too close -- and a quick and effective
way to get over that smug and invulnerable quattro feeling.