Schneid Remarks 1/18/24

Every time it gets extremely cold, and I mean every time, I forget to bring liquids in from my car.

My son Jayson looked at me Sunday as he got into the car and sternly said,” Will you ever learn?”

Well, apparently I will not.

During Christmas Eve my wife received a number of bottles of wine as a present.

They were all placed in a box and were loaded into my vehicle for our return trip from Le Center to Waterville.

It was late so we just grabbed the food we had in the vehicle and left other items for the next day. Or the next day. Or the next day…

So as the temps started to get colder last week I had thoughts of bringing in these bottles, a half full 12 pack of soda, and an energy drink I had in my can holder in between the two front seats.

I knew the temps were going to get cold, but I took a chance on them not being that cold.

Vital mistake.

After we had the first below zero temps I grabbed a couple of sodas out of the box and brought them into my office. One was slightly frozen and the second one was not frozen and very, very cold. Delicious I must say.

The energy drink and the wine were still in the vehicle.

Well, that was for one more day. Saturday afternoon finally got me.

The energy drink decided to explode all over my vehicle console and the wine wasn’t able to stand up to the cold. Negative 8 or 9 degrees is what my vehicle said.

My wife Jayne helped me try and wash off some of the console while I heated up the vehicle. But I am afraid I lost this battle big time. I keep finding little shards of red fruit punch energy drink throughout the front of my vehicle.

Luckily the box saved my back seat from any major damage, but my wife wasn’t too happy with my lax response bringing her items in out of the cold.

I guess from now on I can say to my son, “I think I have learned.” All drinks will now be removed when the temps get close to zero. I guess it serves me right. procrastination has always been a problem for me. Christmas was almost a month ago, it was bound to happen.

I took this following information from KDHL Radio. It includes some interesting information about the cold and warming up your vehicle.

In Minnesota, folks let their cars warm up for two key reasons. First, it's about making the winter commute more bearable by ensuring the car is warm and cozy. Second, many believe in letting the engine warm up before driving in cold weather to prevent potential damage. Discover how long you should warm up your vehicle before hitting the road and the right way to do it to avoid fines below.

Is It Illegal to Idle Your Vehicle in Minnesota?

Yes and no.

According to Appleman Law Services in St Louis Park: Minnesota law prohibits leaving a car unattended and running with the keys in the ignition.

Vehicles equipped with remote starts are an exception, as they do not have a key in the ignition. And, warming up your car isn't illegal if you are parked in a private parking lot or driveway, but your insurance company might not cover the loss if your car is stolen. How Long Does Your Car Need to Warm Up Before Driving?

If you're trying to heat the inside of your car to make your ride more comfortable you might need to let it run for a few minutes, but your engine is ready to go in 30 seconds or less. According to Triple-A you only need to let your vehicle idle for the time it takes you to fasten your seat belt.

The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency says you don't need to warm your vehicle up unless you're driving a vintage vehicle: “Older cars, with carburetors, did need to warm up. Without warming up, the carburetor didn't get the right mix of air and fuel in the engine — and the car could stall. But in the 1990s, car makers moved from carburetors to electronic fuel injection. Fuel injection sensors supply the engine with just the right blend of fuel and air, preventing stalling in cold weather.”