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7 | W aterloo C hronicle | T hursday,D ecem ber 19,2019 w aterloochronicle.ca DECEMBER 19-22 4 DAYS ONLY! THUR 9-9 FRI SAT SUN 9-9 9-6 10-5 VINYL BLOWOUT! 1362VICTORIA ST N. KITCHENER MON-FRI 9AM-9PM SAT 9AM-6PM SUN 10AM-5PM IN ST OCK MODERN CLICK VINYL TILES $167REG 5.79REG 5.79REG 5.79REG 5.79REG 5.79REG 5.79/ SQ FTFROM TRAVERTINE LOOK IN ST OCK 5.5MM CLICK VINYL TILE $259REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99/ SQ FTFROM PAD ATTACHED IN ST OCK SPC RUSTIC CLICK VINYL $199REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99REG 4.99/ SQ FTFROM 4.5MM THICK! IN ST OCK NEW! SPC CLICK VINYL $237REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99REG 5.99/ SQ FTFROM PAD ATTACHED IN ST OCK LUXURY CLICK VINYL PLANKS $197REG 4.294.294.294.294.294.29/ SQ FTFROM 100% WATERPROOF IN ST OCK LUXURY CLICK VINYL PLANKS $157REG 3.99.99.99.99.99.99/ SQ FTFROM 6MM THICK! IN ST OCK 9"W x 5'LONG CLICK PLANKS $299REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99REG 6.99/ SQ FTFROM 6MM THICK - AC5 IN ST OCK RIGID CORE VINYL PLANKS $197REG 4.99.99.99.99.99.99/ SQ FTFROM 100% WATERPROOF I followed a car onto the expressway the other day that had a space about the size of a shoebox cleared in its back window. I'm not kidding. This person seemed to think it was O.K. to drive in excess of 90 km/h with no better rear view than that which could be provided by clearing the size of a shoe- box. Later that same drive, I entered a roundabout on Ira Needles Boulevard. An- other driver, wanting to en- ter the roundabout, obeyed the signage and yielded for me to pass. The thing is, I'm not sure how he saw me through his driver's side window because it, too, was covered in a light dusting of snow. Did I miss a memo for the winter of 2019-20? Did we all agree that cleaning snow from our cars was re- dundant, and thus we could now drive safely without wasting the time it takes to brush off the win- dows? Maybe I'm just the only person who wants to see when he drives. I guess I'm a little funny that way. While we're on the sub- ject, can we please add cleaning the roof to our car-cleaning efforts? I mean, if you've got the brush out anyway, there's really no excuse for not giv- ing the roof a sweep. A friend of mine had his windshield smashed last week by a chunk of ice that flew from the roof of the car in front of him. Fortunate- ly, no one was hurt. He was, however, forced to pull to the side of the road and wait for a tow since he couldn't see through his obliterated windshield. Maybe he should have just pretended it was snow and driven anyway, the ability to see be damned. Some vehicles are larger than others, so some snow- clearing jobs are more la- bour-intensive than others. Still, to not clear one's win- dows of snow before driv- ing is inexcusable. Driving, and all the re- sponsibility that comes with it, requires that you can see all around you, no matter the season. I can't believe I just had to type that. Oh, and another thing! Can we stop with this madness of asking the de- frost to do the job for us as we leave our cars idling for ten minutes or more before work in the morning? True, getting into a freezing cold car is only about as much fun as clear- ing the snow from it. But as a vehicle owner, you pre- sumably can also afford all of winter's clothing neces- sities - coat, boots, hat, gloves - and, as a result, en- dure a little chill in the car on your way to work. Besides, the car will warm up eventually. Sure, a prewarmed car is a winter luxury but it's also incredibly selfish. Can we just admit that? Your desire to climb into a car that's already warm inside does not trump the impact unnecessary idling has on our planet. Zip up your coat, tighten your scarf and settle in. There's a long winter ahead, which gives us plen- ty of time to do better. Columnist Mike Far- well is a broadcaster, MC and advocate. Follow him on Twitter @farwell_WR or connect with him via Mike.Farwell@rci.rog- ers.com. LAZINESS IS PUTTING WINTER ROAD SAFETY IN PERIL OPINION STOP WITH THE DEFROST MADNESS AND CLEAR YOUR CAR WINDOWS PROPERLY, WRITES MIKE FARWELL MIKE FARWELL Column Columnist Mike Farwell wants people to clean their cars of ice and snow properly, without defrosting by idling. Justin Greaves/Metroland SIGN UP FOR OUR WEEKLY NEWSLETTER AT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA