Winter Driving

Winter driving in the BENELUX countries (Belgium, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg) as well as Germany can be quite hazardous; for several reasons.

1. High speed driving.  In Germany there are roads with unlimited speed and even in less than perfect weather people will drive at speeds in excess of 140 kph (87 mph). In The Netherlands the top speed is supposed to be 120 kph (74.5 mph) but I am very often passed when I am driving at that speed.  In Belgium the national speed limit is 130 kph (80.7 mph).

2. Fog. The Netherlands is as far north as Quebec, Canada.  So why isn't it as cold and snowy as Canada?  Mostly because of the Gulf Stream that brings warm water from the area of Florida, up the east coast of the US, and then crossing the Atlantic to northern Europe. This warm water puts a lot of moisture in the air as well as moderating the air temperature. The second reason for the fog is all the water in The Netherlands. Water retains heat longer than air.  All the water in the canals, lakes, ponds, drainage ditches, and rivers in this area stay warmer than the surrounding air. In the winter then, when night time temperatures drop to the 30's, the moist air coming off the water cools and hits the dew point.  At this point the air cannot hold the moisture any longer and it forms fog and dew. Typically fog flows into low lying areas.  With the shorter days in winter, due to being so far north, the sun cannot "burn off" the fog as easily.

3. Shorter Days. Because we are so far north we enjoy very long days in the summer and correspondingly short days in winter. The Winter Solstice, 22 December this year, is the shortest day of the year. In December daylight lasts for less than eight hours.  It is dark when everyone is driving to work and it is dark when everyone is driving home from work. On the chart above you can clearly see this. Also notice how long the days are in summer.  You might find it difficult to put your younger children to bed when it is still light outside, we did, but with a 19 hour day in June that happens.

4. Ice and Snow. It rarely gets very cold in The Netherlands, at least compared to our Northern States. But because you rarely have many hours of sun in the winter any snow or ice that forms can last a long time.  Moisture will accumulate on low spots of a road and freeze over night.  We also get the weird "black ice" that you so often hear about in Germany.  This is nearly invisible ice that forms on roads and sidewalks. Because we see very little sunshine in the deep winter you cannot rely on the sun to melt off snow and ice.  Usually it is rain that eventually melts the snow but that causes its own winter driving problems.

    If it is cold enough and we get a dry snow, snow drifts across roads are a big hazard.  Why are there so many windmills in The Netherlands?  Well, one reason is because it is nearly always windy here.  Last winter I saw snow drifts across the road I take to work that were two meters (a little over six feet) high.

    Another problem with snow here is that the Dutch do not routinely plow their roads, especially in the towns.  The major highways will eventually be cleared but most of the local roads are not touched. The funny thing is, they will clear the bike trails that run along the roads before the roads themselves in most cases.  Often this is done by local organizations using farm equipment.

5. Bikes, scooters, mobility chairs, and pedestrians. Even though there is snow and ice on the roads that doesn't keep bikes, scooters, and electric wheelchairs off the street.  As narrow as the roads are in this area they are even narrower in the winter when snow is on the ground.  Non-vehicle road users will move out into the more open roadway since the sides of the roads are covered in snow.  Believe it or not they sell snow tires for mopeds, scooters, and bikes here for the winter.  People that rely on their bikes for transportation, especially school children, will be out on the street peddling away. Because they are cold they often are not as careful and ruts in the snow can move them out into you lane quickly and unexpectedly.  Drive extra slow when passing bikes in the snow. Older people in their electric wheelchairs still need to shop and get to appointments so if the sidewalks are blocked they will just drive out onto the street.

The Dutch are not as accustomed to driving in the snow as Americans from the northern states.  I saw cars down in the roadside drainage ditches constantly last yesr when driving to work.

6. Drainage ditches and canals. The Dutch do not routinely emplace guardrails along the drainage ditches and canals that run beside the roads.  This is mostly because of the costs and also because they have to clean out and maintain the canals and ditches and that would be too hard to do if there were guardrails. Last year, we had a lot of snow here and it stuck around for several weeks.  There are several places on my way to work where the road makes a big sweeping turn and because the snow covered everything people drove straight ahead thinking they were still on the road and they ended up in the middle of a farmer's field or down in a ditch.

Roadside emergencies in winter. Toward the end of October I always pack my winter emergency kit and put it in my back seat.  In this bag is water, snack bars, a large candle and matches, blankets, wool hat and gloves, a thermal shirt, a wind-breaker type jacket, and a reflector belt. If you breakdown or drive off the road in the winter you need to be prepared to spend the night in your car or walk for help.

There is one AAA type business in The Netherlands that I know of; The Royal Dutch Touring Club ANWB. (Disclaimer: This blog is not an endorsement of this organization and I am not a member.) You can see if you are interested in their services by going to the English page of their web-site at:

http://www.anwb.nl/over-anwb/vereniging-en-bedrijf,/unieke-vereniging/English-pages.html

There is another emergency service company called "Bosch".  Bosch is a world-wide automotive company but they apparently have an emergency service.  Go to the following website to see what they offer (this is in Dutch only so get some help if you need it):
Bosch Car Service 

As with anything else we do it always pays to be prepared.  Keep your vehicle in good running order, check your tires for servicable tread, change over to snow tires in the winter or have good all-season tires with good tread.  Slow down in winter, especially once it starts to dip below freezing at night.  Black ice cannot be seen. Stay home if the roads are too bad to drive.  This is The Netherlands, not the front line. Nobody dies if you don't get to work first thing in the morning.

Shopping at Schinnen

US Army Garrison Schinnen is a small facility that supports a relatively small number of people in the Germany/BENELUX area.  With that in mind though I think you will find that USAG Schinnen can meet most of your shopping needs. On this small camp is a PX, Shopette w/bookstore, Class 6 Store, PX-tra, Commissary, and a couple concessions.

PX

The PX is not real big but it has most of what you need.  If they don't have it on hand it can be special ordered.  The PX has two floors.  The PX is closed on Mondays and most US holidays.

    The bottom floor is the high tech section of the store (Power Zone). Here you can shop for computers, TVs, DvDs, digital cameras, GPSs, and all sorts of parts for connecting and using your electronic gear.  The TV selection is pretty good with a good assortment of flat screen TVs.  Not all of them are multi-system though so if you are going to connect to the Dutch or German TV cables systems you need to make sure you get a multi-system TV. Off and on they sell AFN satellite dishes and peripherals. They also have a pretty good selection of computer games and console type games (Wii, Xbox, etc.) but they don't carry a lot of any particular game.There sometimes are concession sales (leather coats, wines, clocks, etc.) in the lower floor hallway. The registers are all centrally located in the Power Zone.

    Upstairs is the clothing and shoe store. There is not a huge selection at any given time but it seems that they rotate the clothes pretty well.  Truthfully, I don't go up there all that often, I have all the clothes that I need, but whenever I do go there it appears like there is new stuff there.  They have a very good sales rack and I do make a point to check that out when I am there.  The shoe selection is very small. I've never bought shoes here so I don't know how well stocked the back room is for sizes. They recently moved the Military Clothing Sales from the main clothing room to its own room.  When they did this they also expanded what they carried.  For the size of the PX this is a pretty good clothing sales store.  I used to drive to Belgium to get military clothing items but won't have to anymore. There is a small gifts concession upstairs, where it used to be 12 years ago.  It is mostly Dutch touristy type stuff, fine if you need a gift for someone back in the states. It is priced in Euros so figure out the dollar value before you think it's a good deal.  There is also a multi-purpose room now with limited selections of perfume, over the counter meds, candles (Yankee Candle), and curios. There is usually seasonal stuff on sale in the hallway at the top of the stairs (there is an elevator for those who would need it). Finally the customer service window is at the back end of the upstairs.  Here you can cash checks, buy postage stamps, exchange currency (slightly more expensive rate than at the bank), return or exchange purchased items, etc.

Shoppette

The Shoppette was just reconfigured because they are moving the concession stores from outside the building to the former Book Store area.  This required them to move the Book Store into the Shoppette.  That's a shame because the former Book Store was set up real nice like a stateside book store with a coffee bar. So now the Shoppette has the book store, very limited food items, the Class 6 store, cards and stationary, and DvD rentals. The Shoppette just recently added Monday hours, which is really nice. The Shoppette is right next to the PX.

Food Court

Just down from the Shoppette is the food court, sort of.  Basically it is a small Burger King, Anthony's Pizza, and Baskin Robbins shop.  There is often only two workers there (one is the cook) so don't expect extremely fast service. The ice cream is ridiculously expensive; you can get better ice cream out on the economy for 2/3s the price. Burger King is everywhere the Army is and this one gets just enough business to stay open, which means the food is surprisingly fresh.  After 33 years in the Army it is a rare day that you'll see me in a Burger King but maybe once every two or three months I eat there.

Concessions

Right now they are still outside but they should be moving into the former Book Mart sometime soon.  These include New Car Sales, Car Rental (the car rental guy is the friendliest man in the world I think), flower shop, Barber, and beauty salon. I've rented cars there but otherwise I have not used these services.  My son was never happy with the barber shop.

PX-TRA

Down the road a bit is the newly redone PX-TRA.  They moved all the household goods (small appliances, pillows, sheets, kitchenware, etc.) down here.  As a result of the loss of space in the store their outdoors, tools, and gardening shelf space has been cut in half or less. There is a very small selection of sports/fitness supplements, gloves, and stuff like that.  There is a small bike shop with the standard low-end bike brands and bike equipment (plenty good enough for the kids though). There is a pet section (redundant with the commissary), outdoor/camping section, small selection of tools, and kids toys.  Toys takes over most of the shelf space during the fall and Christmas season.

Commissary

The commissary is nothing to complain about.  It is bigger than the population probably warrants.  Selection is limited to a few brands but I think you will be able to find everything you need.  Schinnen is at the far end of the supply line so shelves are often empty and items are often approaching their "Sell By" date.  The commissary, like all the other stores on the camp except the Shoppette, is closed on Mondays.  Shelves are often low on Sundays.  So try to stock up on needed items before the weekend if at all possible.  I have special ordered a few items and they generally are happy to get them for you if they exist in the commissary warehouse. Remember the commissary tax.  There is a five percent "surcharge" (just a tax by another name) so you can sometimes by the same items at one of the other stores cheaper.  A good example is the Stars & Stripes newspaper.  The Sunday edition is $1.00 at the PX or Shoppette but $1.05 (because of the tax) at the commissary.  That five percent will add up over time. Breads are, I think, shipped in from the states so they are never fresh.  Buy bread downtown at your local C1000, Aldi, or Jumbo store (it's better, fresher, and cheaper). The meats aren't great either, it also comes frozen from the states, but you'll rarely be able to buy meats cheaper on the economy.  The fruit and vegetable section is usually pretty bad.  They mishandle the goods and they are usually bruised and prone to early spoilage. This is something else you should probably buy on the economy. Milk is much cheaper here than on the economy even though the Dutch produce a lot of milk and other dairy products. Canned goods and dry goods are a good deal here and these are usually stocked pretty well.

Aafes Gas Station

Well they pretty much have a monopoly so you're going to buy your fuel, lubricants, and car care items here.  They are quite a bit more expensive than a stateside store but probably close to half what you would pay on the economy.  Get a Star Card and you can save five cents a gallon on your fuel.  That might not seem like much but it will add up big time over the course of you time here.

I believe that is it.  With some experience and asking around you will quickly figure out what to buy at Schinnen and what to buy on the economy.  I probably buy close to 35-40% of my groceries on the economy, partly because I live across the street from a C1000 store.  I try to walk through an Aldi store at least once a month because their sale items can't be beat by anyone, especially household paper products (paper towels, toilet tissue, etc.).  I much prefer the Dutch bread, fruits and vegetables, and desserts and ice cream over what is available in the commissary.  But price dictates other items like milk and meat will be purchased at the commissary.  Every once in a while I pick up some meat on the economy because of a sale, the much higher quality, or just for something different.  This includes things like shawarma meat, rotisserie chickens, gyros meat, etc.

German Winter Tire Regulations

The following is a USAREUR clarification on German Winter Tire Regulation that went into effect last year.  It is pretty clear.  If you do not have tires that meet these standards DO NOT get caught driving in Germany once the winter weather gets here (shortly).  It has already snowed in upper Bavaria (southern Bavaria).

If you haven't yet left the states make sure to buy your tires there before your leave, they are much cheaper in the states than over here.

Germany tightens laws defining winter tire requirements

HEIDELBERG, Germany – A new law passed by the German parliament that more clearly

defines the use of winter tires in Germany went into effect Nov. 29, 2010. U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal officials said the law now states that motor vehicles, including motorcycles and  four-wheel-drive vehicles, must have clearly marked winter or all-season tires when there is black ice, snow, slush, ice or frost on German roads.

“A winter tire is any tire marked by the manufacturer with the snowflake logo or M + S symbol, which stands for mud and snow [matsch und schnee]," said Tom Lorenzini, of the USAREUR Vehicle Registry. Even all-season tires can have this M + S symbol, he added. The German automobile association ADAC recommends tires bearing the snowflake logo at right -- sometimes also called the “three-mountain” logo – because those tires meet the highest standards for winter driving.

The minimum legal tire tread depth for Germany is 1.6mm, although ADAC recommends 4mm for winter driving. Other countries have more stringent requirements – Austrian law mandates 4mm minimum tread depth for winter tires, and other European countries have distinct winter driving laws as well. OPM officials said drivers should check with local authorities before crossing borders.

In some areas of Germany snow chains may be required during winter, but only as directed by police or road signs such as the one at left. The maximum speed limit while driving a vehicle with chains is 50 kilometers per hour. While the law does not mandate calendar dates during which snow tires are required, German drivers often use the helpful rule of thumb “von O bis O” – “from O to O,” meaning snow tires should be put on in October and remain on until Ostern (Easter).

Under the new rules, fines have been doubled. Drivers caught using summer tires in ice, snow or slush will be fined 40 euro -- up from 20 euro in previous years, and those who cause an accident or obstruct traffic because they used inappropriate tires during winter conditions will be slapped with an 80 euro fine – up from 40 euro. In addition, some insurance companies may deny coverage to motorists driving with summer tires on wintery roads.

Safety experts warn, however, that winter tires are no magic potion against accidents and that drivers should always drive at reasonable speeds and keep a safe following distance from other vehicles. Drivers who are unsure about winter tire requirements can contact their local vehicle registration or safety office. A list of vehicle registration locations and other information for U.S. forces personnel who drive in Europe is available at the USAREUR Registry of Motor Vehicles website at www.hqusareur.army.mil/rmv/default.htm.

US Radio in Europe

The US Armed Forces Network (AFN) operates radio and television stations in Europe. But the Schinnen and Brunssum community is too small to warrant its own station.  So all there is is a retransmit station.  AFN has both AM and FM transmitters.

Unfortunately, for reasons I can't even begin to understand, AFN Europe transmits on European radio frequency standards instead of the American standards.

AM Radio:

American AM radio frequencies are in steps of 10 kHz (550, 560, 570, etc.) while the European AM radio steps at 9kHz (1143, 1152, 1161, 1170, etc.)  So it is rare that the two standards overlap.  The AFN AM freq in the Schinnen/Brunssum area is 1143.  If you are driving an American car or truck you will not be able to receive this broadcast clearly or at all.  I cannot tune in this station with my car's radio.

FM Radio:

Worldwide FM radio frequency standards are very variable. There are country and regional variations. The end result, as with AM radio, is that the radios in American cars do not tune in exactly to the broadcast frequencies of AFN. The AFN FM broadcast frequency in the Schinnen/Brunssum area is 89.2 but American radios can only tune in to 89.1 or 89.3 so you won't be able tune in exactly.  If you are very close to the transmitter you will be able to listen to it but otherwise not.

You can view the broadcast stations and frequencies at: AFN Stations

I cannot tune in either the AM or FM US Forces AFN radio stations in my car. I can tune in the Canadian Forces Network (CFN) station though. In the Brunssum area CFN FM broadcasts on 99.7 and 96.9 but my radio can only tune in to the 99.7 station.  At least the Canadians are sensible enough to broadcast on both North American and European frequencies. The CFN station is pretty good and other than missing American news I couldn't care less that I can't get the US radio.  CFN has a news show every thirty minutes (on the hour and half-hour) through much of the day.  Several time periods during the day they switch to French for the French speaking Canadians. At those times I usually switch to a Dutch or Belgian station since I can understand Dutch but not French.

The daily CFN schedule can be viewed at: CFN Radio Schedule

There are of course many Dutch, Belgian, and German stations in the area that offer every genre of music.  The Dutch and Belgian stations play a lot of American music.  One big word of caution; the Dutch and Belgians have no issue with using adult language on the air.  One of my favorite radio stations is Q-Radio from Belgium.  This is also the station played in the Schinnen commissary.  They play great music but Q-Radio also played such off-color songs as Lilly Allen's "F#%k You" song and the Cee-Lo Green song also titled "F#%K You" (but changed to "Forget You" in the states).  So if you have kids or the "F-word" offends you, you might want to skip most of the local language stations. (I still cannot believe no one has complained at the commissary yet.)

Satellite Radio:

Right now there is no Satellite Radio coverage in Europe, you can check yourself if your car is equipped with a satellite radio.  It is a big market so sooner or later it will come here.  I did a quick search and couldn't find anything yet.