On Tue, 7 Oct 2003, Joel Walker wrote:

> don't know about the difference, but when i lived in chicago, the
> salt was murder.

In Michigan it actually varies from county to county.  The general
variation is that in the southern parts of the state, which see snow less
often, you see massive quantities of salt used.  The farther north you go,
the more sparing they are with it, both because it's expensive and
northern counties are poor, and because people up there know how to drive
on snow.  When I lived in Houghton, they rarely used salt on the streets.
They put sand down instead, and reserved the salt for the last fifty feet
or so before major intersections.

Salt isn't just a problem for cars.  It also attacks the steel reinforcing
rods in concrete bridges, shortening their life.

David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Diesel Westfalia
'94 Honda Civic Si