In message <Pine.OSF.3.92a.960522232346.369A-100000@saul6.u.washington.edu>, Craig Standley <cstand@u.washington.edu> writes:
>The problem with front drive, and one reason I haven't owned another front
>driver, is that when you lose traction you lose steering as well.  The
>steering whell was all loose while this was happening.  I was only 16 at
>the time, so my experience in driving in emergenct situations was zero.
>It scared the hell out of me and I was overly careful for about a month
>afterward.

A whole month, eh?  Well there ya go, lesson learned! :-) :-)

A different GF of mine had the same hydroplaning experience in a
rear-wheel drive car, and I don't think she had much better steering
than you did while her car was doing lazy 360s at 55mph.  Somehow she
missed all the other cars on that 4-lane non-divided highway,
including the car she was trying to pass, missed the cement barriers
on the shoulder, and came out unscathed.  As I remember, she was
careful for longer than a month.  ;-)

ObVW: Has anyone ever done any hydroplaning in a bus?  Somehow I'm
glad I've never had that experience.  A bit of purposeful fishtailing
on wet pavement certainly, but no hydroplaning.  Knock on wood.

-Rodney