So this big tanker truck drives by squirting eight little streams of brine on the road. In an hour the only thing left to see was eight barely visible lines of dried up salt dust. I could lay down more salt with a salt shaker. Is someone gonna tell me that this is somehow better or cheaper than just spreading real road salt the old fashioned way? Looks like a scam to me. —Scamwatcher
This article appears in Jan 4-10, 2018.
Yes, it is better under most weather conditions. As long as it’s not raining, that “dried up salt dust” is sticking to the road and instantly doing its job as soon as it starts snowing. Traditional salt spreading ends up with a lot of salt going where it’s not needed (off the side of the road, and kicked up into the air by vehicle ties) so they end up needing to use way more salt, which costs more and does more damage to the environment and to cars and other property.
Far from being a scam, it’s actually a much more responsible use of tax dollars.
Clearly the bitcher does not fully understand the science behind brining a road. With the internet, you can research things before opening your mouth and sticking your foot in it.