Take a gun to a knife fight

..and a 4x4 jeep to a winter road. In order to enjoy the surrounding countryside, a 4x4 jeep was rented. I ended up with a Jeep Cherokee just a few days before DaimlerChrysler announced they would, after 17 years, discontinue with the production of the brand.

Although the Jeep's 4.0 litre engine had quite a bit of power, its usefulness was hampered by the fact that studded tyres are something of a rarity in Nova Scotia. The major roads are generally well maintained and salted, rendering studded tyres all but unnecessary for basic commuting. Even so, there are quite a few far-off locations where anything but a 4WD with bigger all-terrain tyres will get stuck, due to the lack of studs.

On the other hand, I can see where the opposition to studded tyres is coming from - the local government benefits from it. Asphalt (which seems to be fairly rarely reapplied, anyway) is saved from wear, while at the same time the tow truck entrepreneurs are kept in business.