3 solid inches of clear, dark ice and you're golden...anything less is dicey. More is always better.

Got an ice-auger? Heavy, sharp pole (4 feet of 3/4" hot-rolled steel) if you can't bang it through pretty easy, you're probably pretty safe...but hang on to it tight when testing.

In a lifetime, the average driver will honk 15,250 times. My wife figures I'm due to die any day now...