A Few Inches Of Snow And The World Stops Options

[Bagpuss]

I do think Amanda has a point - this was forecast yet I didn't see ONE gritter out yesterday. However the council DID deliver me a new blue bag for my recycling *irony*. They have set out new rules for our cardboard recycling - instead of just putting it outside we have to cut it up so individual pieces fit in said blue bag.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I won't bore you all with giving you the dimensions of said bag but it is &*)£"&(*)"$^&(&**"!ing small!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My next door neighbour is a policeman unable to get to work today. So much for the emergency services! I had to help dig him out of his front gate in my pyjamas. (I mean, I was wearing my pyjamas, not Mr Plod....gah - is it too early for a hot toddy?)

Blue (cos I'm cold) Bag xx

[andante_in_c]

I do think Amanda has a point - this was forecast yet I didn't see ONE gritter out yesterday. However the council DID deliver me a new blue bag for my recycling *irony*. They have set out new rules for our cardboard recycling - instead of just putting it outside we have to cut it up so individual pieces fit in said blue bag.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/blink.gif) I won't bore you all with giving you the dimensions of said bag but it is &*)£"&(*)"$^&(&**"!ing small!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My next door neighbour is a policeman unable to get to work today. So much for the emergency services! I had to help dig him out of his front gate in my pyjamas. (I mean, I was wearing my pyjamas, not Mr Plod....gah - is it too early for a hot toddy?)

Blue (cos I'm cold) Bag xx

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/rofl.gif)

To quote Terry Pratchett, 'How does the snow-plough driver get to work?'. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[Bagpuss]

He phones a policeman - obviously. Preferably one wearing his neighbour's Winnie-the-Pooh brushed-cotton pyjamas carrying a shovel.... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

B x

[Maizie]

I do think Amanda has a point - this was forecast yet I didn't see ONE gritter out yesterday.

Well down here we didn't get gritted but it wouldn't have been any use - the grit would be sitting there under six inches of snow. There's only so much grit can do (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[lottie]

The trouble with snow in the South of the country is that you're not prepared for it; you don't have the infrastructure to deal with it.. ie not enough gritters to go around because you don't normally need them. So there's a big panic when the transport shuts down.

I don't think saying 'toughen up' is very helpful either because the majority have no experience of driving in snow so can't estimate the risks and that's where mistakes are made. Inexperience, cars and ice/snow are a lethal cocktail.

So take a couple of days off; the world won't come to an end! Put your feet up and do something homebased.. a few days and you'll be back into the grind and regretting wasting your days with stress! Build a snowman, go sledging and giggle like a kid.. then go inside and have hot soup and you'll feel brilliant!

We deal with deep snow several times a year so it's nothing unusual and we just get on with it - yes, the schools close and we can't get to the grocery stores but we prepare in advance. Everyone in our glen has thermals, boots, skis etc. as standard and I carry grit and a shovel in my car. I regularly drive through four foot drifts: it's just a part of life and not a novelty (although I still like sledging (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ).

But I agree about the pathetic 4WD drivers avoiding the slush - that's just laughable! Ooooooh dirty!

[Maizie]

So take a couple of days off; the world won't come to an end!

That's something one of our 'work-life balance' courses said last year. That if you were off sick from work for a few days, you'll find that everything works out. Either your work is urgent, and someone else does it; or your work isn't that urgent, and it'll be waiting for you when you get back, but it's obviously not something to worry about or they'd find someone else to do it!

Apparently three people made it in to our department today (out of about 40). The majority will be 'working at home', and for the majority that will also mean going out in the garden and building snowmen while being paid for it (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[BerkshireMum]

I've recently got home because the school where I work decided to close at 11am. So everyone struggles in, it's decided there are enough staff to take the classes - then they close. Why??? There's only about 1 1/2" of snow here so having got everyone in why change their minds? It's the worst possible scenario for a parent with a child in year 7 who has just struggled into work themselves.

Got home to discover that Hubby's eye appointment at the local hospital had been cancelled; clinic shut because of the snow. We just do not cope, do we?

From my point of view it's great as I have a long, lazy afternoon ahead. I'm going to play the piano! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[tuba_george]

Oh dear, "in the old days", "in the old days", "in the old days", "A dusting of snow and the whole country is at a standstill" blah blah blah, moan moan moan .......... People need to lighten up a bit.
One or two days off school/ off work isn't the end of the world, people would be much better off getting out in the fresh air to play in the snow or staying in for a well earned rest anyway. There's more to life than going to work.

[LizzieT]

The trouble with snow in the South of the country is that you're not prepared for it; you don't have the infrastructure to deal with it.. ie not enough gritters to go around because you don't normally need them. So there's a big panic when the transport shuts down.

I don't think saying 'toughen up' is very helpful either because the majority have no experience of driving in snow so can't estimate the risks and that's where mistakes are made. Inexperience, cars and ice/snow are a lethal cocktail.

So take a couple of days off; the world won't come to an end! Put your feet up and do something homebased.. a few days and you'll be back into the grind and regretting wasting your days with stress! Build a snowman, go sledging and giggle like a kid.. then go inside and have hot soup and you'll feel brilliant!

We deal with deep snow several times a year so it's nothing unusual and we just get on with it - yes, the schools close and we can't get to the grocery stores but we prepare in advance. Everyone in our glen has thermals, boots, skis etc. as standard and I carry grit and a shovel in my car. I regularly drive through four foot drifts: it's just a part of life and not a novelty (although I still like sledging (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ).

But I agree about the pathetic 4WD drivers avoiding the slush - that's just laughable! Ooooooh dirty!

Yes I agree. Do we really want rises in road/council tax etc in order to deal with a situation that may only occur every 20 years? And I agree we shouldn't underestimate the dangers of driving in such weather. We have 10 inches of snow here and already an ambulance has got stuck and had to be pulled out by a fire engine.

My OH and I have been down to our village today. The kids are having a whale of a time making giant snowmen and having snow fights. People are calling on elderly neighbours to check they're all right. The coffee shops are doing a roaring trade. An event like this shifts your perspective a bit, and I'm not sure that's a bad thing.

[CJB]

A word in defence of our council workers.

I drove 45 miles through Hampshire last night just before it really started snowing here, all roads appeared to have been recently gritted and my car got peppered by grit on several occasions as I passed the lorries.

This morning I woke up to about 20 cm (hey 1 of us has to go metric!) and started to dig my car out to do the same journey again.

MISTAKE! No way could the grit cope with the amount of snow that came down and the trunk roads were down to single icy lanes.

MISTAKE 2! I decided to head towards Surrey to use an alternative route using bigger roads than the winding little ones I'd used yesterday - ok my Northern routes made me think that it would just be a bit of snow and a lot of fuss about nothing!

2.5 hours later after giving up as it was too dangerous I made it home after a 12 mile round trip that would usually take 20 mins at most. In this time though I did see a snow plough (yes there are snow ploughs around the Surrety/Hants border and they were working hard this am) and it was obvious something had improved the conditions on the A31 as whilst still 1 lane 30 mph was safe and the fastest I'd driven all morning.

I'm sure given more resources we could keep the country moving more, then again this is only the 4th time in 15 years that snow has prevented me getting to where I needed to be. Do I want to pay more taxes for that, we'd soon be complaining about wasted money paying for council workers and snow ploughs to sit around doing nothing.

Ok sake to come out now......my rant is over

[Susie]

Hmmm, well, I'm quite enjoying myself here. I don't intend to drive 'cos I had a nasty experience a few years ago in icy conditions. But I'm going out into the town this afternoon to do some shopping (nothing exciting - lemsips for son's cold) putting on my wellies. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowman2.gif)

And I'm enjoying not having to watch the clock to go out to lunchtime lessons because school's closed - so I'm having a good tidy up and clear out with lots of loud music on to keep me going (occasional breaks to see if any-one's being friendly on the email). (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowflake.gif) Evening pupil's cancelled because her roads not gritted and it's too far to walk.

Our road has been gritted but we are one of the more main roads round here. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/snowman.gif)

And I happen to agree with whoever said that the bins aren't emptied often enough (especially since I'm having such a good time clearing out).(IMG:style_emoticons/default/soapbox.gif)

[The Old Lady]

The news at one spent 20 minutes talking about the snow. They had to have a person "on the spot" in various places. Pathetic.
We woke to 10 cm. Side roads are appalling. Main roads were clearish by lunchtime, so I got to Kidderminster in time to take a relative to their hospital appointment.
IN defence of 4 by 4's, I drive a Land Rover, and it's very dirty and I don't mind at all. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/tongue.gif)
Bev.

[Susie]

Oooooh, your computer's recovered then Bev. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif)

[AmandaL]

The trouble with snow in the South of the country is that you're not prepared for it;

We don't all live in inner city areas where ice and snow are unheard of. Kent and Essex get some of the worst snow fall as comes in off the North Sea. They aren't up north and they seem to cope well enough. The crux of the problem is that too many people in the south simply use the rarity of adverse cold weather as an excuse to take a day off.

So take a couple of days off; the world won't come to an end! Put your feet up and do something homebased.. a few days and you'll be back into the grind and regretting wasting your days with stress! Build a snowman, go sledging and giggle like a kid.. then go inside and have hot soup and you'll feel brilliant!

My boyfriend, who currently lives in Fareham (not Farnham) in Hampshire, made the 30 mile trip this morning up to his business premises in Alton. He and only one other person turned up to work. Considering most of his staff live very locally to work and a lot of them own 4x4 vehicles that are more than capable of driving through snow, that's a pretty poor turn out. When he phoned me at lunchtime, he said he was seriously considering cutting the staff pay by one day this month, or take the day from their annual leave. As a sole trader and small business he cannot afford to pay staff who simply don't turn up for work. He's not only lost work time and therefore money today, but he still has to pay for the facilities, electricity, water etc. I'm sure there are similar small companies who will have suffered the same thing.

We deal with deep snow several times a year so it's nothing unusual and we just get on with it - yes, the schools close and we can't get to the grocery stores but we prepare in advance. Everyone in our glen has thermals, boots, skis etc. as standard and I carry grit and a shovel in my car. I regularly drive through four foot drifts: it's just a part of life and not a novelty (although I still like sledging (IMG:style_emoticons/default/laugh.gif) ).

Sorry, but I find that comment rather patronising. A large portion of the south east is still very much countryside and some of us down here are equally well equipped with suitable vehicles, tools and clothing for whatever the weather throws at us. I for one certainly don't treat snow as a novelty.

[pianist5000]

My school has decided to close for two days. I'm not happy, don't they realise I have a choir to reherse? *fumes* (IMG:style_emoticons/default/mad.gif)

But then I guess even if I did struggle in through the snow none of the kids would anyway, they'll all be out playing snowballs!