Paralysed by Snow!

[Govangirl]

Here goes with my weekly rant! I am absolutely gobsmacked at how down here a smattering of snow results in abject chaos. Everyone knew a week ago that we were going to have this weather so how come we seem to be so ill prepared when it comes? ALL London buses cancelled???????? What's that about? I heard on the radio today that they were never even cancelled during the blitz! Most trains cancelled and airports shut? Major motorways closed? And how come snow can affect the underground???!!!
We only had a quarter of the kids turn up for school today and many staff who didn't feel they could go out in a 'blizzard' - a blizzard? We had a few millimetres of snow! My kids were sent home from their respective schools at 12 and told if it snowed again tonight they were to stay at home tomorrow. I don't want to go on about how as a child I walked ten miles through 3ft of snow in my bare feet to school every day but nobody here would go outdoors if they lived in Scotland!!
Surely there's no such thing as terrible weather - just bad preparation?

[History]

I feel sorry for anyone who has been adversely affected by this extreme snowfall but I cannot believe the amount of news coverage on the weather issue. It definitely should be headlines but not for the first 20 minutes of the news. The BBC should be affronted to call themselves BritishBC Should be EnglishBC. Can you imagine every news channel giving this amount of coverage if it was in Scotland.

Would just like to add that we here on the west coast have had the most gorgeous day. Dry and sunny. Bit cold though.....and no snow so far

[Lossit Lass]

Sorry GG!! It has been all over our news, too. Some areas (yours?) are getting more snow than they've seen in decades. What I heard said is that since budgets are so tight they didn't want to spend the money on additional equipment & supplies that they may not need again for a while......so apparently it's everyone for themselves this time!

It's snowing here now but we aren't expecting much. I love the snow & would personally like to see more than just a spittle now & then

[blueboyno1]

Have you ever wondered how the man who drives the snow plough gets to work.

[ionnsaigh]

Personally I love the snow. If you really want to blame someone - or something for the chaos it apparently caused - then the blame, lies squarely on the Gulf Stream. The snow in London could fairly be described as unusual - whereas in Scandinavia it is normal, and as such they have the means - to keep transport and infrastructure ( schools ) running. The cost of keeping a Scandinavian type of response - for such an unusual occurrence - can not be justified.
Mon girl - dust the sledges down, if you have any that is - away oot an play wae the weans - and nae puttin any stains in the snowbaws.

[hugh]

Yeah, it's all right for some of you. 600 yards I trudged to work through a three inch snowdrift last night, 600 yards! That's nearly a kilometre in old money. And I had a hole in my shoe. And I think I may have caught that rarest of all tropical diseases. Frostbite.

[Frosty]

There was a lot of snow falling through the early and late part of yesterday evening in Coal Aston.
As I cleared the snow of the car this morning a few of the nieghbours watched through their windows , one of them said that they wouldn't even dare try and get up the hill from the estate.
I was the only one who tried and succeeded , it must have been due to my training on ''The Rest'' and Allbyn Ave. brae as even my wife said I was mad to go out and drive in these conditions.
It is easier not to try then telephone work to say that you cannot get in rather than learn how to cope with the weather conditions , all my years as a teenager driving in Kintyre have always been useful when these current coditions strike.
Has any snow fallen in Campbeltown yet?

fROSTY

[bill]

I was the only one who tried and succeeded , it must have been due to my training on ''The Rest'' and Allbyn Ave. brae
fROSTY

Know what you mean Frosty.I remember driving the Co-op mobile shop round the Learside even with snow on the ground.
It was just a case of fitting the snow chains on to the tyres,something you never see nowadays.That would have been less than a year after passing my driving test.

[EMDEE]

Whatever happened to snow chains? I remember the buses used to use them, but I haven't seen them in decades.

[Kevin Mc]

Yeah, it's all right for some of you. 600 yards I trudged to work through a three inch snowdrift last night, 600 yards!

Three inch snowdrift

[numberplease]

They were talking on the news at teatime about some area, can`t remember where, that had had a MASSIVE 10cms of snow! Correct me if I`m wrong, but isn`t that about 4 inches? It must have been really terrible for the poor souls

[4th gen Suthen']

The snow in London could fairly be described as unusual - whereas in Scandinavia it is normal, and as such they have the means - to keep transport and infrastructure ( schools ) running. The cost of keeping a Scandinavian type of response - for such an unusual occurrence - can not be justified.
.

Ionnsaigh contributes a lot to this forum. I certainly dont agree with all (MUCH!) of what he says but he is spot on with what he wrote above. No need to add anything.