AIBU to get the rage with snow clearing neighbours???

[k2p2k2tog]

We've had snow this morning in Glasgow, a good couple of inches. As soon as it stopped, my neighbours were out in force with their snow shovels to clear the snow off their paths and into the roads.

All very neighbourly. Except the fuckers haven't put down salt, grit or anything else on the cleared area, so what they've done is transfomred the pavement from on covered in crunchy snow which was easy to walk on, into an ice rink.

Numpties.

[CheapSausagesAndSpam]

I suppose they didn't know. Might be worth telling them before someone breaks a hip.

[etap]

Wish I woke up to a few inches this morning

[Magicmoments22]

Agreed and they are idiots for shovelling it into the roads - it should go onto the grassy areas

[StealthNinjaMum]

Do many people walk on this bit of pavement?

I would mention that they should grit it but I think getting 'the rage' sounds a bit extreme, it sounds like they were well meaning but just a bit dim.

[nutnerk]

Agree - they probably just don't know. Just let them know nicely what best practice is.

[DressAndGo]

I agree. Snow is far better to walk on

[PiffleandWiffle]

Whereas people will walk over uncleared snow that gets packed down, melts, refreezes & turns to an ice rink.

If you're putting salt down just chuck a handful onto the neighbouring pavement too - that's what I do.

If you're not clearing your snow at all, you don't have a leg to stand on as uncleared snow gets packed down, melts, refreezes & turns to an ice rink.

As for "having a word" - hah!

[PiffleandWiffle]

I agree. Snow is far better to walk on

Now, it won't be tomorrow......

[citybzg]

They have cleared the snow, can you not chuck down the salt? A bit of teamwork, rather than moaning about them making an effort?

[Thewolvesarerunningagain]

Wish I woke up to a few inches this morning
saucy, etap!

[IrkThePurist]

If they do it early and there's some sun, it will clear it a bit more. Chuck some salt down this evening.

[misskelly]

Do you live near me? My very bored, idiotic neighbour does this too. We share a path and I’ve got to the point where I think he’s trying to kill us. Instead of leaving soft snow to walk on he clears it and we end up with a sheet of black ice. Not great when you have a teen with mobility problems.

[citybzg]

My very bored, idiotic neighbour does this too. We share a path and I’ve got to the point where I think he’s trying to kill us.

Maybe he is waiting for you to take some responsibility also and put down some salt?

I cant understand why anyone would sit back and moan about someone clearing a shared path. Do your share as well

[araiwa]

Bout time you got out there with grit isnt it OP? Neighbours did the hard work for you- time to contribute too

[MsHomeSlice]

My neighbour insists on doing this...as soon as a flake hits the ground he is out with his bloody snow shovel....shining up an icerink...twat.

And annoyingly it is a steep shared drive, so causes chaos for the other houses.

IMO Protocol is to wait until the snow has finished and preferably next day, then clear the lot and grit.

[Cackleberry4]

My neighbours are fanatical about clearing their drive way after a snowfall............they dump the snow in our garden!

[DrWhy]

Absolutely with the people above, we live in north east Scotland. In the severe weather before Christmas most of our neighbours and us took the approach that just leaving the snow was easier to walk on - big mistake. The snow got compacted and as temperatures rose it melted slightly in the day and refroze at night, it was absolutely leathal. One elderly widowed neighbour shovelled her drive and section of pavement every day (and gritted the drive) the first time the temperature rose above freezing her pavement cleared completely and stayed clear, however she still couldn’t walk her dog as the rest of us had let the rest of the close get into such a state. We were very embarrassed and will be shovelling like demons at the next sign of snowfall and plan to order a large sand/grit bag from the council at the start of next winter.
Absolutely they’ve done the tough work you should get out and stick some grit down.

[BaffledMummy]

I was watching the neighbours doing the same this morning and wondering why on earth they were bothering to clear the snow when there is a ton load more forecast the rest of the day. I can only assume it’s a social thing. Most of my neighbours (the ones doing it anyway) are in their 70s and they are all having a good natter while doing it. I don’t think they generally talk to each other except for snow days. I also read somewhere once that loads of people have heartattacks when it snows as they are not used to physical exersion and snow clearing is pretty knackering.

Agree re the lack of salt/grit btw...

[ObscuredbyFog]

What's the law in that situation if someone slips and breaks a bone?

Pretty sure that in England if you clear snow off an area you don't own like the pavement in front of your house, you are liable if someone slips and has an accident, because if you hadn't turned it into an ice-rink, the accident would not have happened or if it had, you wouldn't have been involved as a contributory factor.

If you leave it alone and someone slips, you are not liable.

Can anyone confirm that and does it apply to Scotland Wales and NI as well?

[PickleFish]

In many countries, it's the law that you have to shovel the pavement in front of your house within 24 hours; it's often easier to do it immediately, before people have started to walk on it and pack it down, or before more falls and it gets too heavy. It will dry up more quickly and leave bare pavement eventually, whereas piles of snow - when you can't see ice underneath, where footsteps have hardened into ice, where it's not level with nearby sections of the path, etc - might stay for days. So there are sensible reasons for clearing it, too. If you think it's going to freeze again quickly, then put some salt or grit down.

[user1495222250]

I live quite high up in a rural part of North Lanarkshire, not far from the OP, and it's barely stopped for more than a few minutes here so far this morning! It's almost a white out and our Sky telly has gone off.

I don't mind neighbours shovelling the snow generally, but only once it seems clear that there won't be anymore, so long as they're considerate about where they dump it. We only have one neighbour now and the family is great.

[Magicmoments22]

In Germany you have to clear the snow

In England if you do nothing you are not liable for any accidents. You are liable for any injury if you clear and someone slips.

Clearing is a good idea and kind socially but as pp have said, you should make sure to grit as ice then becomes the problem

[OhYouBadBadKitten]

Obscured, that isn't the case at all, but that attitude is what actually helps us all to grind to a halt. If it stays cold, snow doesn't magically vanish. It compacts, turns to ice and is much harder to walk on and also to then remove.

government advice

If you stay on top of it, it makes it much easier to keep clear and if done properly ensures you don't end up with housebound neighbours for days at a time.

[IMightMentionGriddlebone]

If you shovel snow immediately, sometimes you don't need grit at all.

I shovelled loads in the last snow without grit, and I assure you it did not ice up. Paths shovelled the next day though, they did.

This reminds me of someone I used to live with who was very opinionated about how there was no point clearing snow, "because we don't have any grit, and it'll be a hazard if you shovel it". (They then refused to go out until it thawed.)

I used to wonder why they thought they knew so much about it when they'd never shovelled a flake of snow ever or looked at shovelled snow What it was, was an excuse to do fuck-all while I shovelled the snow.

[IMightMentionGriddlebone]

I was watching the neighbours doing the same this morning and wondering why on earth they were bothering to clear the snow when there is a ton load more forecast the rest of the day.

Snow settles on settled snow. It doesn't necessarily settle on cleared path. Cleared paths have a good chance of staying clear