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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think the country needn't break down because of a bit of snow?

43 replies

Schulte · 02/12/2010 20:49

So it snowed overnight. About 10cm, maybe less. The local primary school was closed today, and will be closed tomorrow although we don't even know if there will be any more snow. Nursery shut at 4pm 'for the safety of the children and staff'. My usual train to work was cancelled. One of my colleagues spent 2 hours waiting for a train at Clapham junction. I managed to leave the house without falling over and I had no trouble driving the kids around. Am I being unreasonable to think that life shouldn't come to a standstill just because it has snowed a bit? In winter, at that? I mean, how on earth do people in the Alps or in Scandinavia cope?

OP posts:

TryLikingClarity · 03/12/2010 08:13

Is it really that deep in England? Wow, I didn't realise. I live in east of Northern Ireland and (so far) it isn't that bad.

I agree with the points Beveridge made, esp about people learning to drive in snow.

strawberrycake · 03/12/2010 08:22

Our schools, and others, have opened. Watching the kids outside on the icerink playground I can't help thinking that after the first broken arm/leg we'll all be back to closing. All the schools here are keeping open almost as a point of pride, but we just aren't equipped for it. The cold/ leaks cause the boiler to keep shutting off, the playground is dangerous etc. But then with school budgets as they are we are screwed anyway. That's a different thread, but luckily before it was too cold we've fixed the gas electricity. We were open with no power, phone lines or gas recently and the crapy builders we could afford dragged it out and out. We were also hosting International visiting heads too. Their faces as we said no we couldn't turn the lights or or offer tea were a laugh...

Some schools simply have to close over and over because old boilers break down in this weather or flat roofs leak too much with snow coverings. You wouldn't sit in a leaky portacabin in this weather or unheated draughty victorian building.

thegrudge · 03/12/2010 08:26

RockinRobinBird put it beautifully and there is no need to say anything else except its not "a bit" of snow, its up to my thighs, its up to my 5yos neck and over the head of my 1yo.

chandra · 03/12/2010 09:22

Beverige, how do you rock a car out of snow? [Currently waiting for my car to thaw, got stuck in snow twice yesterday... even when somebody was kind enough to lend me a shovel... so any insider's info would be highly appreciated!]

juneybean · 03/12/2010 10:22

I dug my car out yesterday...and it's covered again bored now...

saorachd · 03/12/2010 10:27

I am extremely concerned about my friend who is a mner.
She lives up in the direction of Altnaharra and the temperature has gone to minus 23.
She is completely cut off on her farm, cannot get straw or feed for her animals and her house is substandard and very cold. They also have no water.

It is not just a bit of snow there but a real risk of hypothermia.

backwardpossom · 03/12/2010 10:28

FFS, again?

One of the reasons Canada et al cope is because in their winter, the temperature is constantly -20 (or less) whereas here, the temperature fluctuates so much. It was -14 here last night, it's now about -2. By midday I expect it will rise to about 2 degrees, meaning the ice and snow will start to melt. Then as the sun goes down it will get colder again and the melted stuff will freeze over again. Any grit that has been put out will either have been washed away, or will be mixed in with the ice and will be ineffective. Then we'll get snow on top of the ice and that makes driving conditions extremely hazardous.

It's frustrating, yes, but that, along with other reasons (budgets, etc) mean you cannot compare other countries to here.

If we were guaranteed temps like last night consistently every year, then we'd probably all have snow tyres, snow chains, 4x4 cars etc. But we aren't, so we don't.

backwardpossom · 03/12/2010 10:31

Sorry, I just read the whole thread and see that point has already been made!

juneybean · 03/12/2010 10:32

bruffin · 03/12/2010 10:43

I had to laugh but the presenter of the radio station I listen was ringing round different countries in europe trying to get them to say how well they cope in the snow, but they were actually saying, we are not coping, we have the same problems as the uk at the moment.

It's quite amazing how diffent parts of england are affected. My DH works in Kent and we live in Herts. We have snow but hardly been affected ie I can get to work by train, schools not closed. DH took 10 hours on tuesday night driving back home. 9 hours of that he was stuck outside Bluewater, he hardly moved and he was watching the snow getting thicker and thicker. Once they let the cars moved he drove all the way through london in less than an hour.

AlpinePony · 03/12/2010 10:49

Not sure it's just the "$$$ spent on it" - but simply a totally wimpy outlook and failure to man up and just get the fuck on with it.

Igglystuffedfullofturkey · 03/12/2010 11:06

This is not normal weather.

I get annoyed when the trains don't work because of leaves on the line or a bit of drizzle. However shed loads of snow is a leeeeetle different.

Have a sprinkling of

I hope you get snowed in.

Dylthan · 03/12/2010 11:10

chandra put your car in first or reverse (which ever direction your planning on going) and then using the clutch slowly to rock forwards and backwards until the momentum gathers and your wheels move out of where there stuck. Do NOT rev the car your tyres will only spin and dig deeper into the snow. That's how I do it anyway HTH

Janos · 03/12/2010 11:18

Yep, the snow is 'not that bad' people who complain about it and can't get out are just being lazy moaners.

I AGREE

Where is our blitz spirit? Come on Britain!! Get a grip will you and stop moaning???!!! In my day we would have been out skipping in the snow in our summer clothes. Are we all a bunch of PANSIES!!!??!! I remember the winter of 82 etc etc ad nauseam.

PS Other countries manage, you know.

bruffin · 03/12/2010 11:43

"In my day we would have been out skipping in the snow in our summer clothes. Are we all a bunch of PANSIES!!!??!! I remember the winter of 82 etc etc ad nauseam."

Young girl on the train in school uniform Just a polo shirt (bare arms) and kilt, althought they do wear them down to the ground and that was it. She wasn't even carrying a coat, blazer or jumper, she walked onto the train like that!

Beveridge · 03/12/2010 12:58

Just like Dylthan says, Chandra, just go forwards and backwards between first and reverse, and eventually you should get out.

Moving off in second gear is also a good option generally in snow, once you're out of the bit. You can also try keeping the revs low intially and then slowly increasing them.

Beveridge · 03/12/2010 12:59

Hope you're away by now Chandra, your post was ages ago!

Original poster

Schulte · 06/12/2010 12:39

Can't remember who said it but I didn't 'battle through the snow'. I just walked out of my front door and that was that. As a teenager, I used to cycle to school through 30cm of fresh snow, and on ice, at 7.30am. So yes, we did fall over all the time, but we still made it to school, and so did the teachers in their cars.

Sorry, but I really think it IS an attitude thing rather than an infrastructure issue.

OP posts:

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