To feel smug about all the idiots stuck in the snow...

[MayDayChild]

It's my birthday tomo. Wanted to pop to shops alone (luxury!)to buy a new dress to wear for my meal out tonight.
But as I'm breastfeeding, I decided early this morning to forgoe the dress, incase I got stuck.
Have now decided to cancel meal as roads impassable
I'm hearing on news about gridlock all over London, car parks at bluewater, lakeside etc all jammed no one is going anywhere!
I feel smug for being home, warm, safe with my children!!!!

Frostyandslippery it was my friend's dh who died What's even sadder is they didn't realise the extent of his injuries so it was even more of a shock he died. Was his funeral on Tuesday, standing room only in the church and a lot of head shaking. His poor wife is in total bits.

Can't even comment on this post by OP just hope it's some sad bastard who's bored as would hate to be her chiid.

YABVU! I feel very lucky to be at home at the moment, but I can't feel anything but sadness for the people still stuck out. I don't believe that anyone could think anything else. I hope that anyone waiting for the safe return of family or friends doesn't have to wait much longer.

Well I was one of the "idiots" stuck on the M5 for 7 hours today. It was very scary indeed, with jackknifed lorries all over the place, abandoned cars and had to correct skids more times than I could count.

When we set out just before 10am, it had stopped snowing and wasn't very deep. Dh checked all the road reports for our entire journey (we were due to go to London) and there were no reported problems. We genuinely believed that, as usual when dh has travelled on M5 in snowy conditions before, the motorways would be gritted and clear once we got onto them.

Once we were on the motorway and it was clear that it wasn't going to be like that, we tried to get off and come home but junctions kept getting closed and we weren't allowed off. At one point we got completely stuck and thank you so so much to the LOVELY Argos delivery driver (whose own lorry was completely stuck and going nowhere) who helped dh to push while I tried to get traction.

I really thought we were going to be spending the night in our car with our two dses today, but fortunately we managed to travel the 17 miles up to junction 4 which was reopened when we got there, 6 hours after we'd left home. Took us an hour to get back on the southbound carriageway. Was very scary indeed, and I really feel for those people who are still stuck on the M5 northbound now and probably will be all night, because the carriageway was almost completely blocked with stuck lorries.

i think the op fully understood what she was posting...

Here in North Cardiff, the snow was about 3in deep at 7:30am on Friday morning. 'Luckily' I couldn't get to work as my bus route was cancelled and I live at the top of a hill so it was crazy to attempt to slide walk down to the rail station on the off-chance the trains were running.

However, the snow started falling at about 8:30am and didn't stop. The snow in our close is now over 1ft deep. Goodness knows how I would have got home if I had made it to work (or how we would have got DD if we'd taken her to the CM). The forecast said snow but I don't think anyone was expecting the amount we've had in a few hours.

I felt a bit sorry for the people I saw driving through our estate as they might not have got back up the hill later.

nice.
as a member of the emergency services i'll pass your your warmest wishes to those who are less fortunate than you, op.

some, such as you are able to CHOOSE not to go out. others dont have that luxury. lucky for you.

not a very nice post at all. engage brain perhaps before posting next time

Me too tiffany.

Well, I needn't post my initial reaction to the post, because I think everyone else has said it for me.

Instead, I'll say that the arrogant bastards who set off on non-essential social journeys after it had snowed so awfully... Well, there's some. And when they get stuck, they jeopardise others' safety. It makes me terribly sad.

Horrid OP.

I have several friends who have risked the weather so they can get to work to look after sick people. If they didn't risk it, what would happen then, hmm?

Hope you enjoy your cosy evening.

Seems like our economy is based too heavily around the motor car.

I feel really sorry for those that are stuck out there in this weather. Infact, I feel sorry for them that they even had to go out in it. I doubt people would have gone out had they not needed to.

DH is meant to be travelling to Surrey tomorrow for the day (from London). I am trying to convince him not to go but he says he has to for work. His boss phoned him this afternoon to tell him not to go. I am hoping he listens and chooses to visit a closer store instead.

Roads are very bad at the moment. Just because it has stopped snowing here, doesn't mean the roads are now safe to use.

I hope everyone gets home safely tonight.

Please leave the OP alone-agree it was an ill timed post but sheesh, such vitriol from some!

OP please ask for the thread to be pulled, maybe reflect a bit before posting in future

Hope everyone gets home safely by the way

kid Tragically, there's a hell of a lot of unreasonable people out there. There's even a thread below this one on the front page of AIBU by a mumsnetter whose husband wanted to take them all out in the car to visit friends.

And every couple of years I seem to read about people requiring mountain rescue services in circumstances Frankie Boyle would have seen coming.

I blame bloody Christmas. People feel they're letting their families down if they can't make it.

Well we went out to Bluewater this morning.

We have a 9 week old DS and since he was born family and friends have been wonderful to us. But we've had very little energy to do anything nice for them except say "Thank you". So I wanted them all to have nice Christmas presents from us. Unfortunately loads of presents from Amazon haven't arrived.

The forecast said light snow until three. We left early and were done by 12.30. We then spent 4.5hrs driving the usual 20mins home. With 9 week old DS.

Yes, I was annoyed I wasn't at home, warm and snuggled up with the baby. But at least everyone has a present now, and after everything they've done for us I think it was worth it :o

All that to say, I dont think we're idiots, we were just desperate to do something nice for them all :(

I haven't read all the replies but imagine they aren't very supportive.

Smugness is such an ugly character trait.

YABU. I took a gamble and took DD into town early this morning thinking it wouldn't snow til aleast lunchtime. An hour later we were stranded as the snow came down really suddenly and relentlessly. Thank god DP came to get us even though it took an hour and a half to get home thanks to jammed car parks. Usually only takes 10 minutes tops in the car.

Thanks for your sympathy OP!

YABVVU. I went to work today as i do not get paid if snow keeps me away. It took me 4.5 hours to get back 12 miles. And...i'm sure you'll laugh smugly at this! (i will one day!) i had to wet myself. why?? i couldnt leave car. i was on a motorway. weeing in a plastic bag does not work , as i discovered. So..it's been one of my worst days ever. I had to sit like that in soaking clothes for hours. Def a lesson in needing to purchase a she-wee though!

sorry for being crude there, but it's the truth. Wrecked car seat, total embarrassment and hideous day.

Feel really sorry for all of you going through this, hope you/ your LOs get home OK.

lololizzy, there have been times I've looked at that nappy bag full of pampers and wondered if that would work .... poor you.

hideous! and for anyone that says why didn't i pull over?? - traffic was gridlocked. to my left, a high (unclimbable) chainlink fence (typo earlier..was on bypass not motorway) to my right, the central reservation. Lots of (male) drivers walking outside by my car as they were obviously too frustrated to stay sitting in theirs. Carrier bag does not work, not when sitting on it anyway. Had no choice whatsoever.
To the smug writer of this thread..i bet you have a partner supporting you financially or are on benefits so you would not have to go to work in these conditions. Some of us have NO choice in order to get through day to day. As it is, i only worked a few hours as had to leave (snow came down very heavily only AFTER i got to work) Boss is not sure if can pay me AT ALL for today and tomorrow. So it was all for nothing. But i'm sure smugsters like you will grin even more..shame on you!

but i'm one of the lucky ones. i got home intact if umm a bit soggy. Pity all those out there in accidents / far from home etc

Definitely an ill-thought out post by the OP but I'm sure she wouldn't have wished all these horrible things on all of you. Maybe time to back of the OP and vent on this hideous weather instead.

Lololizzy - how awful for you. Really, every time I think of people being stuck on a motorway I think "what if you have to pee"! And what if you have nothing to pee into?

(Ps: excluding a nappy, a towel is your best option).

I guess we should all think about equipping our cars with emergency supplies - full tank of petrol, blankets, drinks and snacks at the very least.

Lololizzy - a nice warm bath for you and a huge glass of wine. You deserve it.

I just want to say how brave the emergency services have been. I live in the country and I've heard nothing but emergency sirens all evening. Good for them.

Safe travels.

Vagabond completely agree with every part of your post