To think you don't have the right to get places when it snows?

[kokosnuss]

The local newspaper has posted it's now-traditional "OMG SNOW'S FORECAST, CHAOS IS IMMINENT" Facebook post and all the comments are along the lines of "oh great, not getting anywhere that day then, not with our incompetent council".

I do think councils have some responsibility to keep major roads passable if they can, so that emergency vehicles and other key traffic can keep moving.

But AIBU to think you don't have the automatic right to continue completely as normal when it snows? Isn't there a case for just accepting that the weather is bad and some things might not happen?

People are pathetic and need to learn how to drive in snowy conditions . Honestly for the amount of snow we get it's laughable how ott people get and declare themselves "snowed in"

There is a dip/hill on the only way out. Not a main road and so not gritted. Last time the cars couldn't climb the hill (not a problem for me-4X4 and country born and bred). 2 cars crashed and then others were sliding. More snow then covered them.

We were most definitely snowed in. I had to turn back as I couldn't get through on the road.

There are actually a very narrow set of circumstances where gritting works for snow though, gritters are really best for preventing black ice during a hard frost, not really very helpful for snow. My local council is very good at gritting, but there's not much point if it's raining, which it often is just before it starts to snow.

I heard somewhere that in NY, the problems caused by snow have to be resolved within 5 hours. I keep hearing that the U.K. doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope: why not? Are we just too small/broke?

Becasue it would be a very poor investment for the amount of use it would get Maelstop. NYC gets lots of snow every winter. Much of the UK isn't guaranteed to see any in a whole winter.

I keep hearing that the U.K. doesn’t have the infrastructure to cope: why not? Are we just too small/broke?

Because unlike New York, we're not guaranteed snow every winter, and even if we are, it lasts what, a few days or a week at most? We don't get 4-5 months of constant snow every year, so spending money on upgrading our infrastructures would be a colossal waste.

As it stands, what, the trains don't run for a few days, the schools might close? Okay, it's not deal and it's really frustrating if you can't get to work and need the money, but the cost to the government to ensure that never happened would be absolutely ridiculous. The cost of buying/running gritters to cover the entire country would be MASSIVE considering they would sit idle for the majority of the year.

And would people here really be willing to buy snow chains and snow tyres on the tiny off-chance they might be needed? I know people in rural/hilly areas have them but I can't imagine anyone else feeling the need to bother.

There are actually a very narrow set of circumstances where gritting works for snow though,

Do gritters not have ploughs on them?

Yes and I'll do the 12 mile school commute (one way) followed by the the 21.1 mile commute to London by foot for work if I have to.

I heard somewhere that in NY, the problems caused by snow have to be resolved within 5 hours.

I'd be surprised if that was true. It's certainly not the case here in Maine and we get a lot more snow than NY.

Not usually Sknwvegas and for snow ploughs to work, they have to be out constantly, re-ploughing. Would it really be realistic for taxpayers to buy huge fleets of snow ploughs that might be used less than once per year?

I live in a Canadian city, and our annual snow removal budget is $20 million.

You can't compare the removal process in the UK to a place that has real winters, you're just not setup for it.

It depends on the volume of snow, surely? My perception has changed since I moved to the Midwest, where we regularly have 7+ inches of snow. And we deal with it! Occasionally there’ll be a snow day but it’s unusual, and life continues.

Personally I feel that anything less than 6 inches is probably navigable if you use your common sense (unless you’re very rural of course.) The issue is that British weather is so mild that when there’s an unusual weather event, everyone goes a bit Dad’s Army...

Would it really be realistic for taxpayers to buy huge fleets of snow ploughs that might be used less than once per year?

Absolutely not, in the UK. I'm not sure where I suggested they should?

It depends on the volume of snow, surely? My perception has changed since I moved to the Midwest, where we regularly have 7+ inches of snow. And we deal with it! Occasionally there’ll be a snow day but it’s unusual, and life continues.

Personally I feel that anything less than 6 inches is probably navigable if you use your common sense (unless you’re very rural of course.) The issue is that British weather is so mild that when there’s an unusual weather event, everyone goes a bit Dad’s Army...

It depends on the amount of snow, surely? I think anything up to 4-5 inches is perfectly manageable and local councils should have plans in place. But if it’s a 10-inched, I’d agree, you might need to change your plans.

Would it really be realistic for taxpayers to buy huge fleets of snow ploughs that might be used less than once per year?

Absolutely not, in the UK. I'm not sure where I said they should?

Not usually Sknwvegas and for snow ploughs to work, they have to be out constantly, re-ploughing. Would it really be realistic for taxpayers to buy huge fleets of snow ploughs that might be used less than once per year?

It would not. I don't recall saying they should?

Ah the curse of MN looking like it didn't post when actually it did...

problem is we dont get enough so not enough is put into it-so when it does snow everything comes to a halt as noones prepared to stump up a budget for 2 days of snow

YANBU.

It snowed here for 1 day. I had to go to work in my 12 yr old Polo. I made it although it took me 2 and a half hours. If I'd still had my 4x4 it would have been less.

En route I saw snow ploughs and gritters out everywhere. I also saw drivers in 4x4s having no problem with the conditions and steaming through it, which is presumably what happens in Austria, Scandinavia etc. And a load of people with no idea how to drive in snow spinning off the road. Honestly, if I could do it in a Polo...

By the time I finished work, it had stopped snowing and I got home in 30 minutes as all the roads were cleared. Chaos over.

Everyone complains that in the UK we're useless at dealing with snow when it happens, but it's hardly surprising when it happens so infrequently!

We're rural and before Christmas we were definitely snowed in - absolutely no chance of getting out - it was lovely (for us, because we didn't have to be anywhere urgently)! Our road is gritted because it's a school run and the local farmers clear the roads with snow ploughs.

People do need to help themselves a bit though - in the larger village 2 miles away, people were clearing their drives and the footpath and dumping the snow straight into the road! There were other places they could have shovelled it to, to be fair. Not helpful!

And snow chains are absolutely no good for UK roads in snow - they have to be taken off as soon as you reach a clear road and given the sporadic clearing/gritting of local roads, it would be impossible. In snow bound areas such as Austria, only the very main roads are cleared so it's much easier - they get taken off when the major roads are reached.

Why don't people in the UK have winter tyres?

Most countries deal better than the UK with snow, but it's only partly down to more proactive councils (yes, you grit before the snow actually falls, when snow is forecast overnight - if it's forcast how does it take UK councils by surprise?). It's also individuals in the UK not seeming to have any concept of preparing their own cars to deal with snow and ice.

It's not that it takes councils by surprise Evelyn, or at least that's very rare. Gritting in the rain is an ineffective waste of money and it does often rain, just before it starts snowing.

We have had icy roads around ours a few times now. I have to go down a steep hill to get to work. The road is not gritted.

It used to be. But I assume due to cuts, the gritters barely do any roads round our way.

It would never stop me from getting to work, but it's fucking scary!!

This country cannot cope with any slight extreme weather. It's pathetic.

All the schools by me close when the first flakes arrive. The school I work in never closes, because the snow is never that bad there. I can't get my parents to.childmind cos they live up in the hills and are in their 70s. So i hate the snow as it causes massive disruption and stress.