Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

how do you define essential travel?

71 replies

k2p2k2tog · 28/02/2018 11:00

Blizzard conditions here today. Very heavy snow, high winds, roads absolutely dreadful. Police Scotland "urging people not to travel on the roads".

So how do you define essential journeys? We're not going anywhere today in the car, have already trudged through the snow to the local shop for a pint of milk and we're just staying in and waiting until it gets better.

However on my FB feed this morning I've already seen two posts, one along the lines of "Can't do without my Costa, hope I make it back home in the car" and "snow day - anyone up for a trip to soft play this afternoon?"

Feel sorry for the people who DO need to make essential trips to hospital or work, on;y to get stuck behind numpties on a trip to the coffee shop or soft play.

OP posts:
Huggybear16 · 28/02/2018 11:15

Wondering this also. I need to go to the shop for groceries - can't get an online delivery slot until Friday. I have a 15 month old boy and most of my shopping list is things for him. If I was alone I would wait it out. Also, I'd have to take him in the car with me which is the real worry. If I had someone to keep an eye on him at home, I would definitely go myself.

Huggybear16 · 28/02/2018 11:45

Met Office has updated Scotland to red weather warning.....I'm also in Scotland, so will have to make do with what we have for now

spugzbunny · 28/02/2018 12:06

I'm 6 days overdue for my first baby. I'm considering my trip to hospital when / if I ever go in to labour to be essential!

DragonNoodleCake · 28/02/2018 12:08

Yes @spugzbunny I'd say that's essential 😃 best of luck

MrsJayy · 28/02/2018 12:09

One of my kids work for police scotland they are expected to go inGrin anywaycosta clearly isn't an essential journey and they need tutted at loudly.

MagentaRocks · 28/02/2018 12:10

It is annoying. I need to go to work tomorrow, emergency service so I do need to drive to work if at all possible. I know if I can get out and on the roads my journey will be more hazardous than it needs to be because people are travelling that don’t need to.

MyBoysAndI · 28/02/2018 12:10

If l dont need to go anywhere for anything urgent then l won't travel.

A memo was sent to all staff yesterday that if we do not go to work due to snow we will not be paid....

IpreferFrieda · 28/02/2018 12:11

There’s been enough warning for people to have filled fridges and freezers snd if you havnt then why havnt you? Grocery shopping isn’t essential. Use stuff from your cupboards rather then risk your life or child’s life in a car.

Essential travel is emergency travel. If the emergency service say don’t travel then don’t. You put your own life and their lives at risk.

19lottie82 · 28/02/2018 12:12

I might pootle to the corner shop but I won’t be going anywhere near the motorway.

Beerwench · 28/02/2018 12:15

I've been annoyed by this today too. We've not got it as bad as some, but enough to close some roads and stop buses running and close schools. I have to get out to feed animals - I walked. On my walk there's a butchers on a corner (with double yellows BTW) leading onto an uncleared side road. People are parked outside the butchers, causing others to get stuck trying to get round and up the small incline in the snow, which has caused chaos.
Don't consider a trip to the butchers, and certainly not parking like a tit, essential. Anyone who needs, as in actually needs to, get on or off that road and the others it leads to is screwed.

Bluelady · 28/02/2018 12:15

Costa is essential travel? Perlease.

ToffeePennie · 28/02/2018 12:16

To me essential is for work, for school or for food/drink supplies and nothing else.

MrsJayy · 28/02/2018 12:17

We need milk there is a smidge left I am annoyed how unorganised I am

Efrig · 28/02/2018 12:17

I’m a nurse and have made it into the care home. There’s a few of us staying overnight though.

MrsJayy · 28/02/2018 12:20

Staying overnight makes sense, My sister is a carer and is doing a double shift because she was already at work doing a sleepover

PlanNumber · 28/02/2018 12:23

Work is the one that always confuses me.

-If what I do is worth doing most days, why is it not essential today?
-Is it more essential if I'm not going to get paid if I don't go in?

PurpleTraitor · 28/02/2018 12:31

Essential for me is work, school, or trip for supplies that are needed urgently. So, if you need to top up your gas to get heating, or if you haven’t any food in and need some. For a medical emergency I think that oddly the lines are more blurred, because I’d always favour getting medical help to come to you if that’s at all possible, which then falls under the definition of work for the person travelling.

Ive been thinking about the definition of walking distance.

Several people have said they have to drive into school because it’s not in walking distance. It led me to think about what walking distance actually is and i think for a regular event, for me it’s a time limit thing probably limited to walks under an hour, so practically that means a 3 mile radius from my current location, on average. But for one-off events or journeys I’d be thinking that would increase quite a lot.

malmi · 28/02/2018 13:12

If you don't say 'Essential for x' then no journey is essential, so it's essentially a meaningless request.

IDSNeighbour · 28/02/2018 13:21

For me:

'somewhere where my desire to go is higher than my desire not to drive in the snow.'

So, personally - food/drink supplies - no, not necessary, I'd rather go hungry. Dance class - absolutely, I love it and don't want to sit around the house doing nothing.

I can walk to work so that's not one I have to think about.

Though, if anyone's refusing to drive because of the 0.5 cm of snow we've had where I am, they're being ridiculous anyway so it's a fairly moot point for me.

Huggybear16 · 28/02/2018 13:21

There are plenty reasons why I haven't got in my groceries....been out of town for over a week, single parent to a sick toddler, nursing a terminally ill parent, no money until today. But hey, we're not all perfect like you @IpreferFrieda

skilledintheartofnothing · 28/02/2018 13:21

This is something i have been worried about. Have a coach journey booked from South of England to Glasgow for Saturday, am really worried about it but can't cancel as for family funeral Sad

Cerseilannisterinthesnow · 28/02/2018 13:26

I haven’t gone into work today, community nursing services, but legitimately can’t get off the drive and the DCs schools are closed and no one to have them. Plus most of my visits were in a village where all roads are closed, can’t see where the road ends or where the verges begin! Not holding out much hope for tomorrow either

SeniorRita · 28/02/2018 13:30

Your work is worth doing day in, day out but that is unlikely to make it so essential that missing one or two days would be much of an issue.

We tell people to come in if they can, don't take unnecessary risks, take some work home in case they can't make it. But we are office based so it works for this type of environment.

The half inch of snow is not the problem. It's the frozen road beneath it. I could feel my ABS twitching a few times on my way to the station today. The chances of me making it tomorrow are far slimmer, but I can work from home (though we have an audit tomorrow which I can't do from home but the tax man will have to accept that I decided it was not an essential journey!).

CavoliRiscaldati · 28/02/2018 13:30

I don't even think school qualifies as essential - tricky if you are a teacher. They should just close!

Unless medical problem, obviously, walking 1 hour or so is not going to harm anyone.

metalmum15 · 28/02/2018 13:33

I consider Costa an essential journey, but luckily I live within walking distance of one 😆

Swipe left for the next trending thread