My neighbours are scraping ice at 10.30PM

[Tuvala]

light hearted - ish 😆

It’s frozen solid here, road is an ice rink. Neighbours are 60’s and both retired, nice couple but probably retired too soon as both seem frequently bored!
For the past 45 mins they have both been outside in -3 scraping ice off the steps, the car and god knows what else.
I was a bit concerned they had somewhere they needed to get to so popped out to ask if they needed help with anything but no, they aren’t going anywhere!
I’ve since gone to bed and the loud scraping noises are driving me potty.
What on earth are they doing it for?!
Do they want to fall on the ice or get hypothermia? Or are they just trying new ways to drive me round the bend .
Aaaarghhh!!

Yeah, I actually called the council when I lived in the UK, because they never ever cleared my street or the street mine was off of, so it was a nightmare and this was when I found out because I said I would clear it myself. It was that really bad winter of 2011 I think. Still makes me shudder when I think if it! We lived in the North of England and the snow drifts were 6 foot and it was crazy. Still had to get in to work though - the joys of NHS employment!

@Chouetted I have to go as it’s getting late here but maybe call the council and see what they say?

Why on earth were you so bothered by someone scraping ice off their car/steps? Sounds like you are the one who needs to get something better to do rather than bothering about what the neighbours are doing!

Pre-scraping ice is useful, all of us who work round here do it at night, it actually makes a huge difference in the morning if you have to be somewhere. The ice doesn't come back (just a light frosting) and it saves loads of time. Not saying your older neighbours work, of course, but they might not want the ice to build up. Does it really matter?

You dont have to scrape like mad if you use a de-icer.. I run my husband to the station every morning about 5.45 am and i just spray and it just needs a slight scrap all done. Im afraid it happens every year when it gets cold people have to scrape thier cars.

Well it's minus 3 and there were flurries of snow, down here in the south west.

I think if I were you, I'd advise checking with the council legal department, rather than whoever you phoned (my council have told me all sorts of stuff which turned out to be incorrect later).

I simply can't find any evidence that what you say is true, which is odd. Particularly considering it's advice that's likely to lead to injury.

Why do everyone have to mention they work for the NHS as if everything should be made better for them then us other mere mortals.

I can however find the Occupier's Liabilty Act 1957, which tells me that

The common duty of care is a duty to take such care as in all the circumstances of the case is reasonable to see that the visitor will be reasonably safe in using the premises for the purposes for which he is invited or permitted by the occupier to be there.

It seems unlikely to me that doing absolutely nothing is a reasonable course of action.

😂

This response is the new MN ‘Is your self esteem always this low/are you always this anxious’

😂

This!

Yes there is someone on my road who does this. We live on a hill and it creates an ice rink down the pavement where the water runs. And people who scrape their cars are the fools <shrug>

My car takes longer to de-mist than to de-ice, so I have to leave the engine idling for ages before it is safe to drive.

Yeah are neighbours do this and it triggered and asthma attack in my daughter the other day. Selfish behaviour..

*our

This argument has been had many many times on MN

often the engine needs running to clear the mist, the car is undriveable without running the engine to clear

the answer is of course for cars to be fitted with heated windscreens as standard, but in the meantime people will do what they have to do

someone on mumsnet will always think you are selfish for either

1. pouring water and creating an ice rink
2. scraping and making a loud noise
3. running the engine and increasing noise and pollution

there isn’t really any way to do it that doesn’t piss someone off but such is life

🤢

Because it's keeping her awake!

Interesting read through this morning!
They continued their outdoor adventures until around 11pm at which point I fell asleep.
Not sure what was achieved and hopefully they haven’t got hypothermia.
I was genuinely a bit concerned they would slip and road is still an ice rink still this morning. I’m glad I’ve not got work today.

As to the person who said I was just upset by whatever my ‘elderly neighbours’ did! I think calling people in their 60’s elderly is insulting! Plus, I’m very accommodating of them and their irritating habits like doing DIY at 6am on a Sunday or mowing the lawn at the crack of dawn in the summer. I would argue they were actually more
inconsiderate than me. I have also done various bits and bobs to help them out over the years and we actually get on ok.

People of that age sometimes have cultural differences. Maybe back in the day this was the done thing to minimise how much is to be done in the morning when you’re in a rush to get to work or the shops or whatever.

@Dinoteeth

If its really cold and crisp in the UK it generally means there's clear sky and no clouds, no clouds means no snow

True, but that's not the same as it being "too cold to snow".

🍍 😂😂

Depends how cold it gets. Salt lowers the freezing point of water but doesn’t prevent it entirely.

Your thread reminds me of a couple who were neighbours of mine growing up. The husband was a senior council officer, and after he retired all his 'friends' suddenly wanted nothing to do with him (suggestions he was a bully boss and/or they were hoping for favours whilst he was at the council). He was at a loose end most of the time and did things such as lawn mowing at the worst time for the neighbours.

I agree they are not elderly.

Has it re-iced again yet? I had to do mine to go out and then again 2 hours later to come home so the night before is pointless.

People of that age sometimes have cultural differences.

@LikeTearsInRain

Jesus H Christ on a stick. "people of that age". Unbelievable.

Could you explain what those "cultural differences" are?

Please use words of one syllable as I am in my 60s and may not understand you.