To be terrified of the ice?

[MissLucyEyelesbarrow]

Is this just me? Everywhere I look, people are marching confidently around on the ice. Meanwhile, I have just binned off meeting a friend for coffee because I am too scared to walk a couple of hundred metres on icy pavements. I haven't got osteoporosis or any particular reason to be frightened of slipping - I just am. (To avoid drip-feeding, I do have a disability that affects one leg, but I don't think this is the reason - I would be scared anyway.)

What makes it even more pathetic, is that I grew up partly in a country with much more snow, and go back there regularly. It's different there though - in the middle of winter, the snow & ice are deep and packed, so you can wear walking spikes on your boots, and I am fine there. Also, they are much better at clearing pavements whereas, in the UK, we only seem to care about cars slipping, not pedestrians.

Does anyone have tips for getting my head around this? I feel really pathetic.

I had surgery on my lower back about 20 yrs ago.
No chance will I go outside if it's icy.
My wheelie bin is parked next to the back door, so I just lean out.

I came on here to say about Yak Trax but see I'm not the first! They are honestly life changing for me. The only down side is you do have to take them off when you go inside which is a pain if you're popping in and out (you need to sit down to put them back on really), but they stop you slipping even on sheet ice. Honestly, amazing things.

I fell and broke my leg bay when it was like this two years ago . So I am like you but honestly I don’t think I’m over cautious because before my “bad” fall there were dozens of times I skidded or had near misses before then. I think it’s outrageous that we grit roads and not pavements. It’s one thing if it’s just 24 hours but it’s been dangerous since Saturday here. How much does it cost the nhs in broken hips etc and how is it reasonable that the alternative is older people being housebound for a week?

I had a friend who died after slipping on ice, breaking an ankle and ending up with an embolism. She was in her 30s. So now I am super cautious. Loads of people on school run in normal shoes/ trainers whereas I’m in snow boots and yaktrax.

I have those Yak Trax things, and find they are good. I choose to walk on the snowy edges rather than the middle of the pavement where it's frozen slush and like an ice rink.

I live in a very hilly area and all our grit boxes seem to be empty 🤷‍♀️

Yes to Yaktrax or similar. I have these and they were £12 and are fab. They are ok on non icy pavements too (just not supermarkets/cafes). I was always worried that our pavements weren’t consistently icy enough for them to work, but it’s fine.

amzn.to/3HAq69f

Just to add, I have no sense of balance and can fall over my own (size 5) feet.

I live on a steep hill which doesn't get cleared. It is galling to see people 20+ years older than me striding about whilst I skid along - and that's in heavy cleated wellies. I do have some yaktrax- I must dig them out.

Yes.

OTOH I find that the freezing temps just freeze water on cleared surfaces.

I sort of missed the opportunity to go out, should have tried Monday when there was fresh snow to walk on.

Just get some proper footwear and walking poles

We have to keep the pavements outside our house clear here.

Generally we "grit" as well.

I feel safer being able to see the pavement!

What is "proper footwear" where ice is concerned though-skates??

Southern Finland originally, here @JackieDaws 😁😁 Exactly the same for me, I didn't think twice about walking around on ice in Finland. Here it's an entirely different story, maybe because this country always seems entirely unprepared for inclement weather.

Admittedly I've been a lot more anxious about it since I shattered my coccyx a few years ago (100% do NOT recommend), but the ice here is lethal.

We used to put salt down to stop it freezing. I have that drive clear stuff now but I haven't touched the pavement.

I am very afraid of falling so I just wear yak trax, bit off a pain taking them on and off for going inside but better than slipping.

I second this. Makes a huge difference

Boots and Yaktrax/microspikes or similar

Same here OP. Last year I fell while walking the dog. The pavement was slippy I couldn't get back up and had to crawl on to someones garden to get a grip under my feet. I also fell a few weeks ago and still have knee pain, so I'm terrified to fall again.

People used to clear the snow and ice on the pavements outside their houses, but then someone fell over, and the house owner was sued.
The problem being that snow and ice is a natural phenomenon, whereas if it is cleared, and ice forms, then that is the home owner's fault. (Apparently).
Personally, I have walking boots which grip well.
Take small steps, and look where you are going.

Definitely agree with the yaktrax
Everyone at work was laughing at mine. Not so much later on when I strolled outside and they were sliding all over the place

Do the yaktraks allow for normal walking on non-icy pavements? Usually I find that pavements are okay until you get to a patch that isn't. I've tried another type of shoe spikes, but using them on normal pavements didn't work well at all.

I'm the same. Have been terrified on ice since I was a teenager and fell over in front of all my school mates, who laughed at me.

Now I'm much older, have arthritis and a hip replacement I'm even more terrified of falling. What if I dislodge my hip replacement?

If I have to go out, I tend to walk on grass verges or along the road gutter where the grit and salt gathers.

Sweden has a more innovative method for icey weather usa.streetsblog.org/2018/01/24/why-sweden-clears-walkways-before-roads/

YANBU, I'm the same OP since a bad winter when I was pregnant and had a few hairy commutes. Nerves definitely don't help, I think my tense waddling makes me much more likely to slip but I can't help myself.

Walking poles!