Stranded motorists

[IkBenDeMol]

Lots of sad face stories on the news this morning about people stuck on the M62 last night in serious snow.

Serious snow which was FORECAST and which there was an amber warning for. Do not travel. Serious disruption expected. Why do so many people think that warnings don't apply to them? Very little sympathy for anyone who got stuck after at least 3 days of warnings.

No, not to be fair. When weighing up risk, if you are being told there is a very high chance of significant disruption, you don't respond 'well sometimes it doesn't happen'.

Everyone arguing about police etc needing to go to work. Every single person who did not need to be out last night on that motorway, significantly added to the emergency service workload and also helped prevent those who did need to be out for real reasons from reaching their destination.

No, not to be fair. When weighing up risk, if you are being told there is a very high chance of significant disruption, you don't respond 'well sometimes it doesn't happen'.

Sometimes 52% of the people do.

When there is bad weather (not just snow but rain, wind, heat) there are warnings on every digital board you pass on the motorway too.

I just don't believe people "didn't know".

You need to meet enough people ....

I saw that footage on the BBC this morning and was astounded by the people who had decided to drive up the empty, snow covered outside lane to overtake the 2 lanes of queueing traffic. They weren't even crawling past - so a high chance of skidding into the static traffic. And where the heck did they think they were going as there was obviously a blockage somewhere further ahead?

touché!

They could’ve been travelling back to enable their key worker partners attend work.

Good for you not having sympathy for them? It’s not as if you’d be going to them to give hot drinks or food. They don’t care!

Dh did it years ago (before we had kids). Because he thinks the warnings don’t relate to him 🤷🏻‍♀️ .(same reason he’s run out of fuel twice!!🤬)

They could’ve been travelling back to enable their key worker partners attend work.

Why are you desperately trying to come up with scenarios which justify it? There is no way that everyone on the M62 last night was either a police officer/nurse or the partner of a police officer/nurse.

People never think it applies to them do they. Must be so frustrating for the emergency services

I think lots of us have lived through various weather warnings that don't come to pass or are much less severe than expected.

If people have a job to do, then I can understand them loading up their 4x4 and thinking that it probably wont be that bad.

Even if they're just stupid, I still feel sorry for them being stuck in such miserable conditions.

Also depends on employer's attitudes. Mine very firmly told us that if travel was in any doubt due to the snow then they didn't want us out there, please WFH and cancel travel.

I've had previous employers who want you to 'make every effort' to attend work during snow and expect you to use annual leave if you can't make it.

It’s not just essential workers that need to go to work though.

If your job can’t be done from home, then you can’t just decide not to go in because there might be snow, that’s not how jobs work.

Do not travel eh, if only it was that simple. You sound like the sort of person that would kick off if there weren't any Doctors and nurses to treat you because, well they've been told not to travel!

I think there's an element of the boy who cried wolf with weather warnings.

So many have turned in to an over-exaggeration, people just don't believe it will be as bad as they warn, and assume they'll be OK. Plus people buy 4 wheel drive cars thinking they can magically drive on snow. They may be better than a 2 wheel drive car, but it's not a guarantee it will work.

I remember this snow from 2009 - it was forecast, but no-one expected the sheer volume that dumped - John Lewis Sleepover

You don't need to be an essential worker to need to work. Lots of people wouldn't be paid for an absence so they risk it.

YANBU. Last time there was heavy snow in my area and many accidents / overnight queues of traffic etc, everyone I know continued with their plans and ignored the snow. This included going to non-essential business meetings that were also being held on zoom, going to see Christmas lights, going to a show etc. Some got stuck, most were lucky, but none of them should have been on the roads. Not least as some people are essential workers and doctors can get to hospital a lot faster if there isn’t a bunch of sightseers clogging up the motorway.

Part of the problem is, of course, bad leadership. My friends were all the mood that ‘only a wuss would stay home, it’s just a bit of snow.’ They were in that mood because there was then so much “Don’t be lazy or scared, get back into the office” messaging from eg ReesMogg.

The Tories have never understood the dangers of emotive public messaging. When you tell people “Don’t be lazy or scared, go to work” you don’t just get civil servants returning to their desks you also get people driving overnight through snowdrifts.

It does my head in. I'm an essential worker and I'm prepared for bad weather as I've a Land Rover with snow tyres. This morning was like a slalom course driving around all the abandoned vehicles. I live in a hilly and exposed part of the Pennines and people seem to think their Ford Fiesta will get through 4 inches of snow and up a 1:3 incline🙄

Errm you're forgetting the "unless essential" bit. Some people have no option. Also, some people don't listen to the news either so wouldn't have known!

Ok, so everyone out on that motorway was either entirely cut off from all news and social media sources, or absolutely had to be going to work at night.

And/or it's the forecasters fault, because forecasting isn't an exact science and it should be damn it.

Yanbu. I left work early years ago for a red snow warning. I was at home and safe by tea-time. Whereas my horrible boss who thought I was making a fuss was stuck in traffic until 1am. How I laughed.
Checking the weather forecast two or three times a day is basic adulting IMO.

Also depends on employer's attitudes. Mine very firmly told us that if travel was in any doubt due to the snow then they didn't want us out there, please WFH and cancel travel.

Of course some employers have doubled down on refusing WFH.

I’m not desperate.I don’t care. Those are possibilities. It takes a nanosecond to realise that.

They’re adults and made their decision. You don’t care. So what? Why do you think that matters. at all. You sound full of yourself tbh.

Some might be worried about their stranded families and this is the best you come up with?! Poor taste tbh ( No one in my home would do that. Thank God but you sound awfully nasty)

Being keyworker doesn't mean you should set off for work regardless of whether you can safely get there.

Working in a hospital during a similar big snowstorm, lots of staff couldn't get in. We just had to manage the best we could without them. Routine things were postponed to free up staff for emergency and essential care.

Some staff were inventive, one doctor walked in wearing snow shoes, another on skis, some slept over rather than attempt the journey home, some got lifts in with farmers or neighbours with better vehicles.

Saying "I've got to try" and getting stuck on a road in an inadequate vehicle helps nobody, blocks the road to those with better vehicles, and creates more work for other emergency services!

There was no expectation that all staff would attempt to get to work.

Wasn’t it Kim in that article who also got off the M62 because conditions were so bad and thought she’d try the back roads over the moors instead……aye cos they’re going to be so much better 🙄