Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Weather
Original poster

Do people Just Travel for the Fun of it in the snow?

26 replies

Slartybartfast · 03/03/2018 07:18

I doubt that very much?
would you just travel in the snow/bad weather for the fun of it

Only travel if you have to
you have is the mantra.
I spose instead of travelling to the big town for bread, go to your local shop?

Who else could they be referring to?

OP posts:
PurpleDaisies · 03/03/2018 07:21

I think it’s fair enough to tell people not to drive unless it’s absolurely necessary in this weather. I don’t know what your objection is. It helps people under pressure to drive in to work when the conditions are dangerous.

LonginesPrime · 03/03/2018 07:31

It just helps people to make a sensible decision and makes it easier for people who do actually need to travel to be able to do so relatively safely.

Otherwise there would be even more pressure on the emergency services, AA, highways agency, etc from people who had the option of not going anywhere but thought it was fine.

I'd expect to have a weather waning if driving conditions are anything other than normal (i.e. being able to drive freely and safely).

mumonashoestring · 03/03/2018 07:36

There's been at least one 4 hour plus rescue operation over the last couple of days for a family of imbeciles who went for a pleasure drive to look at the pretty snow and got stuck in the drifts. And I remember last time we had serious flooding and there were amber warnings a group of people got stuck in the flood water they'd driven out to have a look at. So yes, people really are that stupid.

Unescorted · 03/03/2018 07:36

We appear to have some people who are coming out in their 4x4 to drive them on the closed road. The police ended up putting a patrol car at the junction. The snow is drifting across a section where a culvert overflows across the road. The water has frozen across the road and is obscured by the drift. It is on a bend with a drop on the other side. So far this week 3 cars and a milk lorry have ended up over the side. Others are abandoned when it got too scary... These people have got out of their cars and moved the barriers to drive up the road. There are other ways around. Now the ploughs can't get around the cars and we have to wait for the snow to melt for the road to reopen.

There was one group loudly taking in the pub about their heroic efforts last night - their car is one of the stuck ones so they were staying the night. They were not popular.

Limer · 03/03/2018 07:43

I live on quite a steep road, and yesterday afternoon a quad bike and an off-road bike were bombing up and down it, for fun. Crazy.

zzzzz · 03/03/2018 07:50

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

nottakenpersonally · 03/03/2018 07:53

Well, I was tempted to go and visit family, as planned previously, but am staying put! DH is convinced it will be fine, and his advanced driving skills will save us Hmm but he has conceded that it's not worth the risk.

Hoppinggreen · 03/03/2018 07:53

My Dad used to, but he was a bit nuts anyway and didn’t like being told what to do - so if it was “don’t travel unless necessary” he used to load us into his ford Anglia with shovels, a flask, my Mum fur coat and the dog and go for a drive out in the country. Don’t remember ever getting stuck
I have a 4x4 and live just outside town but only go out in the snow if vital, I’ve been walking to my local shop for food etc

LynetteScavo · 03/03/2018 07:56

My DS went ten mikes in his fixie bike for fun (to visit a friend) It had taken me 1.5 hours to retrieve him from the same friend the night before....due to two roads being blocked by articulated lorries which had jack-knifed. There are lots of distribution centres in that area. Why were lorries being sent out in that weather? With one lorry, I don't think it was their fault, I think it was a car going to fast in the opposite direction and not far enough over to their side of the road due to drifts. I saw an awful lot of numpty driving.

Anyway, DH & I refused to retrieve DS a second time.

Nickynackynoodle · 03/03/2018 08:03

@lynettescavo lorries have to get out or there would be no deliveries to anywhere... food supply chains have to keep runnng or there would be massive problems.

Twats in their cars who block the roads are the biggest problem.

LittleCandle · 03/03/2018 08:05

Lorry drivers will tell you (a friend is one) that they have to go out to keep the universe turning. How are people going to get food/new cars/tat if the lorries are not allowed to drive wherever they want? Oddly enough, the accidents and blocked roads are usually caused by a huge vehicle that thought the 'don't drive, risk to life' weather warning doesn't apply to them. If the bloody lorries get stuck in the snow, then it doesn't matter what its carrying - its not going to get through and neither is anyone or anything else behind them! Unless you are doing a job like NHS staff or emergency services/power providers, then stay at home!!!

IfYouDontImagineNothingHappens · 03/03/2018 08:05

Yes they do. Heard all sorts of silly things. I'm in Scotland, I'm tempted to get in the car today as it's been in the drive since Tuesday. It will take at least a couple of hours digging to get it out though.

Original poster
Slartybartfast · 03/03/2018 08:08

Is it a sort of Macho thing?

or perhaps these are people who do not get paid if they dont work?

OP posts:
WunWegWunDarWun · 03/03/2018 08:10

Someone was riding a scrambler down our road pulling a girl on a sled behind the other day.

I remember as a teenager going out in my friends car in the snow. He was put purposely trying to skid down really windey country lanes.

WunWegWunDarWun · 03/03/2018 08:11

The thought turns my stomach now.

abbsisspartacus · 03/03/2018 08:12

If i dont go to work I lose my job I'm a single mom of three not turning up is not an option and I live too far away to walk

ChaChaChaCh4nges · 03/03/2018 08:13

I guess a lot depends on what you see as necessary travel. I’m not taking DS1 to extra tuition today although I might well be able to get the car off the drive and down the hill - I prefer not to contribute to packing the snow into ice (possibly a futile gesture...). Someone else might count DS1’s education as too important to miss.

My NDN is a pharmacist and I saw her leave for work this morning - I think she’s splendid.

KathyBeale · 03/03/2018 08:15

What do you do abbs? If you try to get to work and get stuck in the snow would you get sacked? Are companies allowed to sack you if the official advice is don’t travel?

Ifailed · 03/03/2018 08:18

Firstly, people make far more journeys by car now, most of them are not really important but people have become so wedded to their car it's now part of their life. I know plenty of people who will make shortish journeys ( < 2 miles) to go to the shop, to the gym (?), to pick up/drop off kids etc - several times a day.
As to getting to work, plenty of people simply can't afford to lose a day or two's pay and, once again, the idea of driving to and from work is now so normal that people hardly think about it, 'til the car breaks down, road works etc. interfere with their routine.

abbsisspartacus · 03/03/2018 08:28

Just office work but im on 6 months probation being a new starter I have to make an effort there are hundreds of people applying for work in my area they picked me with no experience and I hadn't worked for 17 years due to having kids and being married my husband worked when we split I lost the lot I need to make this job work

Nickynackynoodle · 03/03/2018 08:40

@littlecandle who do you think gets the laundry to and from hospitals? Where does the food come from? Where do firefighters get their fuel and replacement equipment? Where do police cars get new tyres?

It’s not just the front line that has to operate, there’s a huge iceberg of “just in time” activity that has to happen.

LittleCandle · 03/03/2018 08:46

I do know about it @Nickynackynoodle because I actually work in a hospital, although not for the NHS. But the majority of the drivers who got stuck in the snow were not doing essential deliveries.

LynetteScavo · 03/03/2018 08:48

@Nickynackynoodle I get that food lorries want to get out...those distribution centres are located next to the motorway junction; these are smaller warehouses next to A roads with "boring" things. Probably parts for broken boilers or something.

AuntieStella · 03/03/2018 08:49

To echo what that policeman says, I do think people have lost sight of what 'essential' means.

So frontline and key support for emergency services and NHS (which should be designated staff in business continuity plans, and thinks like laundry might have to wait a few days, key workers in social care; key workers other critical national infrastructure, and those who have to tend to livestock.

'just in time' supply chains need to be considered in proper continuity plans, because dislocations for lasting at least 48 hours (and for the best plans, rather longer) need to be withstood.

I think the police need to be a little more strident in their announcements about not travelling.

Ifailed · 03/03/2018 09:07

The Police can't just go about shutting roads, they are public highways. They can issue warnings, if people choose to ignore them so be it.
If you want to move to a situation where certain people have a higher priority than others to drive, and to implement a system of checkpoints & barriers to enforce this, I don't think you'll find much support for the £ billions it would cost to implement and of course everyone insisting they should be given special treatment because they are so important. Presumably you would also be prepared to pay compensation to people for lost earnings and to employers for lost production?

Swipe left for the next trending thread