View Full Version : Do you clear the snow?
timwilky
05-01-10, 05:17 PM
I live on a hill, every year people struggle to drive up it when ever it snows.
For some reason despite 20+ years of asking we do not qualify for a salt bin and I normally end up walking with the wheel barrow to other roads that do qualify. Alas this year the bins locally are empty
I clear the snow as in previous years my car has been hit by sliding cars, my neighbour and two others also clear it. the other 30 or so households seem content to rev at 10000rpm and spin their tyres.
I grew up having to clear the drive in the 60s so my dad could get his car in out and it seems normal for me to do it.
Am I unusual? Nobody was able to leave my little cul de sac this morning due to a 3 car smash down the hill from me. If the neighbours all did the bits outside their houses there would be no trouble
maviczap
05-01-10, 05:23 PM
Am I unusual? Nobody was able to leave my little cul de sac this morning due to a 3 car smash down the hill from me. If the neighbours all did the bits outside their houses there would be no trouble
They expect the council to grit every road and pathway, rather than get off their asses and have a bit of comunity spirit.
They'll be the moaning mini's on the TV saying 'I'm furious with the council for not griting my back alleyway' and sueing them because they slipped over.
Usless c*8t's all of them
Filipe M.
05-01-10, 05:27 PM
Where's the "I live in Portugal's Atlantic Coast, we haven't seen decent snow in years!!" option? 8-[
Nope I dont bother. My car is fairly light so a gentle foot gets you through most things.
I was in Crewe today and had to get back to chesterfield EVERY road was closed to get home... A66/A57/A54/A537, you would think they could at least keep one of the passes over the peak district open, the only alternatives were 3hr diversions. lol I chanced the A537 and got home in an hour.
Spiderman
05-01-10, 05:30 PM
If everyone did it then it'd make life easy. Ah the joys of the breakdown of a community spirit. :roll:
I live on a hill and there's this grumpy git and a couple of other neighbours who do it for us :p
We clear a little bit outside our house as it's on a hill and we like to be able to get traction in our little bit to build momentum to get up the rest of the hill. Neighbours do nothing.
At the same time as moaning that the Council Tax they pay is way too high, it's not right, etc etc.
I'm not sure of the details but my local paper had an article basically saying that road and pavement gritting was down to the County Council. The local (borough) council had to wait for legal, insurance, indemnity, before salting/gritting roads and pavements. As soon as they had the go ahead they did it.
Mind you, I have some sympathy with the local letter writer who pointed out that we are quick to moan about the 'Nanny' state, but soon start bleating when they don't clear 'our' little road. Tim, I remember when we all did our bit to clear some of the stuff.
@Messie - The County Councils are near enough always the highway authority throughout the UK and therefore responsible for gritting the roads. Joe Blogs doesn't normally know this and it makes me laugh when people moan at the parish council etc, when all they can really do it then moan at the CC.
Yeah, that's what the article was saying. Don't moan at the local lot, it's the County ones who are responsible. But people like to moan at someone
I wouldn't bother
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3453039.stm
speedplay
05-01-10, 05:54 PM
The council round here dont grit any of the roads into this estate or on the bus route to the school.
All the residents get together and do it ourselves.
The Mgt Co of the private estate on which I live has removed the grit bins as they have been advised by lawyers that it would make them liable. It's a total crock...
maviczap
05-01-10, 06:00 PM
The council round here dont grit any of the roads into this estate or on the bus route to the school.
All the residents get together and do it ourselves.
Thats cos you're all related :p
Runs for cover from approaching snowball
There is people clearing the snow here... Whilst it Is still heavily snowing! With lots more due over night.
I think I officially count as snowed in as the front bumper has become a snow plow and I would have to clear 500m of road to get out, got 1ft and counting now
speedplay
05-01-10, 06:01 PM
Thats cos you're all related :p
Runs for cover from approaching snowball
Not round here mate, they dont know who the fathers are!
It gets worse, I'm a Devon boy....now wheres my sister gone....
maviczap
05-01-10, 06:02 PM
Yeah, that's what the article was saying. Don't moan at the local lot, it's the County ones who are responsible. But people like to moan at someone
Yep, I saw one on the BBC news at luchtime moaning because she'd trashed her car down a hilly black ice covered back road :rolleyes:
maviczap
05-01-10, 06:06 PM
1.Not round here mate, they dont know who the fathers are!
2.It gets worse, I'm a Devon boy....now wheres my sister gone....
1. That's true Rob
2.Yes, you Westo's have some quaint local customs ;)
We haven't got any snow to clear. True.
Yep clear my drive and a bit of the public path/road :) but only enough to be able to get the bike in/out once this fr**king snow melts enough so I can get out :smt092 Neighbours do nowt :rolleyes:
Quiff Wichard
05-01-10, 06:58 PM
Nope I dont bother. My car is fairly light so a gentle foot gets you through most things.
I was in Crewe today and had to get back to chesterfield EVERY road was closed to get home... A66/A57/A54/A537, you would think they could at least keep one of the passes over the peak district open, the only alternatives were 3hr diversions. lol I chanced the A537 and got home in an hour.
stuck in crewe- stay at ours.
Fizzy Fish
05-01-10, 09:34 PM
It's an interesting point you raise Mr Wilky.
I read an article the other day about 'how we used to cope with snow 50 yrs ago' or something, and the contrast with today's behaviour and expectations was really surprising.
Before reading it, I'd also slipped into the mindset of wandering why the council couldn't do a better job at keeping or roads clear, etc. The article did change my perspective a bit, and I'd be much more inclined to get stuck in clearing stuff myself now (we always did as kids anyway)
That said I also like the idea of being snowed in so I can go out and play :smt026
And I'm not sure how much good it would be if my bit of pavement/road was clear and the rest of the road wasn't! :lol:
yorkie_chris
05-01-10, 09:41 PM
At the same time as moaning that the Council Tax they pay is way too high, it's not right, etc etc.
Seems fair, you pay a fortune you expect service. Pay a fair tax and clear your own road :-P
The bloke who lives in one of the other house's that share the same court yard is doing it while building a snowman with his mates (I'd say they are all late 20's) However they where building the snowman right in the middle of the courtyard...... drew has kindly gone out and said whilst it is great what you are doing could you move the snowman over there to the bit that none of us use as one of us will need to drive thought the poor man to get out!
fizzwheel
05-01-10, 09:44 PM
Nope, mind you we do have a 4 wheel drive, if I cant get that out, then f*ck it nobody is going to get out anyway. I got mobbed the other morning by our neighbours wanting lifts into town, they waited till I was scraping the ice of the Maverick and then blagged a lift, I have no problem with that. I'd rather give them a lift, than spend hours outside digging the road out.
I do remember my dad and neighbours digging the road out when I was a kid though, but we havent had snow that bad around here for many many years.
i used to make money clearing paths in the 'richer peoples places' when i was a kid. i made quite a lot of money doing it. the neighbours would see next door getting cleared and had to get theirs done. it was not without it's fights though as it attracted kids from all over doing the same thing.
i was popular though coz i would walk with my shovel in front of me to clear the public footpath as i went.
svdemon
05-01-10, 09:46 PM
The Mgt Co of the private estate on which I live has removed the grit bins as they have been advised by lawyers that it would make them liable. It's a total crock...
Welcome to modern Britain! Don't ya just love it?!
ridelikeaturtle
05-01-10, 10:12 PM
When I lived in Colorado, households would get fined if snow and ice hadn't been cleared from the sidewalk directly in front of your house within 24hrs.
Once people start seeing govt as a business and not a charity, and govt starts passing more responsibility onto the people, these things get sorted out "by the people, for the people". There has to be a balance between what the govt does for us, and what we should do for ourselves.
When I lived in Colorado, households would get fined if snow and ice hadn't been cleared from the sidewalk directly in front of your house within 24hrs.
thats whats called a tax on the people when it snows m8.
the_runt69
05-01-10, 10:20 PM
Dont need to do the road as the council git it but always clear the pavements outside my house so people dont slip over, everybody did this when I was young now only a few seem to bother.#
Dont need to do the road as the council git it but always clear the pavements outside my house so people dont slip over, everybody did this when I was young now only a few seem to bother.#
i deliberately pour water so i can watch them fall over... :smt037
I was surprised to learn that snow chains fo your car can be found for only £40 a pair.
I'm surprised no one seems to have them.
The trick is to live on the top of the hill.
No-one's car's going to be able to slid into you. Job done. Screw everyone else!
;o)
Can I get them for my bike?
I was surprised to learn that snow chains for your car can be found for only £40 a pair.
I'm surprised no one seems to have them.
ridelikeaturtle
05-01-10, 10:27 PM
thats whats called a tax on the people when it snows m8.
Whatever you want to call it, it got the snow cleared. Responsibility lay with those directly affected. Yes, it's a tax, like tax on petrol: only people driving cars (and buying petrol) have to pay.
And nobody complained because it worked.
I don't know what the radio and TV is like in the UK, but in Ireland there's a loud cry about "who's responsible", and it annoys the **** out of me. The minister of transport? The local councils? The road safety authority? "Anyone else", apparently.
Blame "mother nature" if you want to. But people should clear their own sidewalks; crying and waiting for "the council" to do it for you is pathetic.
dirtydog
05-01-10, 11:12 PM
A few years ago when I lived on a hill no one including myself could get out of our road. Tried going up the hill and got nowhere and didn't want to risk going down the hill as there was a bend at the bottom and I didn't want to end up in someones living room! I phone the council moaned that the nearest grit bin was about 1/2 a mile away so that evening when I got home I found a brand new grit box right outside my house!
When we had the snow last week our road was really slippery and because the sun wasn't getting to bits of it it stayed that way until I went to Wickes and bought a 25kg bag of grit and gritted most of the road with it
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