SNOW

Ha ha so much snow in UK, really haven't seen this much snow for ages. Will upload pics soon.

hybridfan said:

Ha ha so much snow in UK, really haven't seen this much snow for ages. Will upload pics soon.

I've seen worse, much worse... back in 1970's...

The problems in the UK are exacerbated because people think the government should grit and salt and clean all the roads... and that unlike the rest of Europe, people don't have the common sense to use snow tyres (tires...)



It's absolutely lamentable how the British mentality means everything stops after one inch of slush accumulates on the roads... airports, schools, buses, trains... and to top it all we don't have enough gas to meet demand... so we're having to import more at a considerable premium from Europe (which means Russia in truth...)

I've spent several entire winters at minus twenty degrees celcius, or colder, and the local Russian infrastructure coped just fine... the UK's skills at coping are all but non-existent

Although the Swiss Alps aren't as cold I've also over-wintered there, and like the Russians... they take it in their stride - even when conditions are drastically more dire than the UK's present weather pattern...

Qdos said:

I've spent several entire winters at minus twenty degrees celcius, or colder, and the local Russian infrastructure coped just fine... the UK's skills at coping are all but non-existent

Although the Swiss Alps aren't as cold I've also over-wintered there, and like the Russians... they take it in their stride - even when conditions are drastically more dire than the UK's present weather pattern...

This kind of thing makes me cross - why be so negative? It's not "coping skills" that are lacking but the infrastructural requirements.

Sure, we could have snowploughs on standby all over the country and snow tyres piled up in our sheds just in case we get another once in 25 years severe weather event, but do you think that is a sensible use of resources? Sheesh.

Have some respect for your fellow citizens, give them some credit and hey maybe we'll all be in a better place. I lived in the US, in an area where severe winter weather happened every year, and I had snow tyres ready to go. Now I live in the UK and I don't, and the reason for that is that like everyone else I have decided that to do so would be a waste of valuable resources.

DarkXeno said:

Im going to say this because it makes me laugh and really ticks off the ladies here at work that think its going to end the world....

Wheres this Global Warming thing I keep hearing about ???

The scientists call it "climate change." Noticed any climate change? Has that caused any mind change?

This whole business of laughing off climate change, spurred on by oil companies, is very reminiscent of the way the tobacco companies argued for many years that cigarette smoking was good for you. That wasn't true; the scientists, not the oil companies, are saying that climate change is real and potentially catastrophic. Shall we wait for the ugly and tragic consequences again, or should we allow the possibility that as before vested interests are trying to distort the truth?

clunkfish said:

Qdos said:

I've spent several entire winters at minus twenty degrees celcius, or colder, and the local Russian infrastructure coped just fine... the UK's skills at coping are all but non-existent

This kind of thing makes me cross - why be so negative? It's not "coping skills" that are lacking but the infrastructural requirements.

Really? So you're familiar with the, say, Russian infrastructure? Interesting... because the majority of snow clearing and road works in that nation are undertaken by women who're paid peanuts and are forced to work 12-15 hour shifts in dreadful conditions, with heavy emphasis on manual labour - however, that aside, snow tyres on public transport, plough blades on some buses... and similar tyres on private vehicles keeps the roads open and the schools and factories running normally...

clunkfish said:

Sure, we could have snowploughs on standby all over the country and snow tyres piled up in our sheds just in case we get another once in 25 years severe weather event, but do you think that is a sensible use of resources? Sheesh.

Did I advocate that? Not sure where LOL! However the damage to the UK economy runs at around £75 million each day things grind to a virtual halt. People die of exposure and through accidents that wouldn't happen if their vehicles were able to keep moving... and, as you rightly say, they'd only have to swap tyres for a short period in our winter - so they'd find a set of snow tyres would last them many years...

Perhaps you'd like to propose how the UK can stock enough rock salt in depots all around the country, with sufficient numbers of salt-gritting vehicles, and plenty of manpower to clear every route - even when a great many of those routes are perfectly navigible using studded tyres...

clunkfish said:

Have some respect for your fellow citizens, give them some credit and hey maybe we'll all be in a better place. I lived in the US, in an area where severe winter weather happened every year, and I had snow tyres ready to go. Now I live in the UK and I don't, and the reason for that is that like everyone else I have decided that to do so would be a waste of valuable resources.

I do have respect, and by suggesting ways to reduce losses in terms of both lives and the economy I take the view that my thoughts must equate to you believing that the Russians, Swiss, French, Germans, Austrians and Italians - amongst others - must all have some ridiculous kind of philosophy?

Odd then, wouldn't you say, how they fair so much better than we seem to!