IIRC, last year when there was a wee bit of ice down South, there were entire documentaries with dramatic titles like 'the day Britain froze solid and everyone panic bought 200 loaves of seeded batch and then died.'
As far as I can see, everyone's just getting on with it round here.
The difference is that areas that rarely see snow are not kitted out for it. Last winter was the first time I had seen snow that lasted weeks, down here we usually get a flurry that doesn't settle about once in four years. If you don't normally get snow, you don't have the provisions when it catches you out.
IIRC, last year when there was a wee bit of ice down South, there were entire documentaries with dramatic titles like 'the day Britain froze solid and everyone panic bough 200 loaves of seeded batch and then died.'
As far as I can see, everyone's just getting on with it round here.
We are fairly used to snow where I am and don't usually make the news but we have been on the main news bulletins regularly this year for some reason.
I'd love to be able to carry on regardless in the snow, but I don't drive so sometimes it's not up to me.
I work quite a distance from where I live and it's not possible to walk there, and the buses are absolutely unreliable as soon as a drop of snows hits the ground. There's no telling if they're going to show up or not. I do make the effort to go to work, because I can't afford to lose my job but it's not great sitting there all day unaware if you're going to get home or not.
Hopefully after the shambles earlier this year, the council/travel companies will be better prepared this year.
IIRC, last year when there was a wee bit of ice down South, there were entire documentaries with dramatic titles like 'the day Britain froze solid and everyone panic bought 200 loaves of seeded batch and then died.'
As far as I can see, everyone's just getting on with it round here.
You can only use them where there is snow or snow/ice. They are not designed for tarmac. Best used to get you off estates etc on to treated roads. They will tear if they are used on tarmac.
That's really why I doubt how useful they'd be, for me at least.
I live in a village that's about three miles off a main trunk road. Last winter the first three mile stretch was snowy, but the main road was then usually clear apart from patches of black ice. I don't think I would have bothered to put on Snow Socks for a few miles only to have to take them off minutes later.
On New Year's Day I drove about 120 miles from here in south-west Scotland over to the other side of the country. There was snow and ice all around, but the main roads were generally clear apart from fairly short stretches that had slush and patchy snow — again, probably not very suitable conditions for for Snow Socks. If I'd gone onto the side roads, though, Snow Socks would probably have been very useful, but I'm not sure that we often have road conditions that would justify them. Of course, if I lived further out in the country, then they might have proved extremely helpful last winter. At the moment, though, I think I'll save my money.
How durable are Snow Socks? Would they last for several years or wear out after a season?
As somebody else said, they're not supposed to be a substitute for snow-chains or studded tyres.
They're designed for situations where you find yourself in trouble because of snow.
You should really only use them at town speeds too. Belting along a dual carriageway at 60mph while using them isn't a good idea.
Even so, I've had mine since I was forced to buy them for my MR2 and, for the money, they're bloody brilliant.
I've used them every year since then, at some point, and they're still fine.
The thing is, you'll put them on as the result of a snow-fall and then, every time you use your car, you need to evaluate whether it's still appropriate to leave them on.
If you're lazy and you leave them on even though the road is clearing then you will wreck them but if you take them off when you should they'll last well.
I used to live in the Scottish Borders. Every November we exchanged our car tyres for winter tyres (studded in our case), and swapped back to normal in April. In 7 years living up there, I can only recall once that we were unable to drive, and that was when the snow had drifted so badly we were living upstairs due to snow covering all the windows downstairs!
Why oh why don't the Gov't make an advice advert for people to do this every year? It's not like it's an expensive thing to do, you are getting more wear from your summer tyres while using the winter ones - 2 sets of tyres will last like, well, 2 sets of tyres!
The other 'magic' trick was to load a couple of breeze blocks into your boot to give the car better grip, and if having trouble going uphill - do it in reverse, it will normally work.
I get fed up seeing schools closing down, people unable to get to work, stockpiling foods at the first snowflake. Finland never stops, nor do the Swiss Alps - come on Britain - "Get a Grip" - in both senses of the phrase!
I still never forget being in Austria one winter and hearing our hosts big belly laughter watching sky news when everything was falling apart here due to a bit of snow.
This was in the mid 90's so nothing changes.
Schools around us have either not opened today or closed at lunchtime, in case the poor little darlings get snowed in and can't get home (that's kids and teachers!:D)
If we had a few feet of snow I could understand it, but we haven't. Maybe an inch and rapidly thawing when the sun was out earlier (just as kids were leaving to go home:rolleyes:)
If we had terrible road conditions I could understand it, but we haven't. All public transport is running normally.
If all the kids came in from huge distances I could understand it but they don't. Most of them live within walking distance.
The joke is the school day is getting shorter & shorter these days with many finishing at 2.30 or 3pm. so it's not like kids are struggling to get home in snowdrifts in the dark.
I'm amazed how many people haven't turned up for work at my place.I live further away than most of them and I've had to walk in.Some people are just too lazy and don't give a toss.
We use to have this happen as well. People who lived miles away use to make it in through the snow yet the few who lived closest used every excuse going as to why the couldn't get in.
Last year local schools closed not because no one could get in but on health and safety grounds as they didn't have enough ground staff to clear the paths. Everyone having not long dropped their kids off were not best pleased to be called back in mid morning to pick them up again.
I'd love to be able to carry on regardless in the snow, but I don't drive so sometimes it's not up to me.
I work quite a distance from where I live and it's not possible to walk there, and the buses are absolutely unreliable as soon as a drop of snows hits the ground. There's no telling if they're going to show up or not. I do make the effort to go to work, because I can't afford to lose my job but it's not great sitting there all day unaware if you're going to get home or not.Hopefully after the shambles earlier this year, the council/travel companies will be better prepared this year.
Why should you NOT get home? I remember working in a city in the Midlands but living 10 miles outside in the country. We left work at 5pm as normal and it had been snowing heavily for hours. We got just outside the city and there were huge snowdrifts forming. The car just couldn't cope. We found a farm gateway and had to leave it. We had coats and just grabbed the stinky old dog blankets we had in the boot and wrapped ourselves in them.
There were no streetlights and no houses for miles and obviously no other traffic. It was totally pitch black. We were frozen and got home many hours later but we did GET home.
Do you not have a local colleague that could put you up?
Are you mad? We're talking about going to work, mainly ...... that same 'work' that will declare you redundant come March, no matter how many medals you awarded yourself for Struggling In :-)
- - -
PS Can someone refresh my memory? How many ski resorts ARE there, in the South-East of England?
Why should you NOT get home? I remember working in a city in the Midlands but living 10 miles outside in the country. We left work at 5pm as normal and it had been snowing heavily for hours. We got just outside the city and there were huge snowdrifts forming. The car just couldn't cope. We found a farm gateway and had to leave it. We had coats and just grabbed the stinky old dog blankets we had in the boot and wrapped ourselves in them.
There were no streetlights and no houses for miles and obviously no other traffic. It was totally pitch black. We were frozen and got home many hours later but we did GET home.
Well done. I'd rather not go at all, rather than trek home for hours in the freezing cold.
Are you mad? We're talking about going to work, mainly ...... that same 'work' that will declare you redundant come March, no matter how many medals you awarded yourself for Struggling In :-)
However when they are choosing between two people for one roll, are they really going to favour the slacker that skives off at the first sign of a snowflake?
Comments
As far as I can see, everyone's just getting on with it round here.
We are fairly used to snow where I am and don't usually make the news but we have been on the main news bulletins regularly this year for some reason.
I work quite a distance from where I live and it's not possible to walk there, and the buses are absolutely unreliable as soon as a drop of snows hits the ground. There's no telling if they're going to show up or not. I do make the effort to go to work, because I can't afford to lose my job but it's not great sitting there all day unaware if you're going to get home or not.
Hopefully after the shambles earlier this year, the council/travel companies will be better prepared this year.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-11856694
Winter wussies clearly are everywhere!
I live in a village that's about three miles off a main trunk road. Last winter the first three mile stretch was snowy, but the main road was then usually clear apart from patches of black ice. I don't think I would have bothered to put on Snow Socks for a few miles only to have to take them off minutes later.
On New Year's Day I drove about 120 miles from here in south-west Scotland over to the other side of the country. There was snow and ice all around, but the main roads were generally clear apart from fairly short stretches that had slush and patchy snow — again, probably not very suitable conditions for for Snow Socks. If I'd gone onto the side roads, though, Snow Socks would probably have been very useful, but I'm not sure that we often have road conditions that would justify them. Of course, if I lived further out in the country, then they might have proved extremely helpful last winter. At the moment, though, I think I'll save my money.
At the moment it's cold, but really sunny and bright.
Not much need to prepare for snow here as it just doesn't happen.
As somebody else said, they're not supposed to be a substitute for snow-chains or studded tyres.
They're designed for situations where you find yourself in trouble because of snow.
You should really only use them at town speeds too. Belting along a dual carriageway at 60mph while using them isn't a good idea.
Even so, I've had mine since I was forced to buy them for my MR2 and, for the money, they're bloody brilliant.
I've used them every year since then, at some point, and they're still fine.
The thing is, you'll put them on as the result of a snow-fall and then, every time you use your car, you need to evaluate whether it's still appropriate to leave them on.
If you're lazy and you leave them on even though the road is clearing then you will wreck them but if you take them off when you should they'll last well.
I still never forget being in Austria one winter and hearing our hosts big belly laughter watching sky news when everything was falling apart here due to a bit of snow.
This was in the mid 90's so nothing changes.
If we had a few feet of snow I could understand it, but we haven't. Maybe an inch and rapidly thawing when the sun was out earlier (just as kids were leaving to go home:rolleyes:)
If we had terrible road conditions I could understand it, but we haven't. All public transport is running normally.
If all the kids came in from huge distances I could understand it but they don't. Most of them live within walking distance.
The joke is the school day is getting shorter & shorter these days with many finishing at 2.30 or 3pm. so it's not like kids are struggling to get home in snowdrifts in the dark.
We truly are a nation of wusses!:rolleyes:
Last year local schools closed not because no one could get in but on health and safety grounds as they didn't have enough ground staff to clear the paths. Everyone having not long dropped their kids off were not best pleased to be called back in mid morning to pick them up again.
Why should you NOT get home? I remember working in a city in the Midlands but living 10 miles outside in the country. We left work at 5pm as normal and it had been snowing heavily for hours. We got just outside the city and there were huge snowdrifts forming. The car just couldn't cope. We found a farm gateway and had to leave it. We had coats and just grabbed the stinky old dog blankets we had in the boot and wrapped ourselves in them.
There were no streetlights and no houses for miles and obviously no other traffic. It was totally pitch black. We were frozen and got home many hours later but we did GET home.
So you had the same problem last year, and it's the council's fault?
Don't get me wrong, I've had problems in the past when I moved job and I had a significant commute to get there, then the snow disrupted it.
I never had the problem the following year however because I either a) moved or b) made arrangements to stay close to work in the event of snow.
Do you not have a local colleague that could put you up?
- - -
PS Can someone refresh my memory? How many ski resorts ARE there, in the South-East of England?
Well done. I'd rather not go at all, rather than trek home for hours in the freezing cold.
However when they are choosing between two people for one roll, are they really going to favour the slacker that skives off at the first sign of a snowflake?