Icy Walkways!!!! GRRRRRRRRRRR...

I don't agree with that part, but I do agree that it's a pain in the neck when it gets this cold. But in a way I can see where councils are coming from - in reality this only happens a couple of times a year and so it's questionable as to how much money needs to be invested in it. This is the first time in 6 years that I can remember ice lasting more than a day - and usually people can manage a day or two without having to go out. It's extra inconvenient this year since it's so close to Christmas and people have so many things that they really need to do....

The Highways Agency haven't gritted the road out of our village - just put up a sign warning that it's slippery.... And that I find HIGHLY annoying.

A sign warning its slippery? Wonder if those two girls in heels would take notice of that?  I feel like I'm in the 'Twilight Zone' here in UK at times! Been here 11 years and I still am amazed at the way things are done here. Completely opposite of what they do in the States.

Really think I am going to stat a trend and get a shovel for the next time, our whole street is iced over.

I know!  This time of year in the US all the hardware stores (all the ones that are left, anyway that Walmart hasn't put out of business  ) have big displays of shovels and ice scraper things and big bags of salt outside their shops.  And they usually can't keep salt in stock long enough, so people start using kitty litter!

I'm a veteran of 39 years of New York City winters, so I'm also still shocked by the fact that the snow just sits there.

Here in York, the streets are clear in front of shops, but nobody clears snow in front of houses, so you can't get to the shops.

It's bizarre. People are immobilised by maybe two inches of snow, whereas in New York you would get two or three feet of snow and there would be clear paths for you to walk wherever you want to go and life would go on as normal.

There is no point in people here shoveling, though, because the roads are so narrow that there is nowhere to put the snow, unless the Council sent around trucks to pick it up and dump it somewhere, which isn't going to happen.

About the heels, though, it is actually easier to walk on ice in heels than in flats - less friction (assuming that you are already comfortable walking in heels).

  And they usually can't keep salt in stock long enough, so people start using kitty litter!

I used to have trouble finding kitty litter to use as kitty litter!

It's bizarre. People are immobilised by maybe two inches of snow, whereas in New York you would get two or three feet of snow and there would be clear paths for you to walk wherever you want to go and life would go on as normal.

I know!  Totally immobilized by not much more than 2 inches of snow!  My manager came in huffing and puffing that her car was snowed in and abandoned the other day after we got not much more than one inch. 

There is no point in people here shoveling, though, because the roads are so narrow that there is nowhere to put the snow, unless the Council sent around trucks to pick it up and dump it somewhere, which isn't going to happen.

Disagree.  There are plenty of tiny streets in Philly and NYC that get shovelled.  Streets with no front lawns, but people manage to at least clear a narrow walkway with the snow on the edge of that.  Not hard to do at all when we're only talking about a couple inches of snow.

About the heels, though, it is actually easier to walk on ice in heels than in flats - less friction (assuming that you are already comfortable walking in heels).

Hmmmmm, will have to disagree here again.  Hiking boots over heels any day on ice!

Disagree.  There are plenty of tiny streets in Philly and NYC that get shovelled.  Streets with no front lawns, but people manage to at least clear a narrow walkway with the snow on the edge of that.  Not hard to do at all when we're only talking about a couple inches of snow.

There are pavements in York that are so narrow that two people can't walk side by side without bumping each other. When two people pass, one  has to step aside and walk in the road.

And roads so narrow that two cars can't drive by in opposite directions - one has to back up and wait for the other one to pass (the street I used to live on was like this) - and cars have to park with two wheels on the pavement or else no cars would be able to drive down the road.

There are pavements in York that are so narrow that two people can't walk side by side without bumping each other. When two people pass, one  has to step aside and walk in the road.

And roads so narrow that two cars can't drive by in opposite directions - one has to back up and wait for the other one to pass (the street I used to live on was like this) - and cars have to park with two wheels on the pavement or else no cars would be able to drive down the road.

Sounds like South Philly to me! 

Allentown has an ordinance, or maybe a by-law, that you must have your sidewalk cleared within 12 hours or you can incur a fine.  Sounds good to me.

I hauled out the yak-trax this morning and they worked just fine.  My husband laughed when I brought them with me.  Who's laughing now? 

I hauled out the yak-trax this morning and they worked just fine.  My husband laughed when I brought them with me.  Who's laughing now? 

Ha! I was just suggesting these to my friend in London yesterday! I live in GA and we rarely get snow/icy sidewalks (heck, we hardly have sidewalks!), but it sounds like I might be able to use them in the UK!

They are easy to use and I love them.  They are very helpful if perhaps you always need to run for the bus because you are never out of the house on time.   

Honestly, when there's a layer of ice underneath the snow, I'd much rather that the snow isn't shoveled.  Gives a bit of traction when you're walking.

Honestly, when there's a layer of ice underneath the snow, I'd much rather that the snow isn't shoveled.  Gives a bit of traction when you're walking.

Yeah! But you live in WI! You're used to it! I, on the other hand, am a snow wuss despite loving to play in it!

Colleen - I would love to see you out there shoveling the neighborhood haha

Honestly, when there's a layer of ice underneath the snow, I'd much rather that the snow isn't shoveled.  Gives a bit of traction when you're walking.

#

You're supposed to get up early in the morning and start shoveling before the snow turns to ice.

In New York, people would start shoveling as soon as the first few flakes hit the ground. They didn't wait until the sidewalk became impassable - if they did, they would be fined.

It's interesting what someone said earlier about how in the UK, a homeowner couldn't be sued if someone slipped on a snowy sidewalk that was untouched, but could be sued if they had attempted to remove snow from the sidewalk.

DH once said something about the salt being bad for dogs' paws. In New York, people used to put little booties on their dogs' feet to protect them from the salt.

Hiya!

Haha! I've been having these type's of conversations with all of my USA/Canada relatives and all my ex work colleagues !

A few years ago, 2003 i think, we got something like an inch or maybe 1.5 inches of snow and it's like the end of the civilised world occured in the UK! people abandoned their cars on the motorways, slept in them overnight! this year in Feb, we had that snow that 'shut London down completely' for the day, and this week some more of the same and all this ridiculousness about 'severe' weather - Yes, I am talking from a living in the South East point of view, I know up in Scotland and the North, things are worse than here, but really, UK wise, we get absolutley squat compared to the US and Canada.

Although I've not been in a full on snow storm or seen the 2, 3 feet of snow that happens over there, I just sit and wonder at just how far behind in the UK we are for weather like this. I understand of course it costs money to be 'prepared' and all but surely that amount pales into insigificance when London can be shut down so easily? the amount of revenue lost by one day of shutting the capital down I'd think is much more than the cost of keeping London working?

A news reporter's line in the Febuary news still sticks in my mind and went along the lines of 'surely on the world stage, shutting London down just shows how unprepared we are in regards to this and business fallout, that those companies will invest elsewhere?' - I'm inclinded to agree with that, European countires and large cities get more snow than we do and they get on with it, just like the US and Canada, it's only here in the UK there's half an inch of snow and everyone runs around like headless chickens proclaiming 'servere' weather and 'Weather Terror' - it just doesn't go down well with me when looking at how much better our neighbours and the North Americans cope so easily with 10 times more snowfall.

Generallyit is only larger business that can afford and will grit - householders generally dont bother. Onmy road of about 160 houses, just one person has cleared the pavement in front of their driveway. I'm about to clear mine - would've done it a few days ago but i've been sick!

Cheers DtM! West London & Slough UK!

I found a very old BBC article which says that if you don't shovel the snow in front of your house and someone falls, it's the Council's responsibility, but if you do shovel the snow and someone falls, it becomes your responsibility.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3453039.stm

In New York City, mayoral elections are allegedly won and lost on the basis of how quickly snow gets cleared in a snowstorm.

My first winter in the UK, when I was working for a large company,  it started snowing one day while I was at work. People started going on the internet, checking if their trains would be running.  My manager advised me that, since it would be snowing all day and I had a long walk home, I should leave work early so I could get home safely.

I left as soon as I could, prepared to trudge for over a mile in blizzard-like conditions.

Instead, there were a few flakes drifting down here and there, no wind, sunny and not that cold.  I enjoyed the lovely weather and went shopping.