How other countries handle snow/ice

T

truthseeker

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I was talking to a Scottish friend over the weekend. He tells me that in his parents estate in Scotland (and all over estates in Scotland) there are 'bins' through out the streets marked 'Grit' that the local authorities fill up and when conditions are icy the residents help themselves (its a mix of grit and salt) and use it on their estate roads. The main roads are looked after by the local authorities.

He is a bit bemused at the state of estates in this country (its like off roading trying to get through mine at the moment).

Anyone else hear of how things are handled elsewhere?
 
My neighbour mentioned something similar in use in Vienna.

Communities need to act locally. Though, judging my the inactivity of several of my neighbours at the weekends, if they can't be bother to clear the path outside their own house ..
 
The community grit would great.

Guarantee someone would try and make a claim though "oh I fell...not because it was icy but because of the the way Mr Murphy applied the grit" I'm not even joking.

Having spoken to Swedish colleagues though this apparent lack of preparation generally is not unique to us - you would think the Swedes would have it sussed but they regularly have their problems too seemingly.
 
I have heard of instances where grit was left in estates and where it was subsequently stolen.

Hard to believe, but true.
 
yeah - our au pair is from vienna and she finds it pretty amusing that the schools etc have been closed. she can't understand what all the fuss is about. I've given up trying to explain to her that we, as a country, are just not prepared for this type of prolonged icy/snowy weather.

majee
 
I also heard the same from a Swede back in January, he said Stockholm was at a standstill, not because they are unprepared for snow but because they got more than was expected and the normal measures weren't enough.
 
Compo culture has people terrified.
Even if it's been cleared up and many it ridiculous, I'd understand why people won't start gritting outside their house
 
I read this article yesterday from last year.

[broken link removed]
 
CMCR said:
I have heard of instances where grit was left in estates and where it was subsequently stolen.

Hard to believe, but true.
Click to expand...

Unbelievable!

The main roads are fine (the ones I use anyway) but any estate Ive been in is lethal - mine is a knuckle whitening joyride on off road type conditions while trying to weave between the abandoned cars parked on each side of the narrow roads!
 
Caveat said:
Guarantee someone would try and make a claim though "oh I fell...not because it was icy but because of the the way Mr Murphy applied the grit" I'm not even joking.
Click to expand...

There is no solicitor or barrister in the land who would take that case. Solicitors and barristers are highly trained professionals who receive extensive training in professional ethics and they would be procluded from taking a compo case that was based only on ambulance chasing. Shame on you, Caveat, for even suggesting such a thing.
 
Talking to my B in Law this evening and he was telling me that at his place in Switzerland today he had 50cm of snow in front of his garage door, behind which was his snowblower which he had to get out to clear the driveway which aslo had 50cm of snow on it. Had me in stitches!
 
Slash said:
There is no solicitor or barrister in the land who would take that case. Solicitors and barristers are highly trained professionals who receive extensive training in professional ethics and they would be procluded from taking a compo case that was based only on ambulance chasing. Shame on you, Caveat, for even suggesting such a thing.
Click to expand...

I would have thought there would be many solicitors and barristers willing to take up a case like this. I would not associate professional ethics with anybody in the legal profession.
 
Polish girl in my office laughed at us - not cos we're so bad at clearing things but because we beat ourselves up - she says they're just as bad at clearing it up in Poland. I find that hard to believe!
 
For a start, winter tyres / winter gear (snowchains, etc.) are mandatory equipment for all vehicles in most if not in all continental European countries. Then, all city and county councils (or equivalent) have snowploughs (sp?) which are operating round the clock in weather like this. They also grit the roads as they go along. Smaller and estate roads are cleared by either by the council (if they are done clearing all priority roads) or the residents. This is an example from Bosnia in 1998, two years after the war finished there.

I was shocked to see that most of my neighbours haven't even cleared the snow from in front of their own doors, never mind footpaths or the road.
 
Leper said:
I would have thought there would be many solicitors and barristers willing to take up a case like this. I would not associate professional ethics with anybody in the legal profession.
Click to expand...

Whoosh.....
Well that went straight over your head
 
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