Misfits, Dad's Army Types et al...
Discussion
yellowjack said:
A particular member of staff may have done other things to have earned your wife's reaction. But otherwise, benefit of the doubt is a good idea here.
I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate w
kers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?
As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
A little bit of self help wouldn't go amiss. You knew the snow was coming and bags of salt are about £7. But no, sit at home because someone else hasn't sorted out the slope leading away from your house.I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate w
kers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
yellowjack said:
A particular member of staff may have done other things to have earned your wife's reaction. But otherwise, benefit of the doubt is a good idea here.
I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate wkers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?
As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
Personally, I’ve always found it easier to clear the snow once it’s been compacted down. You can usually clear the tracks in big slabs quite quickly and get a road cleared. I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate w
kers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
But if a street doesn’t have that one resident who is willing to go door to door to drum up a bit of labour to clear their own street then there isn’t really anything anyone can do other than to make themselves that key person.
In London you used to be able to spot the neighbourly streets that were nice to live on because they were the ones which had been cleared by a group of neighbours.
DonkeyApple said:
Or thinking to spread some grit before someone came along, made the assumption it was being used and nicked it? 
I do spread it most winters when necessary, but I currently have an injury that make weight bearing difficult, painful and not possible during the last week.Zoobeef said:
yellowjack said:
A particular member of staff may have done other things to have earned your wife's reaction. But otherwise, benefit of the doubt is a good idea here.
I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate wkers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?
As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
A little bit of self help wouldn't go amiss. You knew the snow was coming and bags of salt are about £7. But no, sit at home because someone else hasn't sorted out the slope leading away from your house.I live on a relatively normal estate of cul-de-sacs. All adopted, maintained roads with decent surfaces and well drained. Yet for two days I couldn't get off the estate because our road is at the bottom of a small hill and it simply wasn't safe to try to negotiate the corner at the bottom of the hill. A run at it would have resulted in a slide into the verge, and no doubt damage to my car. Taking it slowly around the corner led to a lack of traction on the start of the slope. And I'm pretty capable of driving on snow.
The bulk of the problem was caused by Muppets driving on the snow early on, compacting it into ice. Instead of getting out there with brushes, shovels, and the contents of the County Council grit bin on that corner, selfish people just drove over it and spoiled things for everyone else. Added to that was me suffering with a bad cold which meant I wasn't happy to drive because I wasn't sure that my reactions would be quick enough, and feared making poor decisions.
All the while, though, the 'main' road onto which we exit the estate was running reasonably well. It had been gritted (it's a bus route) and was driveable in both directions. The motorway (M3) nearby was open over all four lanes both ways. Yet only a few miles away the M3 was restricted badly, and struggling to stay open.
My wife made it in OK the day before, and due to her on-call commitment she was put up (but not fed, the cheapskate w
kers) by the hospital Trust overnight. She then got a lift most of the way home the following night from a colleague's husband. So although people who lived in roads with level access to the main local routes were plenty capable of getting onto the roads and into work, for the sake of half a mile and a small hill, I genuinely couldn't safely get the car out. My wife would have walked (in wellies) the four miles to work if required, but it didn't come to that. But much further and I'd have been insisting the Trust get her a 4 x 4 rescue type to the door, or forbidding her to leave the house. There's only so much a person can be expected to reasonably be prepared for such unusual weather, and as neither of us skis or hill-walks, why should we be expected to own expensive clothing and footwear for such activities?As it was, we were running low on food at home, so I walked the near five mile round trip to our nearest supermarket. That walk, in wellies, has left me with a sore, blistered ankle and a reminder of why 5 kg of Pepsi Max and Chardonnay are not "essentials" and make for a heavy rucksack! Again, if I'd been able to get off our street in the car, I could have made the trip safely on the 'main' roads, but once again (as seen in previous, less harsh winters) I seem to be the only one of the neighbours to even consider shoveling snow off our street BEFORE it gets compacted into ice and difficult to drive on.
Annoying how badly we get affected by heavy snow, when you see how quickly everything clears up again when the temperature rises. Which is probably why we don't invest widely in expensive specialist snow clearing equipment in the UK - things just tend to sort themselves out quickly enough that we manage to not starve or freeze to death regularly in large numbers.
FWIW I already have a bag of grit salt in the garage, and despite a heavy cold I got up and cleared/salted my own sloping driveway and that of my elderly neighbour, enough that we could at least walk up and down them safely, even if the cleared path wasn't wide enough to drive on. Between me and the corner with the salt bin are 18 households. 16 of which contain younger, fitter men than me. There are two more streets "trapped" beyond that icy corner, each of 30 houses. In previous years it has been me, and a near neighbour, who have clubbed together to work on clearing the road, and in the process shamed a few others into joining in the effort. This year I was almost bedridden for a couple of days with a heavy cold. Yet out of a potential pool of (conservative estimate) 50 young, fit individuals, none of them saw fit to conduct a little "self help" in my stead.
So yes, I sat at home feeling very sorry for myself, relying on occasional doses of Beechams All-In-One to get me through the day.
And BECAUSE I'm a good driver, I DECIDED not to drive in nasty weather conditions while my reactions and judgement were impaired by a heavy cold and medication for it. "Battling through" would have been irresponsible, especially if it had led to having an accident and increasing the burden on the emergency services. Sometimes discretion really is the better part of valour, and admitting defeat doesn't always turn one into a defeatist...
yellowjack said:
Sometimes discretion really is the better part of valour, and admitting defeat doesn't always turn one into a defeatist...
Good job the 4x4 brigade didn't sign up to that, especially as you were about to "insist" they come to your aid.I'm afraid I can't take too seriously the grievances of someone who ventured to a supermarket on foot through the recent weather and opted for Chardonnay and Pepsi, then complains about how heavy it is to carry, especially on the back of stating they don't see why they should have to buy "expensive specialist footwear" instead of wellies that gave them blisters.
Edited by anonymous-user on Monday 5th March 14:08
4x4Tyke said:
I've seen the same thing, ahole in Warrior pickup stealing the grit from the bin near my home, nothing put spread in front of the pensioner bungalows, nothing spread on the corners or junction in immediate area, which generally need it. Kicked myself after the fact for not thinking to snap a pic.
You're allowed to take the grit from the bins - they are not put there just for the piece of road immediately adjacent to the bin. They're there for the community, normally near a junction because it's easier for most to get there. Maybe 4x4 guy was taking enough for his neighbours, his whole road etc?hole in Warrior pickup stealing the grit from the bin near my home, nothing put spread in front of the pensioner bungalows, nothing spread on the corners or junction in immediate area, which generally need it. Kicked myself after the fact for not thinking to snap a pic.OB, Council highways dept, and former winter maintenance duty officer (which included getting the grit bins refilled)
Crossflow Kid said:
Good job the 4x4 brigade didn't sign up to that, especially as you were about to "insist" they come to your aid.
I'm afraid I can't take too seriously the grievances of someone who ventured to a supermarket on foot through the recent weather and opted for Chardonnay and Pepsi, then complains about how heavy it is to carry, especially on the back of stating they don't see why they should have to buy "expensive specialist footwear" instead of wellies that gave them blisters.
Errm? I wasn't about to insist Mr Mitty and his daft lifting kit did any such thing. I would have forbidden my wife from walking any further than 4 miles in this weather, or to go out at all if it had gotten much worse. First rule of first aid being "do not become a casualty yourself" after all... I'm afraid I can't take too seriously the grievances of someone who ventured to a supermarket on foot through the recent weather and opted for Chardonnay and Pepsi, then complains about how heavy it is to carry, especially on the back of stating they don't see why they should have to buy "expensive specialist footwear" instead of wellies that gave them blisters.
Edited by Crossflow Kid on Monday 5th March 14:08
And even if I did insist someone professional in a 4x4 came to take my wife to work, it wouldn't have been coming to "my aid" but the aid of the wider community, especially those patients stuck in hospital all through this wee storm. Yeah. Weird thing. All the boots I had left over when I left the army? They've worn out or the soles broke apart from being poor quailty. The weight of stuff? Yeah. Me too. I pretty much know what a litre of fluid weighs, but wasn't thinking straight. I had space enough in my rucksack so I filled it. Another weird thing. In the 'old days' I carried s
tloads of kit in my Bergen. Being a signaller, that often meant radios and spare batteries on top of my own gear. Again, apologies to the armchair experts, but I'd kind of overlooked the intervening years since I got pensioned off, so I just loaded myself up with what I presumed I could carry quite comfortably. Yet another weird thing? Yes, that civvie backpack. Turns out that the straps are narrower and a lot less padded than proper load carrying equipment. Weirdest thing of all? My wife had just been stuck at work for over 48 hours straight. Including a 13 hour shift, a 16 hour shift, and an overnight on-call shift. She phoned while I was at the supermarket to let me know she was "on her way home, and could I get her a nice bottle of Chardonnay, please". She'd been expecting me to still be laid low and was preparing for canned soup for her tea, but I managed to rustle up a lasagne and a glass of wine. And the reason I had space for "luxury items"? Because I wasn't panic buying and stripping the shelves of bread and other essentials like as if it were the coming of the apocalypse. If there had been enough food in the house to last a few days, then I'd have waited until the snow melted and driven in.Note of correction: It was one blister, on the side of my ankle, and probably caused by my trousers rubbing where they were tucked in. Not the fault of the wellies per se, more the way I was wearing my trousers tucked into them.
Literal nitpickers like you are what ruins threads. Picking over the slightest detail (or lack of it) in posts, while ignoring the main points. Then joining the chorus of "TL;DR" when people try to write a science paper instead of a brief contribution in order to 'head you off at the pass'.
And as previously hinted at, there was very little sign of any assistance from Walt and his amber-beaconed chums when it came to getting staff to work at our local hospital. Perhaps they only drive on routes that have been previously cleared as safe by a BBC News crew? Because it's highly suspicious that the BBC always seems to be able to get OB trucks out to these "difficult to reach areas" where our heroic 4x4 volunteers are hard at work. Perhaps they're not so hard to reach after all?
I know the knob-head from two streets away wasn't out and about in his shortened, raised, chequer-plated green-laning Range Rover. No sir, that was safely tucked up in his detached garage when I walked past, alongside his Camel Trophy replica Disco, with about three feet of snow on the drive in front of them.
You sound catastrophically badly organised and more than a little needy especially for someone who claims to have been in the Army.
So this blister....you now suggest that was self-inflicted, so can we ignore the bit about being expected (by whom?) to buy appropriate clothing and footwear on the basis you had the right gear but just didn't know how to put it on properly?
I'm still unclear on the emergency Chardonnay drop too. You'd "forbid" your wife walking to work but happily take off license orders from her whilst struggling to the shops in badly fitting wellies? Bit inconsistent isn't it?
I'm also a little confused in that you mention the concept of not making one's self a casualty but then go on to explain how you apparently overstretched yourself in terms of load-carrying capability. For some white wine?
Stay indoors next time.
So this blister....you now suggest that was self-inflicted, so can we ignore the bit about being expected (by whom?) to buy appropriate clothing and footwear on the basis you had the right gear but just didn't know how to put it on properly?
I'm still unclear on the emergency Chardonnay drop too. You'd "forbid" your wife walking to work but happily take off license orders from her whilst struggling to the shops in badly fitting wellies? Bit inconsistent isn't it?
I'm also a little confused in that you mention the concept of not making one's self a casualty but then go on to explain how you apparently overstretched yourself in terms of load-carrying capability. For some white wine?
Stay indoors next time.
yellowjack said:
I know the knob-head from two streets away wasn't out and about in his shortened, raised, chequer-plated green-laning Range Rover. No sir, that was safely tucked up in his detached garage when I walked past, alongside his Camel Trophy replica Disco, with about three feet of snow on the drive in front of them.
My the knobhead has seen the news every hour of every day the week preceding and popped out the shops in advance and bought a load of food, drink, porn and tissues to not need to go outside when the snow eventually arrived? 
DonkeyApple said:
yellowjack said:
I know the knob-head from two streets away wasn't out and about in his shortened, raised, chequer-plated green-laning Range Rover. No sir, that was safely tucked up in his detached garage when I walked past, alongside his Camel Trophy replica Disco, with about three feet of snow on the drive in front of them.
My the knobhead has seen the news every hour of every day the week preceding and popped out the shops in advance and bought a load of food, drink, porn and tissues to not need to go outside when the snow eventually arrived? yellowjack said:
Errm? I wasn't about to insist Mr Mitty and his daft lifting kit did any such thing. I would have forbidden my wife from walking any further than 4 miles in this weather, or to go out at all if it had gotten much worse. First rule of first aid being "do not become a casualty yourself" after all... And even if I did insist someone professional in a 4x4 came to take my wife to work, it wouldn't have been coming to "my aid" but the aid of the wider community, especially those patients stuck in hospital all through this wee storm.
Yeah. Weird thing. All the boots I had left over when I left the army? They've worn out or the soles broke apart from being poor quailty. The weight of stuff? Yeah. Me too. I pretty much know what a litre of fluid weighs, but wasn't thinking straight. I had space enough in my rucksack so I filled it. Another weird thing. In the 'old days' I carried stloads of kit in my Bergen. Being a signaller, that often meant radios and spare batteries on top of my own gear. Again, apologies to the armchair experts, but I'd kind of overlooked the intervening years since I got pensioned off, so I just loaded myself up with what I presumed I could carry quite comfortably. Yet another weird thing? Yes, that civvie backpack. Turns out that the straps are narrower and a lot less padded than proper load carrying equipment. Weirdest thing of all? My wife had just been stuck at work for over 48 hours straight. Including a 13 hour shift, a 16 hour shift, and an overnight on-call shift. She phoned while I was at the supermarket to let me know she was "on her way home, and could I get her a nice bottle of Chardonnay, please". She'd been expecting me to still be laid low and was preparing for canned soup for her tea, but I managed to rustle up a lasagne and a glass of wine. And the reason I had space for "luxury items"? Because I wasn't panic buying and stripping the shelves of bread and other essentials like as if it were the coming of the apocalypse. If there had been enough food in the house to last a few days, then I'd have waited until the snow melted and driven in.
Note of correction: It was one blister, on the side of my ankle, and probably caused by my trousers rubbing where they were tucked in. Not the fault of the wellies per se, more the way I was wearing my trousers tucked into them.
Literal nitpickers like you are what ruins threads. Picking over the slightest detail (or lack of it) in posts, while ignoring the main points. Then joining the chorus of "TL;DR" when people try to write a science paper instead of a brief contribution in order to 'head you off at the pass'.
And as previously hinted at, there was very little sign of any assistance from Walt and his amber-beaconed chums when it came to getting staff to work at our local hospital. Perhaps they only drive on routes that have been previously cleared as safe by a BBC News crew? Because it's highly suspicious that the BBC always seems to be able to get OB trucks out to these "difficult to reach areas" where our heroic 4x4 volunteers are hard at work. Perhaps they're not so hard to reach after all?
I know the knob-head from two streets away wasn't out and about in his shortened, raised, chequer-plated green-laning Range Rover. No sir, that was safely tucked up in his detached garage when I walked past, alongside his Camel Trophy replica Disco, with about three feet of snow on the drive in front of them.
What did the hospital your mrs worked at do to try and get the walts to help out ? And even if I did insist someone professional in a 4x4 came to take my wife to work, it wouldn't have been coming to "my aid" but the aid of the wider community, especially those patients stuck in hospital all through this wee storm. Yeah. Weird thing. All the boots I had left over when I left the army? They've worn out or the soles broke apart from being poor quailty. The weight of stuff? Yeah. Me too. I pretty much know what a litre of fluid weighs, but wasn't thinking straight. I had space enough in my rucksack so I filled it. Another weird thing. In the 'old days' I carried s
tloads of kit in my Bergen. Being a signaller, that often meant radios and spare batteries on top of my own gear. Again, apologies to the armchair experts, but I'd kind of overlooked the intervening years since I got pensioned off, so I just loaded myself up with what I presumed I could carry quite comfortably. Yet another weird thing? Yes, that civvie backpack. Turns out that the straps are narrower and a lot less padded than proper load carrying equipment. Weirdest thing of all? My wife had just been stuck at work for over 48 hours straight. Including a 13 hour shift, a 16 hour shift, and an overnight on-call shift. She phoned while I was at the supermarket to let me know she was "on her way home, and could I get her a nice bottle of Chardonnay, please". She'd been expecting me to still be laid low and was preparing for canned soup for her tea, but I managed to rustle up a lasagne and a glass of wine. And the reason I had space for "luxury items"? Because I wasn't panic buying and stripping the shelves of bread and other essentials like as if it were the coming of the apocalypse. If there had been enough food in the house to last a few days, then I'd have waited until the snow melted and driven in.Note of correction: It was one blister, on the side of my ankle, and probably caused by my trousers rubbing where they were tucked in. Not the fault of the wellies per se, more the way I was wearing my trousers tucked into them.
Literal nitpickers like you are what ruins threads. Picking over the slightest detail (or lack of it) in posts, while ignoring the main points. Then joining the chorus of "TL;DR" when people try to write a science paper instead of a brief contribution in order to 'head you off at the pass'.
And as previously hinted at, there was very little sign of any assistance from Walt and his amber-beaconed chums when it came to getting staff to work at our local hospital. Perhaps they only drive on routes that have been previously cleared as safe by a BBC News crew? Because it's highly suspicious that the BBC always seems to be able to get OB trucks out to these "difficult to reach areas" where our heroic 4x4 volunteers are hard at work. Perhaps they're not so hard to reach after all?
I know the knob-head from two streets away wasn't out and about in his shortened, raised, chequer-plated green-laning Range Rover. No sir, that was safely tucked up in his detached garage when I walked past, alongside his Camel Trophy replica Disco, with about three feet of snow on the drive in front of them.
Down here the local hospital had access to a few 4x4 but they also put a appeal on social media for any 4x4 owners to help ferry staff in and out of work ,and like flies to a s
t the walts answered .I'd be amazed if your wifes hospital didn't use public media and even more amazed if the walts didn't respond .
Which hospital was it ?
egor110 said:
What did the hospital your mrs worked at do to try and get the walts to help out ?
Down here the local hospital had access to a few 4x4 but they also put a appeal on social media for any 4x4 owners to help ferry staff in and out of work ,and like flies to a st the walts answered .
I'd be amazed if your wifes hospital didn't use public media and even more amazed if the walts didn't respond .
Which hospital was it ?
"4x4 drivers with flashing amber beacons wanted to ferry staff into Hospital..."Down here the local hospital had access to a few 4x4 but they also put a appeal on social media for any 4x4 owners to help ferry staff in and out of work ,and like flies to a s
t the walts answered .I'd be amazed if your wifes hospital didn't use public media and even more amazed if the walts didn't respond .
Which hospital was it ?
"I is an 'ero bruv, I tell ya!"
vikingaero said:
egor110 said:
What did the hospital your mrs worked at do to try and get the walts to help out ?
Down here the local hospital had access to a few 4x4 but they also put a appeal on social media for any 4x4 owners to help ferry staff in and out of work ,and like flies to a st the walts answered .
I'd be amazed if your wifes hospital didn't use public media and even more amazed if the walts didn't respond .
Which hospital was it ?
"4x4 drivers with flashing amber beacons wanted to ferry staff into Hospital..."Down here the local hospital had access to a few 4x4 but they also put a appeal on social media for any 4x4 owners to help ferry staff in and out of work ,and like flies to a s
t the walts answered .I'd be amazed if your wifes hospital didn't use public media and even more amazed if the walts didn't respond .
Which hospital was it ?
"I is an 'ero bruv, I tell ya!"
They've had a photoshoot for the local paper and amazingly only 2 of them are wearing high viz jackets !
Yellowjack.
Can't disagree with the content of your posts per se, it is nice when people clear the roads and yes sometimes someone needs to arrange it.
However you are coming across as incredibly whiny for a former soldier. If you were still serving your sergeant would have your life if he saw those comments.
What happened to the pragmatic and capable soldier that thinks ahead? You're blaming other people for your blisters? I know it doesn't snow particularly often but surely you can do better than a pair of wellies.
Can't disagree with the content of your posts per se, it is nice when people clear the roads and yes sometimes someone needs to arrange it.
However you are coming across as incredibly whiny for a former soldier. If you were still serving your sergeant would have your life if he saw those comments.
What happened to the pragmatic and capable soldier that thinks ahead? You're blaming other people for your blisters? I know it doesn't snow particularly often but surely you can do better than a pair of wellies.
matthias73 said:
Yellowjack.
Can't disagree with the content of your posts per se, it is nice when people clear the roads and yes sometimes someone needs to arrange it.
However you are coming across as incredibly whiny for a former soldier. If you were still serving your sergeant would have your life if he saw those comments.
What happened to the pragmatic and capable soldier that thinks ahead? You're blaming other people for your blisters? I know it doesn't snow particularly often but surely you can do better than a pair of wellies.
He was a forklift driver, so probably didn't do much soldiering.Can't disagree with the content of your posts per se, it is nice when people clear the roads and yes sometimes someone needs to arrange it.
However you are coming across as incredibly whiny for a former soldier. If you were still serving your sergeant would have your life if he saw those comments.
What happened to the pragmatic and capable soldier that thinks ahead? You're blaming other people for your blisters? I know it doesn't snow particularly often but surely you can do better than a pair of wellies.
Just before the thread descends into it's usual pissy bitter wkfest, just a reminder that yesterday evening folks were out getting supplies and gaining access to people still trapped behind 8 and 10 foot drifts when all your 2 inches of white stuff had melted. Volunteers responding to requests for help.
This wasn't Highlands , Borders or Cumbria, but 11 miles north of Hereford, 14 miles west of Worcester. Those volunteers were doing more than me, and you, well done folks.
kfest, just a reminder that yesterday evening folks were out getting supplies and gaining access to people still trapped behind 8 and 10 foot drifts when all your 2 inches of white stuff had melted. Volunteers responding to requests for help.This wasn't Highlands , Borders or Cumbria, but 11 miles north of Hereford, 14 miles west of Worcester. Those volunteers were doing more than me, and you, well done folks.
Although 'I'll remember your kind words' and 'one eye on the phone' remain a bit silly and funny, a load of my mates were out helping people. We have no amber lights, and no hi-viz, we just genuinely wanted to help because we could. And we're not part of any response group or anything, we just called the police desk to see if they needed help.
Edited by moleamol on Tuesday 6th March 07:41
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