Let's face it the UK's infrastructure has failed miserably to cope with this unexpectedly severe cold snap. I don't know how many of you can remember the previous times the country ground to a halt for days in the snow? In 1982 schools closed and everything seemed to stop but I'm sure it wasn't this bad??
Lots of us have had our lives severly disrupted by the roads being left unsafe. In my case I haven't been able to work this year so far as all the snow days have been on my work days! Just hope I don't lose pay as this is my last pay packet and I don't want too much missing from it...
I made an attempt to get in today as I have had enough of being stuck at home with my much loved children (too much of a good thing is bad for you!). Before I set off I checked that at least my son's nursery was open, I was unable to check on my daughter's.
10 minutes later I had gone 100 yards down the road in almost stationary traffic. Apparently the other route was blocked by a bus.. Crept down the hill, realising there was no longer anyone behind me (what did happen to them?). I saw a man at the zebra crossing so attempted to stop.... came to a halt part way across the crossing.... close call. At the bottom of the hill my car decided to try a bit of side to side action instead of straight on. On past the park at 10-15 miles an hour until came to next queue up hill, lots of cars doing U turns but that didn't look like a safe option to me.
Eventually got to the cause of blockage - a lorry partly jack knifed as it failed to get up slope. The van in front of me had no run up and really struggled to get past. Luckily for me I got a run-up and made it safely up.Carried on creeping up to next roundabout passing the gritter which was stuck in the traffic going the other way! Another slip slide got me round that one. 3 roundabout only one I didn't slip on and I survived the next slope down.
After advice received from nursery I pulled up on main road & walked kids last 1/4 mile to the nursery. On getting in I was told they had just decided to close as there had been some car crashes on the road - aargh it had only taken me over an hour to get there...
Walked kids back to bakers to grab bite to eat as no-one had had breakfast before leaving.. Managed to turn car round and headed home. Luckily was a lot less stressful going back and only took 15-20 minutes.
Got home and tried to reverse onto drive... had another go.... another go... by now stuck partly on drive partly on pavement... Let my daughter into house and got out spade.. Dug out snow from behind front wheels and finally succeeded in getting onto drive.
Everyone back in house, TV on, work laptop on, hot drinks and here we go again - snowbound kids and me trying to work..
Please can it stop now? Can we have some decent preparation with better stockpiles of salt & grit? Can there be better ways of clearing the snow/slush off the roads & pavements? Can people learn how to drive in wintery conditions?
I hate driving in snow/ice and have been lucky that I haven't needed to try and get to work but then my children's schools have been shut for over the last week. To be honest a relief. Feel for you though having to go through all that.
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