Chaos in the UK!

[PuddinPop]

With the recent weather changes in the UK, it's really got me wondering. Now, I know it is a lot colder than we Brits are used to, it being around -4 or -5 during the day and around -8 at night (this is celcius, in fahrenheit it's 23 during the day and 17 at night) but the newspapers are calling it "The Big Freeze" which I hardly think appropriate. This mainly related to the amount of snow we've been getting/are going to get. Now, I live in the northern central/north west of the country so have been pretty lucky with avoiding a lot of the snow, only having about an inch where I live, but other places more southern and easterly like London and Norwich have gotten around 4 inches, which still isn't a lot on the face of it, but the newspapers have been reporting "motoring disruption and chaos on the roads" and "disruption getting to and from work". Seriously, what is wrong with our country??

A quote from the Daily Mail newspaper (a place to go to get all the most important news......... not) said, "Newcastle, Leeds Bradford and Luton airports have predicted around 250 delays and cancellations of flights... before even a snowflake has fallen". Now, really, that is getting a silly. I've never known a country come to a stop just because of a little snow. Other countries must be looking at us and laughing at how pathetic we are, letting a little snow ruin our lives for a few days.

I mean, countries such as Russia, Sweden, Switzerland and Finland, just to name a few, have miles more snow than we get, and they continue their lives as normal. Why can't we just do the same? I mean, we can't have a couple of inches of snow without chaos on the roads, people being stranded and abandoning their cars and panic-buying bread and milk (seriously, wtf!). Other countries just man up and get on with it.

Now, I'm all for patriotism, I love living in England and I'm proud to be a Brit, but I just think our ways of life are a bit ridiculous sometimes.

All you have to do is look back at "The Big Freeze" that happened in 2010. Ok, we did have a lot of snow, I was walking through the park and it was up to my arse () but our country came to a complete stand-still for over a week. The roads were unusable because of all the cars that had been abandoned on them, the paths were unable to be walked on as the snow was too deep, we ran out of grit and salt within hours and no one could get anywhere. It was ridiculous. There was no food at the shops because everyone was panic buying and no deliveries could be made. Yet, I still managed to get to and from work every day, which was a good half hour drive away and had no problems, so what was wrong with the rest of the country??

It's also very irritating that social networking sites have been turned into a 24/7 weather channel, with all posts like "OMG IT'S SNOWING!" and "it's so cold" and "Go away snow" every single day. It's like, I live in the same city as you, I am more than aware it's cold and snowing, I have feelings and I'm not blind

But we Brits are known for complaining about everything, especially the weather. If it gets above 15 degrees celcius, it's too hot, and if it falls below 12 degrees celcius, it's too cold. The rest of the world really must look at us and be amazed at our attitudes and how we react to situations which aren't a common occurance for us.

I'm just really interested to know what people's views in other countries is of us. If I'm being honest, if I was from another country, I would probably look at the UK and wonder what on Earth we were complaining about!

[Joal 555]

I echo pretty much everything PuddinPop said.....

PLUS

how come we go from drought/hosepipe bans to flooding in like 5 minutes!

[PuddinPop]

Tell me about it!! We have flood warnings, yet still can't wash our cars... even though our cars are being washed down the street

I found this a moment ago (I really need to stop reading the Daily Mail!!!) but nothing better could have come up to prove my point!!!!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2263222/UK-weather-Temperatures-plunge-13C-forecasters-predict-Big-Freeze-inches-snow-fall-Friday.html

[Joal 555]

Haha, well anyway, like you, I have never failed to get to work due to the weather, and I too have a half hour drive (in normal conditions)

We'll keep this country propped up!

[Vetinari]

Well over here, the government pay the farmers for clearing the roads and I understand that if they don't get them cleared within certain time-limits, they get fined. The roads stay open almost all the time. Even if a car gets stuck, someone seems to come along and move it out of the way pronto. In addition, it's illegal to drive here in the winter without your winter tyres on. Every car has two sets of wheels. But then everyone expects there to be snow here. In the UK, despite the fact it seems to be becoming a regular occurrence, every year it still surprises them!

[PuddinPop]

Joal - me and thee will keep this failing country propped up together

Vetinari - this is what I'm talking about, your country obviously has extreme ways of dealing with the weather - understandably, as you're prone to getting more than us, but I agree completely with what you said about it being a surprise each year - I just don't understand why the government doesn't prepare for the worst winter ever - then we won't be stuck in our houses with failing central heating and blackouts for days on end!!!

Loli-popp - i know exactly what you mean. they stocked up on more grit, something like £100,000 worth, but I've not seen one in about a week! this country is just an epic-fail on the globe.

[Giant Steps]

Personally, I think this whole country should just...

...chill out.

YEEAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

[Joal 555]

Personally, I think this whole country should just...

...chill out.

was that supposed to break the ice.......

[Chanel_no5]

Personally, I think this whole country should just...

...chill out.

was that supposed to break the ice.......

Oh my God here he goes again...!

But yeah, I've actually reacted to the UK Snow Reaction for several years now. I find it hilarious. No offense to anyone, but wow...

And what's this thing with schools closing when it's bad weather? It's NEVER happened to me and we once had a storm that blew half the roof off the school! We just moved to the gym with our books and kept working.

[Coffee Mug]

Same thing happens in Italy. When it's winter it could snow you know? And at the news they all use this apocalyptic tone like we're all gonna die no one's gonna survive this awful winter there's too much snow school are closed chaos everywhere don't go out if you really don't have to close up in your bunkers etc etc.

Chill out people!! It's winter! It's normal that you get some snow from time to time

[count tiszula]

You know, I can't remember a time when it wasn't like this, and I can remember when they first invented "the wrong kind of snow" as an excuse. You'd think something could have been improved over the years.

But the last burst of snow was a revelation; this sudden new idea that any snowfall would officially start a week of holidays . And the attitude to children had completely changed. Health and safety of course. but the idea that children couldn't go to school because presumably they would fall over and sue the school was quite new. When I was young we always went to school; I even remember playing rugger in a snowstorm. Yet, apparently contradictorily, you now have to let anyone under about 18 roam free and express their human right to childhood. So you mustn't tell them to keep off the thin ice which will break and drown them. Thank God I was brought up in a slightly more disciplined time.

So, time to retreat from the world for a week or so............

[PuddinPop]

I remember the wrong kind of snow!!

And we've had some over the past couple of days. I went to the shop yesterday to get some bread, and ended up having to buy hot dog buns cos they sold out of all the other bread!!! seriously, I just didnt have any bread, I wasnt panic buying. and theres over 2500 schools shut across the country. like count said, I cant remember school ever being cancelled!!

Im still pretty lucky though, cos iv only had about 2 inches where I live (gives a whole new meaning to "sunny south yorkshire ) but I think everyone has over reacted a little.

we've had snow every year for at least 4 years now, you think people would see it coming, and as Vetinari said, it comes as a surprise each year!!!

[Joal 555]

I cant remember school ever being cancelled!!

I was certainly never that lucky!

[PuddinPop]

well, I lived on the same road as my primary school - literally, the other side of my road WAS my school, so I didnt have much of a choice haha

[NoV]

I think the main problem is that snow in Britain is such a haphazard, unpredictable affair, that we never get time to adjust to actually doing things in icy conditions. Whereas is other countries it is just accepted that there will likely be snow on the ground for a good two months and prepare accordingly, us in Britain seem to kind of deny it will happen until it does and then panic instead Who's going to buy a set of tyre chains for use the odd two days every three years?

Snow joke I tell you (sorry, sorry...)

[Joal 555]

Snow joke I tell you (sorry, sorry...)

I resisted using that one

(with some difficulty.....)

[happybunny]

I have to wonder.. how many people on this forum are brits? there seems to be quite a few.

The internet blows my mind sometimes.. being able to communicate with people miles and miles away from me about a shared fetish.. it's just beautiful!

[Joal 555]

Plenty of snow last night

I got up extra early and made it to work (of course )

5 of my colleagues failed (pfffffft!)

[NoV]

Plenty of snow last night

I got up extra early and made it to work (of course )

5 of my colleagues failed (pfffffft!)

Damn! No snow with me, so of course I dragged myself to work through the icy wastelands, with little thanks. Thought i'd be a legend by managing to turn up to work, but all my collegues made it as well. Ah, well...

[Smokey]

Panicking and getting hysterical is something we Brits are very good at , like when they said the petrol would be going up and everyone went crazy buying petrol, both the petrol station just where i live and the one near where i work closed for an entire day- it was just crazy.

I swear every year you will hear on the news, or read in the newspaper something like, "it's the coldest winter since 1995", and then the next year "it's the coldest winter since 1989" or "it's the wettest summer since 1991 ( or any other year... ever year ), i think pretty soon there just going to run out of years and it will be "it's the coldest winter since last winter" lol.

[PuddinPop]

Plenty of snow last night

I got up extra early and made it to work (of course )

5 of my colleagues failed (pfffffft!)

My office was shut so I got a snow day yesterday

Gonna try and get in today though, but iv got a little Peugeot 107 so its gna be fun sliding it around!!

[Chanel_no5]

What was this thing about a postman dying because of the "severe weather conditions" in UK??

[Joal 555]

Gonna try and get in today though, but iv got a little Peugeot 107 so its gna be fun sliding it around!!

Hope you got there and back safely, with not too much sliding about!