Snow In The U.K.- Britain Suffers Travel Chaos, London Shutdown

reply to post by captiva


Some facts for those who class everyone as brits who live in the UK.
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Oh dear! "WHAT?" If you live in the UK, the United Kingdom, you are a Brit! Doesn't matter if you're Scottish, English, Irish or Welsh, you still come under the banner of being a Brit. A British citizen.

However, I digress. Here in Gods country (Liverpool) we got less than one inch of snow which quickly became hard frozen ice. The next morning it was completely gone. I remember years ago when we were snowbound, after having over a foot of snow fall in a single night. We Brits are far to prone to panic at the mere mention of snow.

how does 6 inches of snow mean that there is no such thing as global warming? the temperature trend is up but this doesn't mean no more snow, it means crazier weather like 6 inches of snow in the UK

Because I choose to be called Scottish does not make me a biggot or anti English. Why should I not make this choice?, we have our own parliament, are thankfully excluded from many of the laws past by westminster, whos main aim is to use Scotland as a testing ground for iether taking money from us (Poll Tax) or removing our freedom (Smoking ban).

The fact is, and I choose to update my figures, there were 6,000 not 600 schools closed yesterday. Calling people who live below the border wimps does not make me a biggot.

The facts speak for themselves. Why not just walk to work?, or is health and safety to be used to stop people doing that as well? I mean, those that were out making snowmen and playing in the snow might just have fallen on route.

Respects

reply to post by MoothyKnight


Funny, I was just reading how the UK could expect cooler temperatures as the over all climate warms up. This big to do over a foot of snow is hilarious being from New England. We have 18" or so on the ground and another fresh 6" inches on top of that. Hey, at least it's not muddy - yet. I did happen to get stranded by the frozen stuff in Seattle in the early 90's when they were seriously under equipped with snowplows in the area.


As soon as the temperature drops below freezing in different parts of the world the 's come out.

Originally posted by stikkinikki
I did happen to get stranded by the frozen stuff in Seattle in the early 90's when they were seriously under equipped with snowplows in the area.

I was in that storm, it took me about 6 hours to make my 40 minute commute that year because everyone abandoned their cars on the main arterials.

The same happened again in Seattle this year during Christmas week.

It seems cities that seldom get snowfall, just can't handle it when it does happen once every 10 - 20 years.

[edit on 4-2-2009 by verylowfrequency]

reply to post by stumason


i know, i AM scottish, ive lived with it all my life, the main thing is noone makes a fus, things might close but we get on with it ....noone stays home from work cos of a little snow! its lunacy!

Originally posted by nerbot
Cheer up...there is some good news!

I spoke to my sister who lives in England and she says the communities and neighbourhoods are having a great time.

People have abandoned their regular shuffling to work in their cars and are wandering round the streets. Everyone is smiling and actually talking to eachother for a change.

Snowball fights and snowmen for the kids and no commuting for a lot of parents.

All together now.....

"Well I wish it could be christmas every daayaaaaaay...."

Yer bang-on there about the positive side of all this...

i've build a snowman, had snowball fights with the neighbours' kids, slipped on my arse on ice in the town centre and couldn't get up for laughing whilst a passing couple offer me a hand up, seen many folk keep a careful eye on old folk who were out in case they fell...a really odd but wonderful spirit of cameraderie and community...

I would have to agree that the community spirit has increased during this snowy period in London from zero spirit to some smiles.
I have seen more Londoners smiling in the last few days than in my previous years here.
However, on the flip side, I have also seen a number of crashes, prangs and other vehicle incidents due to this snow.

My snowman is still stood in the garden despite the snow now dissipating.

I must say that waking the streets of London at night is a beautiful pastime but in recent days it has been made even better with the white blanket

I also PUNKED some little gits with snowballs!! Woooooop!!!

reply to post by TheAgentNineteen



A little bit of snow.......and
THE UK IS SENT PLUNGING INTO CHAOS....
AN EMPIRE THAT ONCE DOMINATED MOST OF THE WORLD, failed in even the simplest of things, like getting the snow ploughs out and preventing its great capital from a complete standstill......
MORE MONEY LOST, MORE STRAIN ON THE ECONOMY,AS BUISNESS AS USUAL IS BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES......

'IF THE LIKES OF MOSCOW AND ITS PEOPLE CAN OPERATE,FUNCTION,ALWAYS BE PREPARED and COPE AT MINUS 20..
THERE WAS TALK OF SNOW EXPECTED SO WHY DID'NT THEY AT LEAST PREPARE.........
IMAGINE IF WE WERE HIT WITH A MASSIVE NATURAL DISASTER I DREAD TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD BE......
I live in U.K nor far from MANCHESTER afew inches is all we had so it was ok...
CONSPIRACY crosses my mind in the non action plan from the Government, to at least prevent London from grinding to a holt......
AS THE GREAT ECONOMICAL CRISIS WE KEEP HEARING ABOUT?, THE FINANCIAL GLOBAL MELTDOWN, is pushed in our faces every minute of everyday making us think there is a real crisis....YOU WOULD EXPECT ANY DECENT GOVERNMENT BUT BE EXTRA VIGILANT TO PREVENT ANYTHING THAT COULD DESTABLISH EVEN MORE BEING TOP PRIORITY......
or is it that this so called GLOBAL ECONOMIC MELTDOWN.....is after all a great myth to its people......
ARE THE GOVERNMENTS ON THERE KNEES OR IS IT SIMPLY THE TERM THAT THE VERY FEW KNOW AS 'ENRON' or THE OPUS-DEI ENRON....
what the governments arent telling you......but thats another story.....

reply to post by stumason


Actually everybody that lives in the UK is not British. Northern Ireland is in the United Kingdom but is not in Britain.

I gave up trying to get into central London at 6:30. No trains buses and no cars. I went home and spent the best day I've had with my family for ages. Snow ball fights, sledging, making snowmen. The streets were empty apart from people having a great time. The pubs and restaurants were doing a roaring trade. It was great.

Well typical we get the snow first & then its gone! & yet the rest of the country is still at a stand still with snow,snow everywhere! & what did we have when it was snowing everywhere else RAIN!!
I like the snow,I hate it when it melts everywhere is now flooded my fields are flooded and my poor foals have been stable bound for 2 days...a reprieve today as we had a heavy frost last night,so ground quite solid....so for me bring back the snow according to the weather we may have some more Monday night Just Please no more Rain...

reply to post by Mintwithahole.


Firstly to clarify, Britain and the UK are not the same thing.

Britain is England, Wales and Scotland. The UK ALSO includes northern Ireland.

I am proud to be British, I am proud to be part of the United Kingdom, but more than that I am proud to be English and will refer to myself that way, as should everyone.


Now...on topic... Snowfall happens most years in England, but it is never the same amount, and always varies at the time of year it falls. It's not easily possible to prepare for it, we don't know hwne it might fall until weather stations see it coming, by which time it's too late to prepare an entire country for snowfall. Especially since the weather reports on snow are greatly innacurate.

People wern't staying at home because of a little bit of work, lorries were jacknifing everywhere, many roads were completely closed, police turned people away from some roads. And even someone I know with a rally car spun out on one of the relatively 'clear' roads. The paths were so lethal that people took to walking on major roads because there was ever so slightly more grip.... it wasn't just a little bit of snow down here....

Originally posted by neformore
Once the initial "shock" is over, things will calm down and get back together fairly quickly. Apart from in London that is

1 inch of snow on the M25 and it will be the end of the world......

i thought it was just one flake or rain/snow to bring the M25 to its knees


The snow has been bad for us (im on the south downs in Epsom), but its not the amount of snow, its the Sheer lack of planing by the local Concils, as was said gritters and Grit supplys are now at max,

They are having to use table salt!!!!!!!

, still i had a nice 2 day week, Thank you snow!!!!!!!

reply to post by StevenDye


Firstly to clarify, Britain and the UK are not the same thing.

Britain is England, Wales and Scotland. The UK ALSO includes northern Ireland.

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What can I say? "You're wrong!"
en.wikipedia.org...

To get back on point- all this fuss about snow is ridiculous. You're right about the UK annually getting snow but it doesn't cover the whole country as it has in the last week or so. Usually Scotland and the north east take the brunt of it. We here in Liverpool hardly ever get snow as it either falls on the welsh hills, the peak district or the lake district. We're very lucky in that respect.

And now we have floods!!!! Can it get any worse

I'm sorry but...






Britain is in the middle of an economic meltdown and then you people have snow for two inches and then you have a complete shut down?

Hello people. So you can withstand a bus bombing but you can't withstand 2 inches of snow?




Your media then, proceeds to make a media frenzy out of all of this?

Please, I'm starting to think that snow is more of a threat to Britain than terrorists are.

Next time terrorists attack Britain, I predict they will use snow-blowers.

reply to post by Frankidealist35


The media made out it was a shutdown, but to be honest it was anything but.

The Tubes and Buses were cancelled on "health and safety" grounds, as opposed to any operational reason. 98% of staff turned up to work for TfL, but were not allowed to work by the beuraucratic idiots who didn't want a lawsuit on their hands for passengers slipping on ice.

The roads were only having problems because of incompetance from local authorities who failed to get the gritters out in time, yet they had many roads open by lunchtime last Monday anyway.

Schools were also shut due to "health and safety" concerns due to slippy paths and playgrounds.

Basically, without all the red-tape introduced by this Government mandating what's "safe" and giving everyone the right to sue anyone for anything has weakened our country by reinforcing a "blame" culture and leaving public bodies open to legal challenges for the most spurious of reasons. So most opted for the "safe" option and closed stuff, so people couldn't sue for being careless on the ice.

That's what it boils down too, not the snow itself, but fear of massive payouts should idiots fall over and hurt themselves.

Its weird where am from, the place is covered in snow but yet its like a summers day here! Its warm and you can see for miles. Never seen anything like it before here. Weird!!