True grit in bid to keep show on the road

[Socrates]

Rain turning to ice is the business in my neck of the world, and gravel and salt are the cure.

P.S. You have got to be kidding me with the, 'buying too much salt' line.

The sad thing is, you're right. But the fact is us Brits complain too much! Politicians are genuinely to gutless to increase the budgets at the best of times, let alone in this recession. They care more about their big salaries and expenses than doing some good. Christ, I hate politicians.

Rant over!

Politicians don't get big salaries! They are constantly lambasted for wasting money, that's why they budget for the likely need rather than the worst case scenario.

[CityFanFromRome]

In a few words.....erm.....no they haven't started to do that!

Northern girls make me piss with their no coats/suitable clothes policy

While the weather conditions are quite different here from Manchester, and considerably warmer as we are having Southern winds, at least in Central and South Italy, it does amaze me a bit how some girls keep dressing that way here too. Or, better, it amazed me in the past, now I'm used to it but I do wonder why the hell they complain that they are cold if they don't bother covering themselves adequately!!

[zuricity]

I'm not sure if you Brits realize this or not, but -

Sand and salt don't go bad. If you have too much one year, you just leave it stockpiled and it'll still be good the next year. I swear. I've got a bucket of sand right now to put on any ice that may form on my steps. It won't go bad, it has an indefinite shelflife.

Now, the machinery needed to sand and salt the roads is a different issue, and probably valid.

Also, I realize again that it wouldn't be needed that often, but Calcium Chloride melts ice to -25 F. There are icemelts available that melt ice better than regular rocksalt. I can't imagine a whole town being shut down by snow in places where they normally get lots of snow.

But I don't get calling off a match on Monday because it snowed the middle of the previous week. I've been to sporting events where it snowed over a foot that day. Of course, it was in areas where they are prepared for it. But if the pitch is fine, lets get on with it.

Problem is , in places like liverpool, salt and sand would be knicked in the summer when every one goes on holiday. I can understand why people don't want to invest a couple of quid in a bag of sand.

[Rag_hater]

If the council had "WASTED" some money on salt earlier in the year and got people complaining about it surely they could have explained too people the reason why they were buying so much.And surely the money being lost now by parents not being able to go to work and all the other stuff outweighs any overspend there would have been buying salt.

[Socrates]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

[Ted Hughes]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

Where I live we have about 25 bins each now seperating glass from paper, twigs from leaves, hazelnuts from chocolate etc, we could just all have another one full of salt.

[carl_feedthegoat]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS ???

[ryanmjo]

I just hope we wait until Monday morning to cancel. No sense cancelling today or tomorrow because of something that MIGHT happen.

[Sheikhermaker]

As Haz has said it was way below freezing here and Halite (salt rock) begins to lost its effectiveness rapidly past -5c

http://www.peterschemical.com/sodium-chloride/

Completely agree about not having stock piles of grit as well - you can imagine the same people moaning about the cost to the taxpayer. Unfortunately its just freak weather that we're going to have to deal with even if it means calling off a couple of football games.

Did anyone else wonder what Peter Schmiechal had to do with gritting roads on first glance at that post?!

[Rag_hater]

Its not freak weather.It happens every year.This year may be a little more severe than recent years nontheless I dont see why the authourites seem so badly prepared for it.

[Socrates]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS ???

yep. more salt = more storage area = more council land = big expense...

[carl_feedthegoat]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS ???

yep. more salt = more storage area = more council land = big expense...

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 1 BILLION POUNDS LOST DUE TO UNSAFE WALKWAYS AND ROADS?

ALRIGHT THEN...................................

[Socrates]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS ???

yep. more salt = more storage area = more council land = big expense...

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 1 BILLION POUNDS LOST DUE TO UNSAFE WALKWAYS AND ROADS?

ALRIGHT THEN...................................[/quote]

once every 30 years... 29 years out of 30 councils would be lambasted for wasting money.

[Rag_hater]

Who is gonna nick salt?
Storing it really is not a problem.
Making a car have snow chains for its MOT is what should be done immediately.Most people could run to about 30 quid once to get a set.

[carl_feedthegoat]

it's not just a matter of buying more salt though is it, where do you put it?

ARE YOU BEING SERIOUS ???

yep. more salt = more storage area = more council land = big expense...

MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE 1 BILLION POUNDS LOST DUE TO UNSAFE WALKWAYS AND ROADS?

ALRIGHT THEN...................................

once every 30 years... 29 years out of 30 councils would be lambasted for wasting money.[/quote]

I REPEAT OVER A BILLION POUNDS LOST - I DONT CARE IF IT,S ONCE EVERY 30 YRS, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IF WE HAD STOCK PILED THEN WE WOULDNT HAVE HAD THIS ASTRONIMICAL FINANCIAL LOSS.
ONE BILLION AND COUNTING.

[Ted Hughes]

Who is gonna nick salt?
Storing it really is not a problem.
Making a car have snow chains for its MOT is what should be done immediately.Most people could run to about 30 quid once to get a set.

Snow chains destroy the road surface wherever there's a patch with no snow & would cost the country fucking millions in re sufacing. Tyres with studs in are too expensive considering it only snows like this once every 30 years.

[Socrates]

I REPEAT OVER A BILLION POUNDS LOST - I DONT CARE IF IT,S ONCE EVERY 30 YRS, THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IF WE HAD STOCK PILED THEN WE WOULDNT HAVE HAD THIS ASTRONIMICAL FINANCIAL LOSS.
ONE BILLION AND COUNTING.

Real calculation is 1billion divided by 30 compared to the extra costs multiplied by several hundred local authorities... Maybe every local authority should close a school to pay for it? These sort of decision shave to be made on the basis of the likelihood of need. Same as they do across the public sector. You could equally argue that every hospital should have 5 times as many intensive care beds as they are normally likely to need. But it equally wouldn't make sense...

[Rag_hater]

Who is gonna nick salt?
Storing it really is not a problem.
Making a car have snow chains for its MOT is what should be done immediately.Most people could run to about 30 quid once to get a set.

Snow chains destroy the road surface wherever there's a patch with no snow & would cost the country fucking millions in re sufacing. Tyres with studs in are too expensive considering it only snows like this once every 30 years.

I dont think they would do that much damage.
Its the law to have them in certain countries.

[Ted Hughes]

Who is gonna nick salt?
Storing it really is not a problem.
Making a car have snow chains for its MOT is what should be done immediately.Most people could run to about 30 quid once to get a set.

Snow chains destroy the road surface wherever there's a patch with no snow & would cost the country fucking millions in re sufacing. Tyres with studs in are too expensive considering it only snows like this once every 30 years.

I dont think they would do that much damage.
Its the law to have them in certain countries.

They do.

[mr_nool]

Who is gonna nick salt?
Storing it really is not a problem.
Making a car have snow chains for its MOT is what should be done immediately.Most people could run to about 30 quid once to get a set.

Snow chains destroy the road surface wherever there's a patch with no snow & would cost the country fucking millions in re sufacing. Tyres with studs in are too expensive considering it only snows like this once every 30 years.

I dont think they would do that much damage.
Its the law to have them in certain countries.

They do.

Snow chains isn't the law in any country as far as I'm aware. Winter tires are, but that's a completely different issue. Ted is right, it costs a fortune for everyday drivers in coutries that don'tregularly have white winters to invest in. Snow chains make massive damage. Studded tires/Winter tires do quite a lot of damage as well, but in the Scandinavian countries (bar Denamark), Canada, etc., it's simply a cost you have to pay. having x thousands traffic deaths is a much higher price.