Like me, those who live outside of the south of England, who watch the news, may be forgiven for thinking that there has been some sort of apocalyptic event involving the planet freezing over.
What has actually happened is that there has been quite literally some snow, slightly late in the year. Of course this prompts the news to go into a self perpetuating tailspin, telling us not to panic while delivering the news in a way that looks like it has been specifically designed to cause us all to panic. The news also attaches far too much importance to this reasonably bad weather and then move on to a story in a war torn, poverty stricken African nation where hundreds of people are dying with worrying ease, as though their problems are nothing compared to our terrible half inch of snow.
Now of course driving in snowy or icy conditions can be dangerous, so take care and wrap up warm. Use your common sense basically. One thing which we are all often told in times of snow is to consider whether or not your journey is necessary. For example, taking someone to hospital because a washing machine fell on them from the 3rd floor of a building is a necessary journey. Taking a news crew to stand by the side of a motorway to show us what snow looks like and how dangerous motorways are when it is snowing is not a necessary journey. In fact 67% (I may have made this figure up) of all traffic accidents in the snow are caused by television news crews heading out in the snow to tell us how dangerous is it to head out in the snow.
It isn't just the snow that can be dangerous; temperatures as low as -5 can have disastrous consequences. Such as a cup of tea going cold slightly faster than you wanted it to. It may also mean you have to wear some sort of special clothing. Like a hat. Or gloves. Or a coat. How terrible it must be for people to have to sit in their expensive cars wearing more items than they wanted to. How awful. Some people have had to spend up to 10 hours overnight in these deadly temperatures, over 100 yards from civilisation.
Other people have a deluded idea of what authorities can do to help and a warped idea of suffering. Some are outraged that the gritters have not done their job. Although they have, it is just that below about -3 grit stops to work as an anti-freeze and once snow is a certain depth grit doesn't aid traction. Others are complaining that they weren't warned, apparently ignorant of the weather forecasts that are readily available at any time. There is a limit as to what authorities can do. Aside from warning people as best they can and trying to keep roads passable, there isn't a lot more to be done. Nobody controls the weather. A couple were annoyed at the police because they told them to stay put, presumably rather than leave their car and walk along a motorway in dangerous conditions. The same couple seemed equally annoyed when they were told to move to a warm service station. They even seemed puzzled as to why their Green Flag breakdown service wasn't there, forgetting that it is snowing all over the roads and is affecting other people than just themselves. They seemed angry that the Green Flag recovery vehicle didn't rush to them even after they explained they were going to a funeral, clearly forgetting that rushing in a van towards people that have broken down in dangerous conditions will only lead to more funerals.
So, ignore the people describing this as an apocalypse, use your common sense and get a grip. Or move up North. Its sunny today.
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