Snow, the economy and caring less

micro_dot

I skidded and slid all the way back to my car from the shop. There was a sheet of glassy ice all the way along the footpath.
Maybe the snow highlights how we are in our economic situation. No business thought of sweeping away the snow before it became ice. No homeowner realised that their economic wellbeing relies on the shop next door keeping shoppers mobile, especially before Christmas. Our future in our hands, so to speak. If we cleared away the snow, we have a better chance of keeping our heads above the water. Like the rampant overdevelopment, like voting for Fianna Fail the last time, you can see what should be done, but it's up to someone else to do something about it. You - me - will tut tut and walk away, hands clean, conscience dirty.

Dravokivich

I agree... I've thanked you... there's my bit done for society...

El Weirdo

micro_dot wrote: »

I skidded and slid all the way back to my car from the shop. There was a sheet of glassy ice all the way along the footpath.
Maybe the snow highlights how we are in our economic situation. No business thought of sweeping away the snow before it became ice. No homeowner realised that their economic wellbeing relies on the shop next door keeping shoppers mobile, especially before Christmas. Our future in our hands, so to speak. If we cleared away the snow, we have a better chance of keeping our heads above the water of being sued by someone that slips anyway. Like the rampant overdevelopment, like voting for Fianna Fail the last time, you can see what should be done, but it's up to someone else to do something about it. You - me - will tut tut and walk away, hands clean, conscience dirty.

FYP

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

The problem with that analogy is that as soon as you sweep the snow up, you et up the next morning to find out that some daft ****ers down the country of voted more snow back in again and you're back to square one.

OPENROAD

What is the legal position of clearing a public pavement yourself, and someone then slipping on it?

fedor.2.

Its just snow

starbelgrade

OPENROAD wrote: »

What is the legal position of clearing a public pavement yourself, and someone then slipping on it?

I don't think you can sue a person if they slip on your footpath.

It's not really their fault.

OPENROAD

starbelgrade wrote: »

I don't think you can sue a person if they slip on your footpath.

It's not really their fault.

They can sue you though, possibly

starbelgrade

OPENROAD wrote: »

They can sue you though, possibly

Not if you kill them.

orourkeda

Just go to the shops and buy your sh1t.

Nobody cares that you nearly slipped and burst your bollocks off the ground

OPENROAD

starbelgrade wrote: »

Not if you kill them.

Good point well made

Ali Babba

OPENROAD wrote: »

They can sue you though, possibly

Quite possibly they can, if you take over the upkeep of something it becomes your baby after that, it applies with roads anyway.

ArtSmart

I've considered the snow clearing thing. to me it's potentially dodgy as if it's not perfect, then black invisible ice can form. what seems a cleared pathway, now becomes lethal - it lures a pedestrian into a false sense of security and they slip.

This is how i spend my time when snowed in.

ps, nice OP

starbelgrade

Ali Babba wrote: »

Quite possibly they can, if you take over the upkeep of something it becomes your baby after that, it applies with roads anyway.

I hosed my road with water to make it more slippy.

Does that count as taking over the upkeep?

Einhard

It's not that we care less, it's just that irish people are generally more feckless! If I don't clear the snow from the drive to keep myself safe, why would I clear it to keep some randomer safe?!

orourkeda

Remember kids.

Ice has the unfortunate quality of being slippy. Therefore it is safe to assume that you may slip on it if you do not take sufficient care.

If you do not like this fact please consider the following

(1) If you fall and smash your head off the ground nobody gives a f*cking flying rats ass.

(2) If the fact that snow fall has the unfortunate side effect of inconveniencing you. SWEEP IT OFF THE F*CKING PAVEMENT YOURSELF and stop crying like a bitch.

knird evol

starbelgrade wrote: »

I don't think you can sue a person if they slip on your footpath.

It's not really their fault.

OPENROAD wrote: »

They can sue you though, possibly

I think your other neighbor can sue the both of you. You are obviously both fvckups. And deserve to have the full rigors of the law brought against you.

syklops

OPENROAD wrote: »

What is the legal position of clearing a public pavement yourself, and someone then slipping on it?

I don't know where that myth came from. I have heard it so many times over the last few weeks, and there is no official standing on it whatsoever, and as far as I know no legal precedent.

The only situation I can think of, where you may get sued for clearing a path, is if you cleared the snow away, but left the ice. That would make the path very dangerous. Likewise, if you sprayed or poured hot water over the path to clear it, and then went in for a nice cup of tea, only for the water to cool and refreeze into a perfectly flat pseudo-ice rink. Doing either of those would be stupid, and you would deserve to be sued. Spread a little sand over the area, and I can not see a judge in the land even accepting the premise of the case.

Just on a side note, we have heard of the primary schools who banned running in case they get sued over injuries, and the people who dont clear paths for fear of being sued, I want to ask, has there been a sudden epidemic iin civil suits that I haven't heard about?

ArtSmart

Einhard wrote: »

It's not that we care less, it's just that irish people are generally more feckless! If I don't clear the snow from the drive to keep myself safe, why would I clear it to keep some randomer safe?!

yup. that's the Irish way. God bless us one an all.

OPENROAD

syklops wrote: »

I don't know where that myth came from. I have heard it so many times over the last few weeks, and there is no official standing on it whatsoever, and as far as I know no legal precedent.

The only situation I can think of, where you may get sued for clearing a path, is if you cleared the snow away, but left the ice. That would make the path very dangerous. Likewise, if you sprayed or poured hot water over the path to clear it, and then went in for a nice cup of tea, only for the water to cool and refreeze into a perfectly flat pseudo-ice rink. Doing either of those would be stupid, and you would deserve to be sued. Spread a little sand over the area, and I can not see a judge in the land even accepting the premise of the case.

Just on a side note, we have heard of the primary schools who banned running in case they get sued over injuries, and the people who dont clear paths for fear of being sued, I want to ask, has there been a sudden epidemic iin civil suits that I haven't heard about?

Its something that would not have been an issue years ago, but now, who knows, people are different, you clear the path but miss a bit or leave some ice.

ilovesleep

Well the good news is there a few oldies in my area dieing - a few less to vote ff. Im praying it gets colder.

Mr Marston

Apparently, it's a legal condition that you have to remove the snow from the footpath in front of your house in Massachusets (and other parts of the US i'm sure). Could be an idea if this sort of weather persists.

orourkeda

ilovesleep wrote: »

Well the good news is there a few oldies in my area dieing - a few less to vote ff. Im praying it gets colder.

every cloud has a silver lining

Einhard

ArtSmart wrote: »

yup. that's the Irish way. God bless us one an all.

I never said we were perfect!

fedor.2.

ilovesleep wrote: »

Well the good news is there a few oldies in my area dieing - a few less to vote ff. Im praying it gets colder.

Harsh

Panthro

I fackin love Snow me....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D39Lm_HRfOs

Informer
The man who makes all the snowmen he got blamed*
something something something
I lick ya boom booom down!


*not the lyrics

syklops

Mr Marston wrote: »

Apparently, it's a legal condition that you have to remove the snow from the footpath in front of your house in Massachusets (and other parts of the US i'm sure). Could be an idea if this sort of weather persists.

In many countries you face a fine for not clearing the snow. Scotland is one, Czechia and Germany are 2 more. I suspect there is something similar in Canada, though not sure, maybe a recent immigrant can clarify for us.

Senna

If you make an attempt to clear your path, you cannot be sued if someone falls on it. This was cleared up by the law society ages ago, its was a myth.

Ghandee

orourkeda wrote: »

Just go to the shops and buy your sh1t.

Or come to my gaff most weekends (curry night) we've so much we'd gladly donate some for free, steam and all!

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

syklops wrote: »

In many countries you face a fine for not clearing the snow. Scotland is one, Czechia and Germany are 2 more. I suspect there is something similar in Canada, though not sure, maybe a recent immigrant can clarify for us.

What if you're away on holiday when it snows?

Irish Guitarist

I slipped on the ice a couple of weeks ago. I put it down to the fact that it was winter rather than blaming the recession.

mikemac

Our management company gets two lads in with a car and car trailer of grit to do the estate entrance, the steps around the estate and the footpaths.

Fair dues to the lads, there are here three times a day and that includes 7am and then up to 10pm. I'm sure they are getting well paid to do it

Me clear my footpath?
For 800 euro a year with over 100 occupied houses and apartments, the management company can do it. God knows they do little else around the estate!

Lumen

The people most physically able to shift the snow are those least likely to do it and instead come up with all sorts of lame faux-legal excuses to justify their selfish indolence.

Lazy feckin' kids need a kick up the end.

jester77

I think most people are waiting until it gets warm again before clearing the ice and snow. You couldn't be going out in the weather!

bonerm

micro_dot wrote: »

I skidded and slid all the way back to my car from the shop. There was a sheet of glassy ice all the way along the footpath.
Maybe the snow highlights how we are in our economic situation. No business thought of sweeping away the snow before it became ice. No homeowner realised that their economic wellbeing relies on the shop next door keeping shoppers mobile, especially before Christmas. Our future in our hands, so to speak. If we cleared away the snow, we have a better chance of keeping our heads above the water. Like the rampant overdevelopment, like voting for Fianna Fail the last time, you can see what should be done, but it's up to someone else to do something about it. You - me - will tut tut and walk away, hands clean, conscience dirty.

Economic Ireland's dead and gone.
It's with 0'Centigrade on the ground.

topper75

The Big government approach is to blame for both problems.

An economy built on welfare handouts and jobs for the boys means the exchequer situation becomes unsustainable.

People expecting the local authority to do jobs in their area means nobody feels a need to maintain the place. Natural community spirit is eroded.

People need to be given both more individual freedom and be expected to take on more individual responsibility. Small government is better.