Irelands inability to cope with snow

Copper23

So I'm watching this video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=iLM9xHmLGHE

Why is it that Ireland and Britain have a total inability to cope with any amount of snow?

I travel a lot with work so I see different countries and climates during the year and how they deal with it.

Last week I was working in Northern Massachusetts and had to drive back to Boston. It began to snow around 4pm and about 6inches to a foot was laid down in the space of 2 hours or so.

There was absolutley no problem getting home. The motorways were gritted and de-iced well in advance. The traffic was moving only slightly less than normal speeds and it probably took me an extra 10 minutes at most to get to my destination.

The next morning the roads/paths we so well de-iced and shovelled you'd hardly know it snowed the night before.

What is it with this part of the world... in the video, thats not an awful lot of snow to deal with.

I know we don't get as much as other parts of the world but we live in a climate where a small amount of snow is not out of the question. Why are we totally unprepared for it?

I just don't get it, it's totally unacceptable IMO that the snow is just left there, un-treated for the most part, it is compacted and frozen and we are left with roads and footpaths which are dangerous for days accounting for lots of injuries, damage and loss of profits and business' close down.

I don't actually think it's too much to ask that a country's government and councils learns to deal with a fairly likely and manageable weather occurance in our climate.

chin_grin

Copper23 wrote: »

Why are we totally unprepared for it?

Because we are?

Copper23 wrote: »

I don't actually think it's too much to ask that a country's government and councils learns to deal with a fairly likely and manageable weather occurance in our climate.

G'wan you! Blame everyone else for not coming to your house personally and shovelling the snow from your drive. Jaysus wept.

super_furry

Copper23 wrote: »

Why is it that Ireland and Britain have a total inability to cope with any amount of snow?

Because weather events like this happen once every 20 years and it would be an absolute waste of money to buy a fleet of snow ploughs and the rest of it.

Overheal

Copper23 wrote: »

Northern Massachusetts

Theres your answer. And how many Toll Booths did you pass through? Massachussens and several other New England states pay an arm and a leg for great roads. Exceptionally maintained, but also pretty heavily tolled. Driving to Maine from South Carolina you can expect to pay $60 in Toll Booth fees alone.

I remember watching reports from Atlanta GA last year where most of the city was basically shut down by a bit of snow and freezing rain. Truthfully, you can't be prepared for every eventuality, its not cost effective to store an army of snowplows or tankers full of grit just in case the country receives record snowfalls.

2Scoops

Are you willing to pay higher taxes to cover the cost of labour, salt, machinery etc., for the few times in the year it may actually snow? And even if you are willing to pay, is everyone else?

Wazdakka

2Scoops wrote: »

Are you willing to pay higher taxes to cover the cost of labour, salt, machinery etc., for the few times in the year it may actually snow? And even if you are willing to pay, is everyone else?

because the taxes we pay are used so efficiently as it is yea?

RonMexico

In fairness do we do anything right in this country? No.

Snow is no different. Just exposes more incompetence.

Dravokivich

Everyone rushing to their cars to get out.... geee... that's not going to cause gridlock and traffic problems regardless of the weather conditions is it?

Overheal

Wazdakka wrote: »

because the taxes we pay are used so efficiently as it is yea?

You'd want to be taxed and tolled. And again you'd want to drive on these highways the OP is talking about. Really impressive all the little outposts and garages off the side of the highway with grit and rescue vehicles just standing by for car wrecks and winter storms. But again, you know where the money comes from. Here's some of the money they're getting from taxes, and I doubt these figures include revenue from Tolling.

For instance, the Massachusetts State Budget allotted $118m For Snow and Ice Control alone.

http://www.mass.gov/bb/gaa/fy2009/app_09/sect_09/h600detail.htm

Oranage2

Has anybody noticed that since the Celtic Tiger immergrated to China we've got a lot of heavy snow? could the 'boom' and no snow be a coincidence? I think not!!!

robinph

2Scoops wrote: »

Are you willing to pay higher taxes to cover the cost of labour, salt, machinery etc., for the few times in the year a decade it may actually snow? And even if you are willing to pay, is everyone else?

FYP

It's just even more unusual that it's happened twice within the same calendar year.

Essien

I'd be happier if people would it least learn to drive in it.

smellslikeshoes

To be fair this fall of snow has seen a marked improvement over the one a few weeks back in how it's been dealt with here in Wexford and I'm sure a lot of other counties.

It doesn't happen very often so we don't spend the required money to be prepared for it when it does happen.

paddydriver

Mr video taker should have hopped the fence, down onto the M50 and lent a hand

Very little concept of people helping each other in this country - as someone ^ points out, why should we wait for the council to come to our help. Get out and do it yourself!

Few of us went to front of our estate this morning and cleared about 40 feet of road cause everyone was getting stuck in it due to it being a slight incline on a corner; some of the people driving in past us looked at us in disbelief and some in disgust that we would do this! Other's just didn't acknowledge us - odd one gave us a Thanks.

ScumLord

For the same reason Eskimos don't have a summer wardrobe.

Knasher

I'd imagine we would be quite bad at dealing with severe drought as well.

chin_grin

ScumLord wrote: »

For the same reason Eskimos don't have a summer wardrobe.

Mind = blown. 'tis but a myth!

Overheal

Speaking of what you spend am I reading this thing right?

http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2010/Documents/whitepaperfin2010.pdf

Page 7 item 32, Transport: is that 581 million or 581 thousand?

TheZohanS

Overheal wrote: »

Speaking of what you spend am I reading this thing right?

http://www.budget.gov.ie/Budgets/2010/Documents/whitepaperfin2010.pdf

Page 7 item 32, Transport: is that 581 million or 581 thousand?

Million.

Fighting Irish

I sort of agree but i know for a fact that if the gov had bought too much salt and there wasn't any snow then most people would moan about the gov wasting money

curlzy

I don't think it's so much Ireland's inability to cope with snow (haven't missed a single day of work) as much as boardsies inability to stop moaning about everything.

AntiMatter

Cold precipitation
has caused consternation,
all up and down our once warm nation.

So, the population
sans acclimation,
ensconse themselves in hibernation.

For those who dare
to venture out,
they slip and slide and fall about.

''Pour the salt,
before traffic halts.''
''But, we're out of grit.'', the councils bawl.

''We apologise
for the traffic jamming,
but we have no plan for forward-planning.''

Mr. Manager

Am I the only one in thinking we're doing ok through this snow storm?

It's extremely rare that it happens (worst I've seen in 20 plus years) and I think the local councils have been on top of things quite well. You can't blame society for other peoples inadequacy when it comes to driving. I for one have had no issues (touch wood I wont).

Kimono-Girl

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

Am I the only one in thinking we're doing ok through this snow storm?

no.
i think most people for the most part, are doing great, i know in cork things are not as bad as the media and weather reports are making out, and i have been driving around just fine, and traffic has been very light for this time of year, so in a way its benefiting me that people are too afraid to drive!

Cereal Rapist wrote: »

You can't blame society for other peoples inadequacy when it comes to driving. I for one have had no issues (touch wood I wont).

i have been driving around just fine, even in my grandmothers housing estate where the snow hasn't melted and the roads have not been gritted we are all able to get around just fine, i know things are bad further up the hill but they are still getting out and about too! if you take it handy and learn how to control your car on ice, you will be fine.


some people are making a mountain out of a molehill with the snow!

danbohan

super_furry wrote: »

Because weather events like this happen once every 20 years and it would be an absolute waste of money to buy a fleet of snow ploughs and the rest of it.

maybe , but we have 450000 unemployed , now if they all had shovels !!!

Setun

To be honest I think the Irish constantly give Ireland a bad time when making comparisons with mainland Europe. In the Netherlands at the moment (actually I'm stuck in Schipol airport right now! ) and their train services have been decidedly random, bus services almost non existent on the snowier days, and trams are heavily delayed. The main roads are well looked after, true, but any secondary roads are as bad as they would be in Ireland. The only thing you can really do is drive safely, and do your bit with the pavement outside your house.

Cook my sock

danbohan wrote: »

maybe , but we have 450000 unemployed , now if they all had shovels !!!

Was wondering how long this would take :rolleyes:

Overheal

danbohan wrote: »

maybe , but we have 450000 unemployed , now if they all had shovels !!!

times ten euro per shovel... plus the cost of collectivization...

mloc

This is the third year in a row, not once in a decade.

As far as I am aware, Dublin City has 2 snowplows, one is currently out of action.

Some county council staff need to be sacked over this. Yesterday.

davyjose

super_furry wrote: »

Because weather events like this happen once every 20 years and it would be an absolute waste of money to buy a fleet of snow ploughs and the rest of it.

It happened a year ago!

I personally think we're seeing a change of climate here (sh!te summers used to be once every three or four - not every year!!!), and that it'll snow a lot from here on in. And we're going to have to get used to it.

Mr. Manager

Not a hope you can compare the weather we're having now to what we experienced 2 years ago!

Ok, fair enough, last year was bad but this year is definitely the worst. Even my mother (57) says this is the worst she can recall.

To reiterate what someone already said, it's reckless spending to go out and buy more snow ploughs, hire more council workers, purchase more salt, gritters etc.

If people were taught how to drive in the weather things might move a little smoother.. maybe snow socks could be made a legal requirement to use certain roads, mainly the Motorways.