[News] The question reporters SHOULD have been asking stranded motorists

[goldstone]

So you've been stuck in a traffic jam for 12 hours on this A road in Devon. What part of "there's a red weather alert, don't drive" didn't you understand?

 

[Notters]

So you've been stuck in a traffic jam for 12 hours on this A road in Devon. What part of "there's a red weather alert, don't drive" didn't you understand?

You could argue that it's a direct result of the media sensationalising everything. Also I think most of the people stuck were in Hampshire and Manchester where there wasn't a red warning.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

Yeah, this


<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is J31 of M5 currently. Are these really all "Essential"?<br>As the road is now closed, a major problem for emergency services! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uksnow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uksnow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/police?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#police</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Exeter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Exeter</a> <a href="https://t.co/hvUsfqfNop">pic.twitter.com/hvUsfqfNop</a></p>— PC Phil Skedgell D&C (@ExeterTurnAroun) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExeterTurnAroun/status/969259400497106947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Nope, I can't work out how to embed tweets

 

[BNthree]

Yeah, this

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">This is J31 of M5 currently. Are these really all "Essential"?<br>As the road is now closed, a major problem for emergency services! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/uksnow?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#uksnow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/police?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#police</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Exeter?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Exeter</a> <a href="https://t.co/hvUsfqfNop">pic.twitter.com/hvUsfqfNop</a></p>— PC Phil Skedgell D&C (@ExeterTurnAroun) <a href="https://twitter.com/ExeterTurnAroun/status/969259400497106947?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 1, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[Tweet]969259400497106947[/Tweet]

 

[Exile]

So you've been stuck in a traffic jam for 12 hours on this A road in Devon. What part of "there's a red weather alert, don't drive" didn't you understand?

Did they ALL set off after those warnings, then?

You could argue that it's a direct result of the media sensationalising everything. Also I think most of the people stuck were in Hampshire and Manchester where there wasn't a red warning.

Quite. A colleague of mine was stuck stationary in his van last night (in Southampton) for 7 hours, due to an accident closing a flyover.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

A lot of the people on the road will be those needing to work for a living and don't have a choice. All those that have been told to stay at home or have decided to close their workplace down (schools) etc are ones who will be paid anyway without having to make a profit.

Less vehicles on the roads cause roads to worsen in condition.

Snowflakes abound....

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

You could argue that it's a direct result of the media sensationalising everything. Also I think most of the people stuck were in Hampshire and Manchester where there wasn't a red warning.

I think its a direct result of British people trying to be macho and saying 'I won't let a bit of snow stop me. Do you think we won the war by staying home in the snow?'

People died yesterday. Whoever the hell thought it was a good idea to try and cross Dartmoor on the A30, or try and go up and down Haldon Hill and Telegraph Hill on the A38/A380, with those weather forecasts, were just being incredibly selfish.

 

[studio150]

It did make me chuckle when a stranded motorist was complaining about not seeing any gritting lorries. Totally overlooking that if you're in a long queue of stranded traffic, the gritter won't be able to drive along the road to grit it.

There does these days seem to be a blind faith that with all the technology on cars now (4WD, ESP etc) that they can drive their cars in any conditions, and go out not prepared for adverse weather.

 

[Hamilton]

As PILTDOWN says, a lot of people will have tried to get to work because they need to - either because they are providing what is seen as an essential service; their employer won't let them work at home; they can't work from home; or they just need the money.

I'm lucky. I can work remotely with ease.

 

[wellquickwoody]

How about some people need to work for a living? How about some need to get to their place of work? Hospitals? Council offices? Energy suppliers? How about the school headmistress stops thinking that her staff might be vput at risk by life in general? How about the media stop overplaying everything to the point that nobody takes notice anymore? How about the emergency services stop bleating on about how dangerous things are via their Twatter account and actually got on with doing their job? How about people WALKING to work? I did it years ago, 4 or 5 miles in snow a foot deep, Mrs WQW did it in the last decent snowfall about 7 or 8 years ago, Hove to Shoreham and back. How about the lightweights stop using a smattering of snow as an excuse for a day off (and expect to be paid)? Meanwhile, it will be 31 Centigrade here tomorrow!

 

[Gwylan]

As PILTDOWN says, a lot of people will have tried to get to work because they need to - either because they are providing what is seen as an essential service; their employer won't let them work at home; they can't work from home; or they just need the money.

This must be an element in it. A change in the law to make it illegal for companies to withhold pay when employees can't come in due to bad weather would ameliorate the situation

 

[beorhthelm]

This must be an element in it. A change in the law to make it illegal for companies to withhold pay when employees can't come in due to bad weather would ameliorate the situation

easy for you to say

 

[Westdene Seagull]

As PILTDOWN says, a lot of people will have tried to get to work because they need to - either because they are providing what is seen as an essential service; their employer won't let them work at home; they can't work from home; or they just need the money.

I'm lucky. I can work remotely with ease.

Correct. I work in telecoms so you'd think remote working would be obvious - Monday we all get an email making perfectly clear that everyone was expected to get to the office - or face not being paid !

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

As PILTDOWN says, a lot of people will have tried to get to work because they need to - either because they are providing what is seen as an essential service; their employer won't let them work at home; they can't work from home; or they just need the money.

I'm lucky. I can work remotely with ease.

But its incredibly selfish. Try using that reasoning to the family of the 7 year old girl killed in Looe by a car that skated out of control down a hill; or the children of someone who kills himself in an accident in the snow. Get a hotel for the night, take a day off unpaid, its better in the long-run. Its one day in 25 years for christ's sake

How about some people need to work for a living? How about some need to get to their place of work? Hospitals? Council offices? Energy suppliers? How about the school headmistress stops thinking that her staff might be vput at risk by life in general? How about the media stop overplaying everything to the point that nobody takes notice anymore? How about the emergency services stop bleating on about how dangerous things are via their Twatter account and actually got on with doing their job? How about people WALKING to work? I did it years ago, 4 or 5 miles in snow a foot deep, Mrs WQW did it in the last decent snowfall about 7 or 8 years ago, Hove to Shoreham and back. How about the lightweights stop using a smattering of snow as an excuse for a day off (and expect to be paid)? Meanwhile, it will be 31 Centigrade here tomorrow!

or yes, walk to work.

Those conditions in Devon yesterday were horrendous - and completely forecast days in advance.

 

[Notters]

This must be an element in it. A change in the law to make it illegal for companies to withhold pay when employees can't come in due to bad weather would ameliorate the situation

Still no good for the self employed I guess.

 

[el punal]

As well as some incredible and heartwarming stories of people helping stranded motorists and the like, there are some people who you just wonder if they've got a brain. Braving the snow and ice today I walked down to my local supermarket to get some urgent supplies (a bottle of wine was one!). A numb nuts boy racer was coming up the road over revving and spinning his wheels, I did a "slow down" gesture and indicated ice ahead. He gave me his best "f*** off" look, I sincerely hope he wrapped his car around a lamp post - without injuring himself of course.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

This must be an element in it. A change in the law to make it illegal for companies to withhold pay when employees can't come in due to bad weather would ameliorate the situation

Self-employed?

Loaf of bread £5-00 Milk £10-00 Why?Because companies attempting to make a profit after paying their staff to sit at home. Please get real.

I love the way so many believe it's ok just to expect money from their employers irrelevant of their attendance. It all has to be costed, sick pay, maternity pay, paternity pay, holiday pay and now living too far away from your work to walk, you have to stay at home pay.

My old contract stated I had to live within the vicinity of my place of work. You were allowed to live further afield but would be expected to make arrangements to get in if bad weather hit. This could be staying in a hotel close by. Not a problem as it was for an airline so plenty around the airport. BA even paid for the hotel.

 

[Diablo]

This must be an element in it. A change in the law to make it illegal for companies to withhold pay when employees can't come in due to bad weather would ameliorate the situation

Ameliorate the problem for employee maybe....Not so good for employer or self employed !!

 

[Pavilionaire]

This weather is a barometer of the fact common sense has gone out of the window.

I've just received text notification at 1.44pm that they are shutting my son's school at 2.00pm, so one hour early. WTF is going to happen in that one hour that is so bad? I look outside and the snow is not even half a centimetre thick.

 

[Is it PotG?]