Snow Balls

In case you hadn't noticed, the UK has been experiencing a bit of a cold snap for the last few weeks. Snow, icy roads, Antarctic temperatures. It's enough to make you think it was the middle of winter! Well... it is!

I've got no problem with the wall to wall news coverage, "What can you tell us?" "It's snowing" "Thanks Mike, we'll come back to you in 5 minutes for an update", but I do have a problem with everybody regurgitating the same old rubbish line which can be found in various forms:

A few flakes of snow and the country goes to pot
No other country has problems dealing with snow.
Schools never used to shut down in my day.

Etc.

Let's face a few facts here:

1) the country has not gone to pot. Yesterday 86% of timetabled trains were running. Most people made it to work. The end of the world did not arrive
2) Other countries don't have a problem with dealing with snow because their inhabitants are MORE INTELLIGENT. It's not because of Government/council preparedness (though that is great). People clear the snow from their local paths. People don't drive during blizzards. People don't go for walks down country lanes, wearing high heels, during blizzards. That sort of thing. People claim to be snowed into their homes. Unless there are 10ft snow drifts I highly doubt that! It's more the case they just don't know how to cope, what to wear and where to go.
3) Schools didn't close down in the past because people LIVED NEAR THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS. They didn't lie about where they lived to get into some far distant decent school's catchment area. They didn't force their children to go on 40 miles round trips on buses to school. Hence schools didn't need to close. Although I remember even in the 80s schools closing for snow days so me thinks selective memory is taking effect.

The MET Office releases a severe weather warning stating "Take Action". What did people do? Went for drives, commuted etc. Then they all moan when they get trapped in their cars by the snow!! What did they think was going to happen???

*sigh* The snow is great, all is well in the United Kingdom except for the usual quota of moany bastards who seem to think just about any situation is 1) a disaster and 2) the Government's fault and nothing to do with their own obvious failings.

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