Glasgow Stutters To A Winter Standstill, 'Perfect Storm' grips city (photo special) Options

[captain]

i stay just outside of glasgow(north east)....i have been unable to leave the area since tuesday the 2nd of december.This could have been prevented everyone knew the snow was on its way.

[**greta**]

Hi, whilst I agree this can be very annoying and hard for many people, its a natural event, hard to predict even in this day and age. Other countries that are more used to such downfalls can in some cases cope better, they usually have higher budgets to deal with these situations. I was born and brought up in Glasgow but have lived in the country side for years now. Here we just have to deal with situations like this by coping with them as best we can, last year we had no water, due to freezing temperatures for over two weeks. And we have also been more or less abandoned by snow drifts in the past. You just have to get on with things as best you can. I dont like to see my old city losing revenue as I still think highly of the old girl. But I think its a case of , if you want more done in situations like this you have to pay for it. Its the same with everything in this life, sorry if you dont realize that.

[bigdrew]

Glasgow City Council aren't too brilliant either......
EXAMPLE:
Up here in Nitshill/Priesthill we had had very, very little gritting on the slopes and hills that are catching out the cars.
Because of this the buses are not running, so OAP's and Disabled are effectively housebound.
Council policy is to prioritise routes for gritting to allow buses to travel.
Buses are under instruction NOT to try areas that are not gritted.
Because of the weather, gritters are having problems getting into the schemes.
Because there is no gritting, buses are not coming into the areas.
Because the buses are not coming into the area, there is no priority to grit heavily.........
And like a dog chasing its tail....we go around and around.........

[pedropresley]

Hi everybody re the weather I think it is scandalous we pensioners are stuck at home all because the council cant handle this, why not get the young ones signing on benefits to clear pathways for a bit more money, I'm sure they would be glad of a bit extra in their pockets and it would give them something to do. I watched a grit spreader the other day and I could have spat out more from my mouth also he never even attempted to come into our street which has never been touched since this all began. It seems Glasgow Council are only concerned with the 2014 games at the moment they should get their priorities right for once.

[benny]

Had to laugh at your description of the gritters, Pedro. Last time ah ventured oot wis 13 days ago - ah went tae Aldi's supermarket jist roon the corner frae me. There wis a lorry wi a snowplough attachment on the front gaun roon the car park, wi two guys in the back throwin oot grit. No wi the normal shovels though - they were usin two wee scoops that held about a handful of grit - they wid hiv been as well usin teaspoons.

Naebody can blame the government for no bein able tae predict natural disasters - somebody mentioned volcanoes - but ye can blame them fur no bein properly equipped an prepared fur tacklin them when they dae happen. Prolonged heavy snowfalls and freezin temperatures might no be an annual event in Scotland nooadays, but the possibility is always there. (Unlike volcanoes eruptin. ) We've had many severe winters over the last 50 years, so it isnae as if such weather is unknown in Scotland, and contingency plans should have been drawn up long ago tae deal with such a possibility.

The Minister responsible in Scotland admits his responsibility, but shrugs off calls for his resignation by citing "exceptional circumstances". That's whit he's there for - tae deal effectively wi "exceptional circumstances" when they arise, an if he cannae dae it, then he should move on and give the task over tae somebody who can.

[ladihelen]

Over 24 yrs ago we as a family were all involved with snow clearing as although my husband was in the forefront we at home had to take the phone calls from the weather person .....with the added wrist slapped if it went wrong.
Now with most things contracted out the councils have to trust that their orders will be carried out AND if you want a gritter at every road end YOU have to pay for it

Some of thesew chaps out gritting are doing end to end shifts without even a thankk you Oh yes they do get paid but would YOU do that job ? My DH had a hearty attack and was still giving out orders when the roadmen came to the door

WE NEED MORE INVESTMENT

[beezzneezz1]

this is all the traffic that got stuck in hawthorne st at springburn , the pic is a bit blurred but thas because of the snow

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[nippynell]

Hi People
I'm still wating on the plumber to sort my outside tap...this will b the 3rd time it has burst...and looks like I'm not the only one in my avenue, over from me a huge burst pipe is spouting water onto the drive...as if the road was'nt slidy enough! OHhhh! when is it going to end?????

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[magsdevlin]

I travelled into Glasgow last night to see my daughter off on a train to Manchester, which left on time. I then went to Argyle Street station for a train back home. After waiting for 90 minutes on the platform with my train coming up on the noticeboard and then dropping off after it was due I went to speak to the staff upstairs. They informed me not to go by anything on the noticeboard which begs me to wonder why they weren't turned off rather than displaying unhelpful information. He told me there hadn't been a train to my destination for 3 hours and none that he could see in service. I walked along Argyle Street and there were no workmen gritting the pavements which were precarious. I phoned my husband who drove in to get me and we decided to wait another hour in town to pick my daughter up from her work, as she would be faced with the same transport problems. We travelled out the M8 motorway at 9.45pm and I can't explain what a terrifying experience it was. Every lane was thick with ice and rutted. It was so dangerous.I didn't pass one gritting lorry. The truck in front of me was constantly losing control. The overheads were flashing 30mph but anything above 10mph would have been foolhardy.

This is the motorway, not a B road or a side road and it was not safe. Okay on Monday it was taking us 12 hours for a 25 minutes journey home from work.Not pleasant but understandable. We had no fresh snow for the last two days although temperatures were -13 degrees. I've spoken up for the Council's handling of this adverse situation but after the experience of last night I feel quite differently.

[beatricemca]

Just spoke with my daughter who is a nurse in Glasgow and is having problems getting to work. When I lived in Connecticut we had lists of people with 4 wheel drives who would transport nurses, firemen and police during winter snow storms. We used chains until roads were plowed clear.
Now that I live in Florida I wouldn't mind a little snow.Today it is 65 degrees and sunny,people are out with coats and gloves and complaining of the "cold" Little dae they ken......

[The Callands Reb...]

Let it snow Let it snow!

But not in richmond virginia or coverage area of Central virginia.

One inch of snow in these localities cripples us Southerners.

Seems, we can't drive at all and the best thing to do is settle in with ole Johnny Walker Black and ride it out.

Given the amount of snow you received Richmond would be non-functionable for weeks if not months.

Hang in there folks.

Jerry

[benny]

It seems that Edinburgh punters who abandoned their cars in the snow are now to be fined, according to the BBC News website. They will either be given a parking ticket or towed away - and presumably made to pay for it. So, it's a double whammy for anyone unfortunate enough to have got stuck in the snow because Edinburgh council didn't keep the roads clear.

[GG]

Benny, that's not good news at all but thanks for letting us know. on the subject of Edinburgh, there's a good cartoon about the chaos in The Scotsman today ... I'll see if I can get it online in a moment.

Back to the chaos in Glasgow. I've just been able to retrieve some of the photos I took on Monday – when the rush-hour snow downpour caused mayhem. Looking back on it, it was quite surreal. A taxi driver compared it to me tonight as a scene from the film 'The Day After Tomorrow'. I wouldn't quite go that far, however, Petershill Road was complete chaos and bewilderment! And playing golf at Littlehill was out of the question, second photo!

GG.

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[lindamac]

Had to laugh at your description of the gritters, Pedro. Last time ah ventured oot wis 13 days ago - ah went tae Aldi's supermarket jist roon the corner frae me. There wis a lorry wi a snowplough attachment on the front gaun roon the car park, wi two guys in the back throwin oot grit. No wi the normal shovels though - they were usin two wee scoops that held about a handful of grit - they wid hiv been as well usin teaspoons.

Naebody can blame the government for no bein able tae predict natural disasters - somebody mentioned volcanoes - but ye can blame them fur no bein properly equipped an prepared fur tacklin them when they dae happen. Prolonged heavy snowfalls and freezin temperatures might no be an annual event in Scotland nooadays, but the possibility is always there. (Unlike volcanoes eruptin. ) We've had many severe winters over the last 50 years, so it isnae as if such weather is unknown in Scotland, and contingency plans should have been drawn up long ago tae deal with such a possibility.

The Minister responsible in Scotland admits his responsibility, but shrugs off calls for his resignation by citing "exceptional circumstances". That's whit he's there for - tae deal effectively wi "exceptional circumstances" when they arise, an if he cannae dae it, then he should move on and give the task over tae somebody who can.

I completely agree with ye Benny man you're talking sense all the way here.Simularly to what ive spoken above re a contingency plan, no matter how long a plan stays in mothballs always better to have it than not have it .It is crazy to take a silly teaspoon tae huge punch bowl of Broth yeel be there awe day every day till it is done so to speak lol I like what you have said Thanks mate for your good sense.

PS Thanks for the pictures GG it looks like utter caos for you all my heart goes out to all affected by this mess.

[Rob Rattray]

I truly am aghast at your weather conditions when I am suffering a heat stroke at the moment with all liklihood of becoming worse over the next few months. No need for ploughs out here for I can truthfully add i have NEVER in 64 years, ever seen snow!