Guerilla Gritting

[Wearethegowlett]

I am cross about the ice, for the fourth year in a row... Back streets are abandoned by the people we pay council tax to... When London was torn apart by its own citizens people came out to clean it up. But frail people are paralysed by our council's inefficiency... I have tweeted Southwark council and virus Johnson about starting a guerilla gritting campaign. It can't be that hard. Who's with me?

[Wearethegowlett]

Boris clearly, but an interesting predictive text...

[fl0wer]

What d'you have in mind exactly?

Nice full salt/sand bin along our road where some residents have immaculately ice-free pavement just outside their houses, so I assume each person has helped themselves and already done their own, or paid a helper to.

[david_carnell]

Have cleared snow and salted the length of my block. Got some funny looks from passers-by on Sunday when I was doing it mind.

[StraferJack]

"Got some funny looks from passers-by on Sunday when I was doing it mind."

because the residents of your street never give funny looks to 20-somethings with tweed trousers and flat caps

[Penguin68]

On Sunday morning I (and a little later my neighbour, who borrowed my shovel) cleared the stretch of pavement outside our properties - the snow then was very easily shovelled and hadn't been walked into ice. As I was clearing the snow a number of people walked past - only one, an elderly couple of, I'd guess, Eastern European origins, commented on what I was doing or thanked me. Everyone else stalked past without even a smile. I am so glad I made the effort! [And no, for a very long time, these were the only two properties in a very long street with cleared pavements, but no surprise there.]

[CF]

i am with you!!!!

also remember people to check on elderly neighbours to make sure they are ok for food etc do a good deed today!

[lane lover]

Wearethegowlett Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I am cross about the ice, for the fourth year in a

> row... Back streets are abandoned by the people we

> pay council tax to... When London was torn apart

> by its own citizens people came out to clean it

> up. But frail people are paralysed by our

> council's inefficiency... I have tweeted Southwark

> council and virus Johnson about starting a

> guerilla gritting campaign. It can't be that hard.

> Who's with me?

Not sure if you have noticed, but the economic situation isnt exactly at its best. Many services have been cut, and sadly this is the world we live in.

I am far more concerned about police cutbacks than worrying about a few days of slippery pavements every year.

[Green Goose]

Snow clearing is a classic task for those crims doing so-called Community Service.

In advance of a predicted snowfall, allocate each a shovel and a stretch of pavement (about 200 yards) and tell them to keep the pavement clear - starting at 6am before it get tramped into ice.

Conduct a daily performance appraisal with the incentive of reduced sentence if performance is satisfactory. Ooh, and they must hand the shovel back too, when the job is done.

It is a system that works well in Austria, Bavaria and some states in the USA.

GG

[Loz]

Austria seems to have snow clearing down to a fine art. As soon as the snow starts dropping the Winderdienst ploughs and gritters roll into action, snow is moved off to the side and later removed altogether. It is really quite impressive - it takes at least a half a meter of snow to cause any disruption.

On the other hand 2cm of snow in the UK and civilisation grinds to a halt.

[Ted Max]

And I believe Japan has better earthquake-proof building standards than the UK. It's a fecking mystery to me as to why that is.

Anyway, to the Gowlett's point: lots more grit bins with a "spread yourself" notice on them could work out OK. Some people would nick the grit, yes, but generally it could help.

[Huguenot]

I'm guessing that not one resident of ED on this forum has bought a set of winter tyres - for the fairly obvious reason that it's not worth shelling out vast sums of money for something that happens for a couple of days a year.

Your money is better spent!

So is the taxpayer cash - that's why we don't build a transport system for Arctic conditions.

[Green Goose]

> Your money is better spent!

>

> So is the taxpayer cash - that's why we don't

> build a transport system for Arctic conditions.

Spot on. There is a hint of the "Dependency Culture" with the OP ie get the authorities to come up with a solution -irrespective of the cost. And all this while we have fit and able people claiming benefits and sitting at home watching Sky Sports.

An ordinary shovel costs about ?9 and a snow shovel costs $4.99 in Sainsbo's and will last years. I wonder if the OP has invested in either. Either way he/she wants to score cheap political points.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Watching the BBC weather forecast. More feckin' snow tonight.

Get your Sainsbos snow shovels out

[Ted Max]

The OP has actually been out on the streets spreading grit, and you're on here spouting shit.

But you fill your boots.

Green Goose Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Spot on. There is a hint of the "Dependency

> Culture" with the OP ie get the authorities to

> come up with a solution -irrespective of the cost.

> And all this while we have fit and able people

> claiming benefits and sitting at home watching Sky

> Sports.

>

> An ordinary shovel costs about ?9 and a snow

> shovel costs $4.99 in Sainsbo's and will last

> years. I wonder if the OP has invested in either.

> Either way he/she wants to score cheap political

> points.

[annabel42]

A report published by Southwark Council on its website and dated 30 January 2012 states:

"The Council also has an 80 strong fleet of hand gritting machines to ensure footpaths and pavements are kept as clear as possible.

In addition, there are almost 200 grit bins across Southwark to enable residents to clear their own pathways and pavements.

Bags of grit have also been distributed across local estates to grit exposed stairways, slopes, ramps and outside sheltered housing.

Almost 100 staff including lorry drivers, foremen and sweepers, will be involved in keeping the streets and roads clear if snowfall is heavy".

[Green Goose]

Ted Max Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> The OP has actually been out on the streets

> spreading grit, and you're on here spouting shit.

>

>

> But you fill your boots.

Dangerous to make assumptions old chap. You will be disappointed to know that I spread 7.5 Kg of my own rock salt in front of our house plus our neighbours and then cleared the bad icy bits remaining.

I have one 20 kg bag of salt spare for ?14. Come round and collect it if you like and when you are here, kindly check out the pavement. You can PM me to get the address.

GG