Are we raising a generation of wimps?

shaunyshaun1234

stickyfiddle said:

I don't understand how this conversation happens every year. 

In Scandinavia, they have a saying which boils down to "there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing". i.e. nothing is a real problem if you're prepared for it. Equally, they know they'll get 4-6 months of snow every year and prepare accordingly. We drove through a proper life-endangering blizzard in January in Iceland because we had a massive van with the right tyres on it. Proper prep, no problem.

In the UK, it's generally accepted that for a couple of days a year everything will shut down because snow will come and fuck everyone's shit up. That's accepted (despite this seemingly endless whinging) because it's not worth investing millions to protect against losing productivity for 3 days a year. Especially since half the population can actually do their jobs from home anyway these days. 

The UAE is the same, only with rain. We get about 10 days of rain each winter, usually no issue, but once or twice it's huge and everything floods and 10% of the population has a car accident because they don't know how to deal with it. But that doesn't make it worth spending millions on almost-redundant drainage systems

Maybe just enjoy the change, and go have a snowball fight like any sensible adult who doesn't take themselves too seriously?

Spot on! 

Because we do only have snow a few days a year, get out and enjoy it. Especially if you have kids! 

Bridgehouse

Sporky said:

Ah.

Yes. Big winter tyres and wheels aren't cheap - fair point. Mine were 16s.

These might as well have been 32’s

Dominic

BRISTOL86 said:

joneve said:

Dominic said:

I'm just upset thinking about all those poor children in Switzerland,Austria,Bavaria,Sweden,Norway etc  that have to go without any education for 4 months of the year ........because ,of course, they must close all the schools there 

Can't really compare it though can you? They are guaranteed snow every year for those 4 months, and have the infrastructure to deal with it as it's the norm. We get a freak snow storm every ten years, so is pointless spending money on preparing for it. Cheaper to close the school for a couple of days every 10 years. 

Very much this. You can’t compare it to nations where weather like this is routine. 

I think that is a fair comment..........I understand that those countries make a more committed investment in anti -snow infrastructure but a few extra snowploughs and gritters in vulnerable areas ,Pennines etc wouldn't break the national economy.
 On a more sophisticated level I know that my friends apartment building in Lenzerheide has underfloor electric heating in the carpark and pathways and I think some of the German and Swiss airports and train concourses and runways have underfloor heating..........that is a huge investment for snow control

sev112

3 people dead today in separate incidents

WezV

Roland said:

The reason we didn’t close the schools In those days was that there was no way of telling people it was closed. No local radio. Lots of people didn’t have ‘phones.

I think you are on the right track there.  We had an automated text from school this morning before 8am.  Website and parents Facebook groups were updated instantly.

when I worked at a school just 7 years ago it was still a case of listening to the radio.

the decision is normally based on the number of staff who can make it in, and the state of the school yard

Bridgehouse

sev112 said:

3 people dead today in separate incidents

Were they all weather related?

sev112

Bridgehouse said:

sev112 said:

3 people dead today in separate incidents

Were they all weather related?

Apparently so

Nunogilberto

No.

Bridgehouse

Nunogilberto said:

No.

Careful you don’t fall off that fence there!

sev112

I’m just quoting what the news headlines on radio have been for the past 3 hours

got no axe to grind

WezV

something often forgotten about.....

Very few people are now in the position where one of the parents can stay home full time.   It was the norm for most middle and working class families as little as 30 years ago.   

That situation is a luxury these days.  

If you happen to be in something vaguely resembling a nuclear family the chances are both parents are working close to full time.   I have had to remind my MIL about this a few times.   she likes to point out all the things she things we should be doing with our little bits off free time... She had a lot more free time with her kids than we will ever get with ours

my point here is family circumstances have changed drastically.  Schools giving early notice of closure works better for modern family situations.  



....

Our school has just text to let us know they will be closed tomorrow.   That actually gives my wife and I chance to sort out some childcare.  I am glad they made an early decision and we can plan our professional lives around it

crunchman

sev112 said:

3 people dead today in separate incidents

Nearly 1800 people a year die in road accidents, so that would appear to be slightly below average.

Edit:  that might sound a bit callous.  I'm not trying to belittle it, or say that there aren't problems in large parts of the country.  It's just that when I see the schools around here shut needlessly it's very clear there has been a complete overreaction.  We've only had about 2 inches of snow, and most of that more than 48 hours ago.  All the roads are clear, public transport is working, it's dead flat without any hills, and the schools are shut.  It makes no sense.

DrJazzTap

I wouldn't say wimps. I do think people rely on cars too much. If it's ten miles or so you can walk or cycle to work if the weather is terrible. You can do anything if you do it slowly. 

BRISTOL86

DrJazzTap said:

I wouldn't say wimps. I do think people rely on cars too much. If it's ten miles or so you can walk or cycle to work if the weather is terrible. You can do anything if you do it slowly. 

Ten mile walk to work? Seriously? Maybe I’m lazy but not a chance in hell I’d do that!

Flink_Poyd

Makes me laugh when they close the schools and  say the teachers might not be able to make it in. I travel 35 miles every day and have only missed work once due to bad weather in 8 years. 

Axe_meister

Local Catholic girls school is still insisting girls wear short skirt and are not allowed to wear tights.

Legionreturns

BRISTOL86 said:

DrJazzTap said:

I wouldn't say wimps. I do think people rely on cars too much. If it's ten miles or so you can walk or cycle to work if the weather is terrible. You can do anything if you do it slowly. 

Ten mile walk to work? Seriously? Maybe I’m lazy but not a chance in hell I’d do that!

It's a bit shit if you're a taxi driver too, because then you've got to walk ten miles back to get your taxi.

DrJazzTap

BRISTOL86 said:

DrJazzTap said:

I wouldn't say wimps. I do think people rely on cars too much. If it's ten miles or so you can walk or cycle to work if the weather is terrible. You can do anything if you do it slowly. 

Ten mile walk to work? Seriously? Maybe I’m lazy but not a chance in hell I’d do that!

Mate it's easy, mind over matter. If you don't mind it doesn't matter. 
If I don't go to work I don't get paid. 
I've had bosses that would give me shit for not turning up to work "Colin has managed to get in from Wales etc".
Things are different these days though. Believe me i would rather drive in than walk ten miles! I used to cycle in all weather's, part of it is listening to my parents stories "in my day...." 
I don't encourage anyone to risk life and limb. But if you're able bodied and it's bad driving weather you can get around without the need for your car. 

Kilgore

DrJazzTap said:

I wouldn't say wimps. I do think people rely on cars too much. If it's ten miles or so you can walk or cycle to work if the weather is terrible. You can do anything if you do it slowly. 

If the weather is too bad to drive ten miles, then in my book, by definition it's too bad to walk.
If the ferry to Calais was cancelled due to bad weather, you're unlikely to think; it's ok I'll just swim.

chillidoggy

If I walked 10 miles to work, by the time I got there it would be time to go home again.

And as for using a push-bike - NFW, I've done enough time in A&E, thank you very much.