This country is a joke

[Icy Gull]

Helsinki airport hasn't been closed due to snow or bad weather for over 50 years. You'd think we'd be able to go 52 weeks without closing airports wouldn't you?

 

[bhaexpress]

No-one really knows why Sweden's suicide is so high, especially when you consider the numbers in Norway and Denmark are dramatically lower.

Back on topic, it's the infrastructure in this country, as most people on here have said. To be honest, with the number of bank holidays in the UK amongst the lowest in Europe, I really can't get that cross about the occasional enforced absence from work owing to adverse weather conditions.

Actually, alcohol is very expensive in Scandinavia which may well be a contributing factor.

 

[bhaexpress]

Helsinki airport hasn't been closed due to snow or bad weather for over 50 years. You'd think we'd be able to go 52 weeks without closing airports wouldn't you?

Well, apart from the infrastructure issues already mentioned Helsinki Airport is hardly Heathrow is it ?

 

[bhaexpress]

This is a false argument. In Europe, if a Bank Hoilday falls on a Saturday or a Sunday its tough shit you may miss out on a day off. There is no Bank Holiday Monday. In the end, it evens itself out though the year. Somtimes, there is NO time off at Christmas! But thats when, well the lovely Greeks anyway, go on strike to make up for it!

Maybe so but many countries have more annual leave than here.

 

[backson]

I generally like to have a little fun at the expense of people who moan like this, asking them...

Do you have snow chains? Do you keep your screen wash and anti freeze permanently topped up? Did you, on your last journey, take with you a shovel? A flask of hot drink? Food? Matting or cat litter? Extra clothes or blankets? Did you allow extra time?

If the answer to any of these is no, I'll start ranting at the person about expecting authorities to be prepared at great public expense, but without bothering to make any kind of preparations themselves.

 

[Fef]

In Helsinki these conditions are normal from november through to march so they prepare for it year in year out. In good old blighty we can get these conditions at any time for a week or two, february and november this year but nothing else really for the last five years so it makes sense that we take it as it comes and not spend millions on something that might not happen.

Quite right. But it is great fun to listen to the grumpies on the radio moaning about how long it's taken them to get from Ikea to John Lewis - right after the 'don't travel if you don't have to' announcement.

 

[Goring Gull]

I believe that the Fins are topping themselves at a fair old rate too, hopefully this will not apply to Neil and Tim Finn

This is probably down to the cost of alcohol - I bought two beers and two Jagermeisters on Saturday night the cost......... 25 Euros!!!!!!!!!

 

[e77]

Trains do seem to break down at the first sign of frost in this country.

 

[Beach Hut]

Trains do seem to break down at the first sign of frost in this country.

Disagree entirely it is only when severe weather like now there are problems.

 

[e77]

Disagree entirely it is only when severe weather like now there are problems.

Saying that FCC seem to break down in the middle of the summer.

I agree we don't get enough snow to justify the measures Finland make, but we could probably get more grit in as I can't imagine it goes out of date.

 

[daveinprague]

Seems like every year now, people say, we dont get enough snow to warrant spending money on it...

 

[Beach Hut]

Saying that FCC seem to break down in the middle of the summer.

I agree we don't get enough snow to justify the measures Finland make, but we could probably get more grit in as I can't imagine it goes out of date.

Your point is about trains and frost so how will more grit resolve that ?

 

[nwgull]

We get this sort of comments every year. Why don't we spend millions & millions of public finances on snow ploughs and grit stock piles so that for the 4 or 5 days we get snow in this country we can deal with it. I'd certainly be up for a 50% increase in my council tax to cover snow ploughs that will be used 5 days out of 365....Helsinki and Tallinn have to deal with this kind of weather on a regular basis over an extended period of time - of course they cope with it.

Absolutely spot on, this weather isn't even an annual occurrence, I think last year was the first time I had built a snowman in the UK for about 8 years!

It's interesting that people will expect busses trains etc. to run on time in extreme (for this country) weather, but hardly anyone will invest in a set of winter tyres for their private vehicles.

 

[bhaexpress]

I'm not saying everyone who can't get out their house is being lazy, far from it. But I know a lot of people, even in my company, who live within a few miles of me that say they can't make it in when all it takes is a bit of work to clear your car off and some patient driving

That's despite the fact that here people are advised not to travel ? It takes a lot more than careful driving, you have to avoid those people who 'need' to drive for a start. It may not be bad where you are but here even ambulances are in short supply.

 

[Mellotron]

Having read through this thread I agree with Bold Seagull - it's utter nonsense to even try to compare us to Skandinavian countries, couldn't be more different. If we spent loads on preparing for snow then it didn't come the SAME people would be moaning that it was wasted money.

 

[bhaexpress]

Seems like every year now, people say, we dont get enough snow to warrant spending money on it...

As has been said earlier, we've hardly had any real snow up until last year for a while. Bearing in mind your location how would you know ?

 

[Wilko]

Of course there are lazy people, but you're being unfair if you're accusing everybody not in work of laziness. I left my office in London at 8pm last night, and didn't get home (25 miles away) until 10.30pm. What's the point of trying to get in and running that risk again when I can do my job at 70% from home?

I am not accusing everyone, hence why I wrote that some areas are dangerous - London being an area that has clearly been impacted. There are however a huge number of people that will use a few flakes of the white stuff as a good enough excuse to switch the alarm off, roll over and not even attempt to get up.

 

[BLOCK F]

A small amount of snow and the whole place comes to a standstill. I was out in Helsinki and Tallinn over the weekend temperatures down at minus 12 in Tallinn there was about 4 ft of snow but the airports are still open, the trains still run and the trams are still working and life carries on as normal.

Why the hell can't we cope yes they are more used to it than us but every year we get the same old "it won't happen again" "we will be better prepared next time" What then happens? Chaos again.

Despite all the 'we don't get snow like Scandinavia' comments so it is not worth spending zillions,I am with Goring Gull.
The authorities ,quite rightly got criticised last January and said 'we will be better prepared next time'.Bollocks they are....same crap same chaos.
Pathetic.

 

[Icy Gull]

So closing one of the busiest airports in the world (Gatwick) for 24 hours due to weather we knew was coming is quite acceptable? No wonder foreigners LAUGH at how Brits just accept things and make excuses for incompetence. I expect once the airports open airlines like Easyjet and Ryanair will find they haven't got enough de-icer to fly.

 

[philsussex]

I love this country and couldn't imagine living in some ghastly foreign place.

Who cares if the trains break down a couple of times a year.