I know that, to the population of the British Isles, moaning about the weather is a national past time, but I wish to hell everyone would shut up about the current cold winter. It’s winter for crying out loud.
WHAT THE HELL DID YOU EXPECT?
Sure I know I’m being a bit hypocritical after my moaning posts about the cold in my flat, but in my defence I’m not complaining about the cold itself I’m complaining about the lack of preparation for the cold.
As far as I can tell this winter has been so bad because Britain as a whole is completely unprepared for a bout of snow and freezing temperatures that lasts anything more than a week or so. So why is that? Could it be because much of our utility infrastructure, especially the water network, is Victorian. Could it also be because we suffer from chronic underinvestment of public spending on roads maintenance, front line council services and social care for the truly needy. Could it also be because Britain’s response to winter runs on action plans and studies that are, at best, products of the 1950′s and 60′s?
Perhaps the fact that our utilties and councils that are working round the clock to keep us moving, warm and supplied with “essential services” do not have a plan to deal with this kind of scenario?
Before the snow has even melted I guarantee that big wigs from Scottish Water, Scotia Gas Networks and all the local authorities are all up on the TV thanking their staff for working so hard over the winter and promising the “processes and procedures” will be put in place to deal with any similar situation in the future. The public and press will cheer at the thought that next time everything will be in hand.
It’s all lies of course. The big wigs will go back to their offices and start laying off more of the staff that helped them through the winter to meet “company profitably factors”. No doubt by the time the next bad winter comes around they’ll have gone through an election or a “restructure” be in a different job where they don’t have to worry about it.
We need to put aside all this health and safety bullshit, admit that ice can be a bit slippy, and get on with our lives. So what if you fall, a couple of bruises never harmed anyone, and if you do more damage you can get some time off work and hide in your house till it’s all over.
Meanwhile stop making such a flaptask out of the winter weather and get the hell on with life.