March 21 2013.
DON'T COMPLAIN GET OUT AND DIY! I have read with interest all the e-mail from people complaining about potholes and issues caused by the snow, and see they are all negative. I suppose that just sums us British up - always ready to criticise, and assuming we could do a better job if we were in charge.
The question I would ask to all the critics is: 'When it snows a few times a year, how do you propose we deal with it? Do we have hundreds of staff employed and just sitting there in a staff canteen with a load of new snow ploughs and gritters sitting in the yard, just waiting for it to snow? They need to be new, as we can't risk someone complaining that one has broken down. And who is going to pay for this, as I'm sure if we did this, the same people complaining would soon complain we are wasting tax payer's money.
Maybe we should train loads of people up to do this job, and then call on them as and when we need them? But we still need a yard full of new snow ploughs and glitters, and would all the people be available when we need them? Probably not. So best to train a few more. But again, who is going to pay for this?
The same can be said about potholes: Who is going to repair all these potholes? We do not have an army of people just sitting around waiting for a pothole to appear.
Snow and potholes, the same with floods, winds and high temperatures, are not predictable, nor do they happen on a regular basis. Humans have survived for around 200,000 years in worse conditions then this, and have dealt with each situation and adapted. Surely we are able to change our lifestyle for a couple of days when these conditions arise.
I think we are doing the best job we can given the economic conditions, and instead of complaining, people should just get out there and help. It's your country, your roads, so do your bit. If your road is covered in snow, go and clear it, instead of sitting there complaining that the road is covered in snow. After all, you can't get out, so have nothing else to do!
If you want the council to do everything for you, accept that you will need to pay more in tax.
A Newhaven resident fed up of everyone complaining all the time.
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WINTER TYRES WON'T HELP STUPIDITY ESCC say that all available resources were brought to bear on the problem. We need to wake up to the fact that unless we are prepared to put winter tyres on our cars we will continue to have problems. There would be less accidents and less economic consequences through loss of business. For these reasons in some countries winter tyres are compulsory. They are better in the wet too. In the UK I think they should at least be VAT free. The economic and safety arguments are compelling and I will be writing to the minister for transport on this issue.
Is Cllr.Rob.Blackman quite mad? Firstly, there isn't a tyre that's been invented that will get you home when the road has been blocked by someone who doesn't know how to drive on ice or snow. Secondly, if they removed VAT on winter tyres, that would be the perfect excuse for ALL the authorities to stop gritting the roads. I am a professional driver and had the questionable privilege of driving to work in Redhillon the worst morning, (Tues 12th March), at 5:30am in a small convertible sports car - Not the best choice but that's my car. The northbound A23 south of Handcross Hill had not been gritted - I'm guessing because it was covered in cars and trucks all night - but everyone was managing ok driving carefully at between 25 and 30 mph. Yes it was going to be a slow journey, but we'd get there... Unfortunately, there are always a few who know better. After a couple of 4x4's and an artic truck overtook us, we all came to a standstill near the Burgess Hill turn-off. And there we stayed for two hours without moving. All caused by plain stupidity. A winter tyre would not have helped, but maybe some mandatory bad weather driving tuition would?
Andy Wallis
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