When I was a nipper, people seemed to just shrug it off, buckle down to doing whatever was necessary and carried on.
We have a "winter box" used to be candles in jars when I was a kid, now updated with lanterns that you wind up, no need for batteries, a small gas cooker, and spare gas. We always keep a small surplus of bread and milk in the freezer, and if we need any more, I just dig out my boots, clear the doorway and walk to the shops. I once walked 17 miles through snow to get to work, (I did get a couple of short lifts from farmers in landrovers) the boss was so impressed he paid me for the day and sent me home as it was nearly time to shut up the workshop anyway lol!
I do feel sorry for those who have had their travel plans disrupted or completly ruined, but hey ho, its winter, shit happens.
People around here do tend to look out for the oldies, which is good, and most of our neighbours have grabbed their shovels and helped out if someone needed a path cleared or a car dug out, which is great to see.
What gets me is the whining mentality you see on the TV, people blaming the government, the councils etc. We arent as well prepared as we could be, mainly because this sort of thing only happens infrequently, and its not possible to keep huge reserves of all the kit we would need, "just in case". Some things have improved, its rare now to get power cuts due to bad weather, and the main roads (around us anyway) are closed less often, and are cleared quicker than they used to be, mainly because they leave the side roads lol.
Bottom line, bad weather is a fact of life, be prepared, and stay safe. |