Some People

I try hard not to hate. In the main it's a pointless exercise but there are people sometimes who push me to the limit. Like this lot mentioned on the BBC news website.

You have to ask yourself, what is it they want ? Are they mad their own particular corner of some fancy new housing scheme, which always seem to be cul-de-sacs anyway, has not been cleared of snow and ice ?

And so they are not going to pay their Council Tax. I would bet my house and all my money these are the same people who are first to complain about the interfering hand of the nanny state when the authorities displease them in some other way.

Right, don't pay your Council Tax. But Highland Council should also be quick to identify the non-payers and tell them their kids can't use the local schools, their bins won't be emptied and that granny's home help won't be coming round any more.

This piece of nonsense is simply the most extreme of the grumbles heard all over the country, even in my neck of the wood where the snowfall has not been anything like what others have had to suffer. And now it's on Facebook those grumblers from all airts and pairts will be clicking to, "join this group."

Where I live the local authority his 13 snowploughs/ gritters. Yes, that's right 13 ! For an area with a population of more than 250,000 which includes one of Scotland's biggest towns. Now, since December 19th there have been snowfalls almost every other day and on no night since then has the temperature risen above freezing.

But despite that, and the obvious lack of resources to tackle what to us are extreme weather conditions, the main roads have stayed open and even the main pavements leading to the centre of towns have been cleared of enough snow and ice to allow unhindered walking. Sure, there are many streets that have not been treated and walking on them is hazardous.

That's not good enough for some, though, who want their wee bit miles from anywhere to get the same treatment. Oblivious to any constraints they still issue their complaining chorus.

Why doesn't the council have more snowploughs? Why isn't there enough grit for the roads and pavements ? Why weren't they better prepared ? Why can't we cope like other countries ?

The last point is the nub of the whole matter. The answer to it is, in a sense, the answer to all the other questions. We can't cope because it is an event we do not expect.

Although we live in the north, we are an island and that means warm air from the coast even in winter. The result is not much snow, usually. So those who are responsible for clearing up any snow plan, and budget, for that.

The local council in the city of Moscow has 15,000 snow ploughs. That's because they know the snow will arrive each and every year in November and won't leave until March. In Scotland we can't accurately predict how much snow we will get, when we will get it or even if we will get any at all.

That makes planning and spending decisions difficult for those in charge. What's the point in buying expensive lorries to keep the roads clear of snow if they are only going to be used every now and then, or perhaps never at all ? Why store more grit and salt than last year when it might never be used ? Especially, when extra spending on winter roads maintenance means less cash to invest in some other service.

So yes, there is a chance we will get caught out. And when the worst winter snow for 30 years arrives we will find it difficult to walk on some pavements, conditions on some roads will be poor and we will find buses and trains are late, or not running at all.

And that means taking responsibility for our own lives. Clearing our own paths of snow, taking stock of the conditions and lowering our expectations of what parts of our normal daily lives are achievable in the circumstances.

Common sense, really, but humans sadly seem to have less and less of it with every generation.