If you've got a Shovel then use it !!!

Rolandtheroadie

aliasojo wrote: »

We're in the Highlands of Scotland and although the main roads do get gritted our biggest problem are car parks which get ignored and the smaller single track roads which have passing places. Once you have to go in one of them, you're stuffed if you can't dig yourself out.

Surely you need to dig yourself IN. If your happy to dig yourself out, you didnt have to be there in the first place.

ClootiesMum

I dont have one and haven t seen a need for 1 yet,

The shovels have been used almost daily for the last 10 days - even the RAC van got stuck on ice the other day & we had to rescue him - & we live on a main bus route...

This is not a moan - I enjoy living in a village but carrying appropriate tools for yourself & possibly others seems to me to be common decency and an act of responsibility.

aliasojo

scotsman4th wrote: »

Surely you need to dig yourself IN. If your happy to dig yourself out, you didnt have to be there in the first place.

I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about.

I have no choice if a car is coming and they have right of way, of course I have to go into the passing place...then once I stop in the passing place, it's difficult to get going again without clearing snow from the front of my wheels sometimes.

thorsoak

It's useful to carry a bag of cat litter (the gritty stuff - not the papery one) in case you find yourself needing to get traction where there is no grit box in sight!

roswell

ill join the smug crew have had a folding one in the boot for years, never needed to use it myself but have helped others out with it when they were stuck in my way :-)

ben500

iltisman wrote: »

Some cars come complete with shovel and axe.

http://www.willys-mb.co.uk/images/world-war-2-jeep-s.jpg

How about discount for mass murderers?

Kirri

I got one to keep in the car after getting caught out in London's heavy snow last year!! I don't, however, take my car out in snow though but it might come in handy in the communal car park!

MrsFraggle

We've got a fold up one in the boot, not had to use it and don't know how useful it would be, but its there

as well as fleece blankets, spare screenwash, the usual hi vis, chocolate and 3 sledges :rotfl:

catflea

gilbert_and_sullivan wrote: »

Save on hard work, bin the shovel.

Fit suitable tyres for the time of year instead and drive around nonchalantly, you don't buy a dog and bark yourself.

Whilst I agree with you, I dont think that the cost of a seperate set of tyres is justifyable for the (normally) 3 or 4 days difficult driving we tend to get down on the south coast. That, and if I buy tyres this year, I can almost garuntee whey wont fit what car I have this time next year. :rotfl:

picasso2

I have just decided to invest in a miitary style folding shovel to go in the car boot. I have recently got a job in the community and we go out in all weather despite the conditions and to be fair our clients are particularly vulnerable in cold weather. I'm a cautious driver and i'll stick to main roads and walk the sidestreets to get to clients, i also live on a main road so the only problem is getting out past all the cars that are normally parked on driveways but come out onto the road when the weather starts looking dodgy.
However i made the decision as we have many months of potentially bad weather to come and I remember the winters as a child where even parking on my street you had to do some digging out to get going. It will also give me some peace of mind.

Interestingly I bought it off ebay as it appeared to be relatively cheap and when I checked their feedback for items sold I noticed that they have increased their prices in recent weeks - sellers market.