Pedestrian's group! Pavements and paths in icy weather

[Deleted User]

Hi folks - not sure if this is the best section but I've started a FB group to promote the interests of pedestrians in this snowy, icy weather and hopefully the message might get through to the P.T.B that it's not just roads and cars which need attending to!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=242539337329&ref=nf

Interestingly, I heard on my local bbc news tonight that Bath RU Hospital's A&E dept is currently treating 10+ broken wrists AN HOUR due to untreated pavements

gordikin

joolzred wrote: »

Hi folks - not sure if this is the best section but I've started a FB group to promote the interests of pedestrians in this snowy, icy weather and hopefully the message might get through to the P.T.B that it's not just roads and cars which need attending to!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=242539337329&ref=nf

Interestingly, I heard on my local bbc news tonight that Bath RU Hospital's A&E dept is currently treating 10+ broken wrists AN HOUR due to untreated pavements

P.T.B. means what?Wrists can be sorted by the NHS...deaths on roads can't be....guess where Councils are rightly gritting as a priority?

[Deleted User]

Powers That Be - actually it'd be nice just to have someone within the PTB *think* about the people trying to walk on untreated pavements - Even within my own small area there's been 5+ fractures & serious elderly falls entailing hospital inpatient stays. One is still there.. No car crashes with injuries locally though (thank goodness)

The lady from the PTB (Somerset County Council) basically said yep - we are ignoring the paths and pavements as we can't/won't spend any more time/money - the roads are the priority and the rest of us have to take our chances!

[Deleted User]

Well - why not? some petitions/groups that get taken notice of by the PTBs also start out in such small ways.

I've also been out with a bag of dishwasher salt to do my pathway to my door!

Thank you all for your kindly greetings :-D

patanne

perhaps someone should change the world. I've fallen twice this week (luckily not breakages Or even particularly serious) but my 84 year old mother has been confined to the house for 2 weeks now because she is scared she's going to brake a bone again. She's missed going to the gym and keep fit classes because its so slippy out there. So get on with sounding superior (I guess you go everywhere in a 4 x 4) and just wait till your turn comes

[Deleted User]

patanne wrote: »

perhaps someone should change the world. I've fallen twice this week (luckily not breakages Or even particularly serious) but my 84 year old mother has been confined to the house for 2 weeks now because she is scared she's going to brake a bone again. She's missed going to the gym and keep fit classes because its so slippy out there. So get on with sounding superior (I guess you go everywhere in a 4 x 4) and just wait till your turn comes

I've been housebound just a couple days (I can't risk a fall as already have had 3 x spinal surgeries) and it's too treacherous even using my twin walking sticks. I'm already getting cabin fever! Bless your Mum who's been kept in a fortnight!

I can see the cars and buses going by on the nearby main road but I can't get to the bus stop to use the bus because the pavement's inches thick with compacted snow and ice!!!

Sequeena

I've not even bothered to go outside. The cold is playing havoc with my arthritis and I suffer from hypermobility in my knees. A fall to your average person will leave them with a cold bum and a few bruises - a slip for me could dislocate, break my leg or in the worst case shatter my knee.

My dogs are currently being walked by my partner but even they can't have their usual 3 hour plus walks a day.

My advice is just don't go out if you don't have to. If you do please be extremely careful.

If any of you have cats you can use cat litter in place of grit but only use the stone grit based litters. Clay or wood pellets won't do the job

[Deleted User]

Please don't feed the TROLL :rolleyes:

pitkin2020

I agree pavements should be treated with grit but its just not logisticaly possible. Firstly there is a shortage of grit which is giving councils a headache deciding which roads are priority over others. Secondly pavements aren't accessible by the gritters, even if the spreading could spray it far enough most pavements have cars parked next to them! So that would mean someone would have to do it by hand, or extra machinery would have to be bought, but even then it would still be a slow process and would take days to grit all the pavements in a small town.
Personally I would rather they grit the roads so the ambulance can get to the people who slip on ice and break there ankle/wrist rather than they grit the paths so people can walk to the shops!!

Mupette

Well its another day and the road i live in has not been touched, the old peoples home next to me is still snowed in, i can't get out with my wheelchair, and it's a huge risk to go out with my walking stick bunle4x4 why don't you come and get my shopping for me


But it's not about walking to the shops for everyone, when the buses have stopped people have to try to get to work.

School is shut for the 3rd day running only because the kids can't even walk to school, they admit it's too much of a health and safety issue kids walking on the pavements atm

SallyForth_2

It's annoying and frustrating if you are stuck, but sadly the meagre supplies of grit have to go where it's most needed, and that is the road network.

Without the effort to keep them clear, the situation would be a whole lot worse.