Preparedness for when

moneyistooshorttomention

jk0 wrote: »

I've been musing about slipping on icy pavements. It occurs to me that we would hardly have slipped at all when we walked on the bare ground.

In view of that I often walk on the grass verge when the pavement is slippery. I never slip there.

That's one of the things I do. In lieu of a suitable grass verge to walk on then I tend to pick the road. Quite often the road surface looks a less slippery one to me than the pavement and its certainly the case that any ice on it is much more likely to have been broken up (ie by cars driving over it) than is the case with the pavement. I think most cardrivers understand that pedestrians have to do so in icy conditions in order to keep ourselves safer. The occasional not very bright (or considerate) driver that obviously doesn't realise/approve gets me pointing a finger firmly in direction of pavement (as in "Its too icy there mate obviously") and I keep on walking along the road.

I figure it about equals out to cardrivers parking on our pavements:rotfl:. We have to put up with them doing so (sometimes to the extent there is no pavement left for us to walk on), so that's the quid pro quo in return.

flubberyzing

I broke my elbow about 3 years ago after a FOOSH. The shockwave of a heavy fall travelled up my left arm and broke the elbow.

Karmacat

For me, walking on the grass depends on whether its flat or not - I live in quite a hilly area, and loads of broken legs are caused by grass-slips. One was attended by a helicopter, it was so awkward to get to! I *do* walk on the road when things look icy, tho.

Frugalsod

THIRZAH wrote: »

I've been carrying my belongings in a small rucksack so both hands are free-I needed them a few days ago as had to cling to the railings while walking down one very icy slope.

Rucksacks have the additional benefit of carrying any weight directly down the spine and legs. In your arms your body has to adjust for the weight on one side of your body. It also gives you something to fall back on if you do slip, though make sure that you have anything hard padded otherwise you will hurt yourself if you fall on it.

ArthriticOldThing

It is still possible to do yourself damage when falling backwards and landing on bottom - no matter how padded it is. Many years ago - just before Charles and Diana were married - I fell backwards out of the bath and landed on my EXTREMELY well padded rear.
Result was several stress fractures of lower spine and weeks in hospital on an instrument of torture known as Stryker bed - think oversize ironing board with same amount of thin foam over strong springs.
It was to immobilise me as if fractures had spread they could have snapped spine.:eek:

thriftwizard

Result was several stress fractures of lower spine and weeks in hospital on an instrument of torture known as Stryker bed - think oversize ironing board with same amount of thin foam over strong springs.
It was to immobilise me as if fractures had spread they could have snapped spine.

Eeeek, not good - glad they sorted you out, though. And I can vouch for the fact that not all falls onto your rear end are soft landings; when I fell out of the loft, that's what I landed on, and it was spectacularly red, black, blue and purple for WEEKS afterwards. Luckily I actually fell mostly onto the non-bionic hip side...

To be honest, only needs must will get me up there now, even though I've replaced the ladder that slipped. I don't like feeling I can't do something so ordinary & everyday, though.

mardatha

Am trying to post a link to a a couple of pics of where I live. It might not work...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840617044/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840606144/in/photostream/
Tell me if you can see them ok? My house is in the hills there

BHB

mardatha wrote: »

Am trying to post a link to a a couple of pics of where I live. It might not work...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840617044/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840606144/in/photostream/
Tell me if you can see them ok? My house is in the hills there

I'm very jealous Mardatha ......

[Deleted User]

I had a fall a couple of weeks ago and came down on my right elbow, bruised it a bit and didn't think anything about it as it didn't give me any problems but 5 days afterwards I developed and still have a very sore right shoulder, the muscles in the top of the arm hurt like billy oh and my right shoulderblade and muscles around it hurt lots too. DD2, the GP, says I've sprained my shoulder and has bullied me into taking a stronger but still over the counter pain killer regularly and to use an ibuprophen gell rub too, and to keep it going until it stops hurting. Luckily I always have supplies of that sort of medication in store for just such a need and always will. The frightening thought is actually breaking something in a fall, no one could cope with that alone and medical help would be a necessity.

Frugalsod

mardatha wrote: »

Am trying to post a link to a a couple of pics of where I live. It might not work...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840617044/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mard_soap/15840606144/in/photostream/
Tell me if you can see them ok? My house is in the hills there

At least you should be able to see the zombies approaching long before they become a threat.