Preparedness for when

jk0

Reading about the old man that got blown into a bus reminds me of a common problem I have on my morning walks here. The road is about wide enough for 3 cars, so the council have put in a number of parking bays.

However, this means that traffic in the lane on the other side virtually has its mirrors brushing pedestrians. I always try to cross over, so I am facing oncoming traffic. Anyone coming too close then sees me hold out my arm to remonstrate. Am I mad, or can I see an accident waiting to happen?

When I drive along this road I always wait for opposing traffic to pass before I do. I know this annoys some folk behind me, but I'd rather be a bit delayed than hit someone. We are supposed to stay 6ft away when passing a bicycle. Shouldn't we also stay 6ft away from a pedestrian, in case they stumble?

thriftwizard

Shouldn't we also stay 6ft away from a pedestrian, in case they stumble?

I've had that happen to me, when I was a new driver - some drunken loon literally dived off the pavement in front of me late at night on a narrow stretch of road in Harrow; his mates grabbed hold of his jacket and there he dangled over my bonnet - I'd done the best emergency stop of my life & hadn't been going very fast to start with - making stupid faces at me and waving! They gradually lowered him onto the bonnet, and he slid down the side of the car, scrambled up, doubled over & was sick. I very nearly was too, from shock, but luckily I hadn't touched him. I avoided that road like the plague after that. 6' would have put me firmly on the opposite carriageway.

Not too bad down here in the centre of a little town near the South Coast, and the only indication we had of the awful conditions elsewhere whilst doing our regular market down in the conurbation was the howling draft that kept us buying each other's vintage jumpers - to wear! Stay safe, everyone; thinking of you all up & over there...

Nargleblast

pineapple wrote: »

That would be in Newcastle then :rotfl:

You're quite warm - County Durham.

GreyQueen

Evening all.

I was once driving on the M4 in the middle of the night in the middle of nowhere and some lunatic ran across the road in front of me. Myself and my passenger nearly had cows, we were so shocked. Why the hell someone would do that to the only vehicle within miles defies logic.

We haven't got any capital W weather here, but sending (((hugs))) to all of you in the wild and woolly bits and hoping you stay safe.

MTSTM, my best pal clothing-wise in inclemant weather is my black thinsulate pull-on hat, dubbed my burglar's hat by my pals. If it gets totally baltic, the fun-fur trappers hat comes out. I look fabulous in a trapper hat, but it does need to be sub-zero or the fun-fur makes you too hot.

I dress to impress myself and really don't give a monkey's what the rest of the world thinks.:rotfl:

calicocat

I have a fake fur trapper hat. When wearing it last year walking along the beach I swear various small children were grabbing parents hands looking scared, or walking away from me.... :rotfl:

Not sure what has woken me...the noise of the wind (but I do still have the window open but on the lock)....or the flashing lights from house across road going blue...pink...red...green.....then all the colours at once...!.....:mad:

I have heard from friend who lives in flooded village. She was out shopping yesterday morning, fell asleep in the afternoon, and didn't wake until around midnight.....so has slept through all the chaos completely oblivious. She states in the morning she will check see if she is now in a houseboat. ...:D. Utterly un-phased by any of it. I think she will find she can't get out of the village tomorrow as certainly two of the roads out are apparently closed.

GreyQueen

Hope your pal's home isn't damaged and she has nothing worse to do than hunker down indoors.

I'm looking out at a clear, egg-shell blue sky and feeling a little guilty about being so weather-priveleged when so many are having a rough time. The winds were high overnight, but only the twigs on the trees are waving gently, so nothing more than a breeze out there now.

I shall finish my cuppa and head up to the lottie, in case foul weather is incoming, to harvest some veg. If it's not too bad, I may do some weeding, but I'm ahead enough to slack-off if I feel like it.

Stay safe, lovely peeps.

moneyistooshorttomention

In Leytonstone tube station in last 24 hours - a man slashed anothers throat and hurt 2 other people shouting "This is for Syria".

The police tasered the man.

It was the scenario envisaged on here recently - ie that some might even stick around and film it on their phones. Someone did - I've just watched the clip. Astonished at them sticking around (I certainly wouldn't have) on the one hand but pleased to note that the person doing the filming is same?/similar? nationality to the terrorist (and presumably a Muslim?) and is busily shouting at him "You aint no Muslim. You aint no Muslim bruv" telling him what-for.

BigMummaF

On the Climate Change debate...I can't help but wonder why people are still so shocked that we get flooding on the scale we do!

Yes, we need to recognise how our actions impact upon the World around us, but you do have to question the proficiency of a Planning committee, to allow so many properties to be built on known flood plains; is there not enough of a clue in the geographical description
We have a whole estate of cardboard guinea pig hutches - too small for rabbits :rotfl: - being built on what was, agricultural land. Many of the existing properties have concrete where turf once was, swathes of dock land covered by 'luxury waterfront properties'....where the hell do you expect the rain to go once it falls from the skies :doh:

I have every sympathy for those who are fighting the elements, & say it's time the UK stood up in defence of Mother Earth while there's still time to make a difference :mad:

Here endeth this morning's coverage of BMF's Rant of the Day. Thank you for your interest & Safe Journey home. BMF has left the soapbox. :laugh:

nuatha

GreyQueen wrote: »

I'm looking out at a clear, egg-shell blue sky and feeling a little guilty about being so weather-priveleged when so many are having a rough time. The winds were high overnight, but only the twigs on the trees are waving gently, so nothing more than a breeze out there now.

Having had two days of high winds and rain its a beautiful blue sky, relatively warm and a light breeze. It won't make the flooding any easier to bear, but those who came close should be able to breathe a sigh of relief as the water levels are dropping.
Though there are reports that people have been removing Flood and Road Closed signs, which could lead to further problems for already stretched emergency services.
There's a lot of questions being asked about the millions that have been spent on flood defences which failed in the last 48 hours - though BigMummaF certainly covers part of the reasons.

mardatha

Gorgeous cold sunny morning up here, just been removing somebody's shed roof from my back garden Locals up here say they used to dredge the rivers and they used to have roadmen looking after the ditches and drains - but not any longer.
The Tweed is a huge river and when it floods its massive, also the Teviot in Hawick burst its banks and 1000 were evacuated. Dozens of local roads shut with a mix of trees down, flooding and landslips. Personal SHTF for many and I hope they learn from this and become preppers.