Let's clear the icy pavement...

[Otto]

With the weather set to stay fairly cold, how about if people salt/grit or clear the pavements in front of their houses/flats? I hope to shovel a bunch out of the way this evening as the sun is shining, the temp is rising, and it will be a good time to break up the ice...with all the old and young and less steady walking down my road it might be helpful...

c,mon group effort...let's go!

otto

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Otto Wrote:

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> With the weather set to stay fairly cold, how

> about if people salt/grit or clear the pavements

> in front of their houses/flats? I hope to shovel

> a bunch out of the way this evening as the sun is

> shining, the temp is rising, and it will be a good

> time to break up the ice...with all the old and

> young and less steady walking down my road it

> might be helpful...

Good Idea!...just like 30/40 years ago when that was standard to take that personal responsibility, which then helped The wider Community, accordingly.

>

> c,mon group effort...let's go!

>

> otto

[Nero]

I think the shop owners, if they haven't already, should do the same. Perhaps some of them have. If so, great. If not, not great. It takes a bit of salt and a few minutes' efforts. If you are shop owner or manager and haven't done so, at least give it some thought.

[Otto]

People Power - Just do it! We can...we can...just do it all by ourselves!

I just poured a 57p. big thing of table salt outside this morning and the pleasures of the snap crackle pop noises were well worth the 57p...

C'mon - Group Effort!!!

Help yourselves, help your neighbors, help the elderly!

Go Go GO...Snap Crackle Pop....

[Siduhe]

chris Wrote:

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> Why don't the council deposit piles of grit in the

> street we could clear the paths ourselves.

I walked past a few big piles this morning, but suspect they are primarily intended for the street cleaners, who have been out in force both mornings I have walked down Forest Hill Road at 7am, shovelling grit onto/into the pavement.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Poor bloke at ED station this morning, attempting to clear thick ice off the path with a weedy plastic shovel.

[Mamma Mia]

We cleared our front path and pavement yesterday which brought back memories of my dad doing ours when we were young. Everyone cleared their own and their neighbour's too if they were unable to do it for themself.

[cdonline]

I agree. This is just something I learnt from my parents. A couple of bags of cheap salt makes all the difference.

You'd think businesses would not want the way to their entrance solid with ice?

[Scylla100]

I'm sorry, as its East Dulwich, shouldn't we be using organic sea salt?

Scylla

[Penguin68]

Out of interest, the reason people stopped clearing the pathway outside their own houses was that a court case demonstrated that if someone slipped on a path where attempts had been made to clear ice and snow, then the person who had attempted (and obviously failed) to make such a clearance (failed because the claimant slipped) was liable for damages - where no attempts had been made the walker was expected to take suitable care and any falls were on their own head (or bottom, or wherever).

So, people stopped doing the decent thing in case someone else decided to go for the jackpot.

Problem of our (imported) litigation culture, not helped by day-time ads offering no win no fees support from the legal sewers, or do I mean sue-ers?

[Mikecg]

After getting off the 185 at LL, I was walking up East Dulwich Road, the side where the roadworks are is like an ice rink. It must have looked hilarious as I was skiding around like Todd Carty.

[Otto]

Let's go for common sense, civic enthusiasm and goodwill. Never mind the council, never mind the courts, let's get out there and make a difference!

Scrape, scrape, scrape...let's hear those shovels!

[Tony.London Suburbs]

Penguin68 Wrote:

Problem of our (imported) litigation culture, not helped by day-time ads offering no win no fees support from the legal sewers, or do I mean sue-ers?

Exactly.

Sean touched on this point in the "Peckham Rye Closed" thread by saying its not just The Council or other parties fault, sometimes its the fear of potential litigation.

[fractionater]

use cat litter for make shift cheap grit (fresh stuff before anyone asks!)

[LuvPeckham]

Sadly Penguin68 is correct that if you don't clear the pavement and someone slips over they can sue the council but if you do clear it and someone slips over afterwards then they can sue you for making the pavement dangerous.

It is a stupid situation to be in, and in the states if you don't clear your sidewalk you get fined by the local government officials

To be honest I would prefer it if we were allowed to clear it without fear of recriminations but there you go...

[Otto]

As an aside though I do not want to drift off topic, it is exactly the opposite in America. One can be sued for not clearing a pavement if someone is injured. But, most people clear the pavement after a snow because it is the sensible thing to do, rather than out of fear of litigation. It is done as good neighborliness.

But all that aside, let's go, shovel in hand, out there...and conquer it!

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

Just be very very careful out there, a huge chunk of ice/snow just dropped off my roof onto the neighbours roof and then onto the ground! Was quite scary because it made such a loud noise that the people at the bus stop across the road were looking to see where the noise came from! I am so glad I was not out there putting the recycle things into the bins, I'll think I'll stay indoors!

My pavement is a death trap, lots and lots of black ice and on the road which everyone crosses to get to the bus stop.

I don't have salt or sand:(

[Cassius]

Actually when I was walking last night, I found it slippier where people had cleared their pavements than where they hadn't.

[louisiana]

Same here, the safest bits are where there are still 8 inches of snow, uncompacted, uncleared. The treacherous bits are the expanses of ice and/or compacted snow. The ice is often just where there was nothing but a bit of water on the surface when the temparature fell last night.

This morning I went down my hill by clutching fences, walls etc, really slowly, skidding all over the place where people had tried to clear. Now I've just watched someone in the next road (which I look down on) practically on all fours trying to get out into the road without falling over on compacted and 'cleared' snow/ice. The snow is much easier.

[bigbadwolf]

I read in the Metro that if people started gritting the road without consent they'd face legal action from their local authority.

[zephyr]

bigbadwolf Wrote:

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> I read in the Metro that if people started

> gritting the road without consent they'd face

> legal action from their local authority.

No - they could get sued by people who slip over on the bit that had been poorly gritted not by the council.

[bigbadwolf]

Oh I see, that makes more sense.

[Otto]

My fantastic senior neighbor has caught the wave and is out there right now...shovel in hand...

shovel shovel shovel...lovely sound.

a bit of something gritty (perhaps the interesting cat litter suggestion?) on top will make it just perfect...

[Cora]

Done ours!

[Otto]

hurrah! hurrah!

our whole side of the street is now almost clear. shoveling is a catchy sport...or, this side of the street is home reading the EDF....