How to get home tonight? LL standstill

[????]

I agree re the forecast - the huge blizzard that hit the SE and London at 4ish was not forecast nor was any warning at all given. Obviously there is a general weather warning about ice and adverse cold conditions etc that's been up for a few days yet but the dump we got was not forecast anywhere and has caused chaos on roads, rail, shut motorways etc, especially as it came during rush hour - The BBC website had clear then rain/sleet. I spoke to my mum and she was stuck in a car for 4 hour doing a 5 mile journey. BBC weather = shite

[SeanMacGabhann]

So the council not gritting the roads is understandable in the circs?

[TheePope]

I don't think it's understandable to be fair, they could have done more or erred on the side of caution. Lots of roads and pavements round by me were still covered in black ice this morning, an attempt should have been made to grit them before today's snow compounded the issue. My route home wasn't too bad this evening but you could see the chaos on Dog Kennell Hill and I felt for anyone old or unsteady on their feet. It's inexusable that the hill at least wasn't gritted today as it had been last week.

[ontheedge]

oh for gods sake the roads & paths should have been gritted adequetly days ago it's not just about people being able to get to work and back but about essential & emergency services being able to respond to the needs of a community, I work in A&E and ambulances are finding it difficult to negotiate the roads, meals on wheels and home helps, district nurses can't get to people. Renal patients can't get to their dialysis,the list goes on

[????]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

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> So the council not gritting the roads is

> understandable in the circs?

Yup, won't be popular on here AND there was some need for some grit on some roads as people were pointing out before this pm from the general weather but the traffic is chaos 'cos of a large fall off unexpected snow all over the south east this pm

[TheePope]

It's been freezing for days, we've seen snow on and off to different extents, yep it was heavy but hardly unexpected, in the words of the great Ian Rush it aint science rocket.

[SeanMacGabhann]

Agreed quids. Guaranteed that the next council to clog the roads with gritters and it doesn't snow will be condemned as well for blocking roads. And wasting money

it's a balancing act not a science and automatic condemnation from some quarters is ridiculous

[EDKiwi]

???? Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I agree re the forecast - the huge blizzard that

> hit the SE and London at 4ish was not forecast nor

> was any warning at all given. Obviously there is a

> general weather warning about ice and adverse cold

> conditions etc that's been up for a few days yet

> but the dump we got was not forecast anywhere and

> has caused chaos on roads, rail, shut motorways

> etc, especially as it came during rush hour - The

> BBC website had clear then rain/sleet. I spoke to

> my mum and she was stuck in a car for 4 hour doing

> a 5 mile journey. BBC weather = shite

It was a pretty intense snow fall too, was on my way home when people started phoning into the radio station saying it was snowing in Sutton, Ealing, etc, I was driving along East Dulwich rd in the rain thinking ?h it won't settle even if it makes it to us', got to Sainsburys and it started snowing, ducked in for something for dinner, 10 mins later I was crawling up Lordship Lane wondering if I was even going to make it up the hill. By the time I go to Barry Rd I decided to park up down the road from home and walk it, probably 20mins since it started and it was pure chaos out there, madness I tells ya, and then it all stopped not long after that.

[TheePope]

"clog the road with gritters" - are you just trying to contrary? What a silly thing to say.

[ontheedge]

SeanMacGabhann Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> >

> Well, quite - but that wasn't the original

> question. The vast majority of people travelling

> back from town can walk without problem

>

> I would have hoped the infirm and or pregnant took

> heed of the weather warnings and acted accordingly

> (work permitting)

>

> But yes if you are infirm or pregnant and

> struggling to get home you are banjaxed

If the infirm or pregnant should have taken heed of the weather warnings why could the council have not done so

[????]

I was down LL for a coffee with my missus at about 2.30 and it was miserable drizzly to heavy rain that was clearing up all the ice left on the roads and pavements....turned to sleet at about 3.45 but still looking thawed out on the roads and pavements and then suddenly in a few mins, bosh turned to thick snow...this wasn't forecast....

[willow]

Don't spoil everyone's fun ????! People want to blame someone! Blame, blame, blame.

[EDKiwi]

willow Wrote:

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> Don't spoil everyone's fun ????! People want to

> blame someone! Blame, blame, blame.

I blame all this christmas spirit, snow and santa and all that...oh and Boris, yeah him too...any one else?

[ontheedge]

Totally agree, someone is to blame for broken limbs that could be avoided sometimes people have to be taken to account.

[EDKiwi]

On a serious note I will be interested in hearing what Boris has to say over all this after dropping the ball when it snowed back in February.

[boosboss]

Glad I stayed in town! Left Piccadilly at 9.15, got home at 10.15. I think that's pretty good on a normal day! I did feel a bit sorry for the people being turfed off the busses at Peckham Rye though, many were heading for Crysttal Palace and none of the busses were going there..

[Bic Basher]

Managed to get a train to Forest Hill before London Bridge closed, then walked to LL.

[????]

I blame the weather

[MrBen]

I do love how the BBC weather at 6pm went "Yes of course VERY treacherous out there...lots of snow" as if they even mentioned it earlier. They're always great at telling us whats already happened.

[randombloke]

Let's see: left Covent Garden at 16.40. Train from Charing Cross to London Bridge took 20 mins stopping outside Waterloo East for 10 minutes due to points failure. London Bridge station a total scrum. Gave up and went for a meal near Borough Market. No trains at London Bridge at 19:00 so waited for a No 40 bus on the bridge, none forthcoming so got a 133 to Elephant and Castle. Waited at Elephant and Castle for a 176 for 20 mins, one No 12 bus came along and 6 people out of about 500 got on. Went to taxi firm, 1 hour wait at least, flagged a cab which took us up Walworth Rd. Total nightmare up there, round the back roads and got stuck on Camberwell Grove at Grove Hill Rd. Got out of cab after 45 mins ?35 worse off, walked to car parked at Quorn Rd down Dog Kennel Hill which was like an ice rink. Got stuck at Goose Green Roundabout and eventually dodged several buses strewn along Underhill Rd unlike the guy who cut me up then drove straight into the back of one of them..serves him right!

Couldn't get up Overhill Road as it was blocked by police cones and like the North Face of the Eiger anyway. Finally walked through the door at 10.10 after messing about parking the car. There was ONE gritter on Lordship Lane spraying about as much grit as you would find inside an oyster. Feeble. Nobody forecast this in a cold snap with frozen snow on the pavements and sub-zero temperatures, it's clearly rocket science. So if it took you 3 hours and you think that's a record - think again. Try harder. Can't wait for 2012 when we will become the laughing stock of 3rd world nations.

Then again the good news was that you weren't in immediate danger from homicidal cyclists riding on the pavements and yelling abuse at you when you get in their way.

In fairness it will have been a nightmare for anyone who has the misfortune to work for TFL but after it happening in February there really is no excuse for the lack of foresight.

[Fuschia]

Took us almost 8h to get back from Croydon, only just got back... NOT fun with two babies and another child in the car. Thank goodness we had a full tank and snacks etc in the car!

[sliding_doors]

I had a terrible journey back too. Waited ages at Waterloo for a bus but none came. Eventually got to Elephant Castle and found a 12 back to the Plough and walked the final bit. Not as bad as others but still really annoying and it was impossible to find any information from anyone about what trains/buses were running

[Ratpack]

I walked home from Elephant and Castle last night - took two hours if anyone needs to do it tonight. Get your warm shoes on, it was like walking in a pond.

[max wellhouse]

My wife collected Tarquin & Jocasta from their private tutor yesterday afternoon in the 4 x 4. The worst part of her journey was when she popped in to Caffe Nero on LL for a latte and almost tripped over an elderly person lying prostrate on the pavement outside having slipped on the untreated surface. Fortunately she didn't spill any of her coffee!

[Applespider]

Now I don't feel quite so bad about my trip home. Was meeting a pal in town and got to Victoria about 9.15 to hop on a 185. Waited til nearly 10 before giving up and going down to Brixton. Got a P4 and only really noticed the problems when we hit the South Circular and crawled along it - got home at 11ish. Not ideal since should have been packing for the trip to Scotland... speaking of which, should probably get on with it - might leave a little extra time for the journey to Kings Cross today!