Well, I'm glad I got that off my chest!

[debih]

I have just had a huge row with some poor person at the council!

On Wednesday I rang the council to tell them that our grit bin was empty (as had lots of other people from what I could gather). The lane has been perfectly passable since Monday when the neighbours dug it out. But we ran out of grit on Sunday and we are due more snow tonight with a big thaw and freeze following on.

We rely heavily on our grit bins as the lane is so steep and if it is very icy it is impossible to even stand up on it, let alone walk. From the main road up there are 3 grit bins on the route to our lane and then you have to go through The Squeeze (a narrow part of the lane that goes between two houses which is only 2 metres wide) and that's where it starts to get really, really steep. There are 4 further grit bins up this part of the lane.

Yesterday when I was bringing Millie home from the vets I drove up the road behind the council men in their truck full of grit. I had to stop behind them at each grit bin as they parked in the middle of the road to fill each one up by hand. Then when we got to the last one before The Squeeze I was hoping that they would pull over into a drive to let me past so I didn't get stuck behind them going up the steep lane. Oh yes, they pulled in alright and then promptly turned around (truck still with loads of grit in it) and drove away.

I was seething so have rung them today to find out why our bins haven't been filled. The poor person that got my wrath said she would find out and has rung back to say that they couldn't get up our part of the hill as the road wasn't clear. That's when I lost it. Had they bothered to get off their fat ars*s and actually take a look up the lane they would have seen that it was perfectly clear and that they actually saw me drive up it!!!

She has said that they will try and get someone out today - well I hope they come soon before the snow does.

And don't even get me started on the recycling stuff that has been out on the lane since Monday - their staff have also said that our lane isn't passable. No doubt they never bothered to look either!

[Kaz]

Oh Debih how ridiculous!!!! No wonder you let them have it! Also no wonder that this country grinds to a halt in a few inches of snow, when there is that attitude to deal with

Good for you, and I hope they come and sort it out!!!!

[JoM]

Good for you Debbie! I hope they get that sorted as a matter of urgency, it's not acceptable at all is it. Like Kaz said, that's a reason why this country can't cope with snow

[Diflower]

Blimey Debih I'd be furious too
Hope someone there gives them a kick, what do they think the point of delivering the grit is?!

[debih]

And now I feel even better after shouting at Mick about the stone lintel in the kitchen.

He has been harrassing the council all week about the fact that our recycling hasn't been collected even though the road has been passable.

Now I am also cross that they haven't done it but am even more cross that Mick has been spending time ringing them but has still not got round to ringing the stone mason about doing the lintel.

So he made the mistake of ringing me whilst I was still seething about my argument with the poor council woman, asking if the recycling had been emptied and asking me for the councils number so he could ring and "sort it out". So then I lost it with him and told him that if he put as much effort into sorting out the sanding of the lintel as he did the emptying of the recycling then maybe we might be ready in time for the kitchen units coming.

Oh, I feel all destressed now.

[JoM]

Oh dear!

[Kaz]

[Weka]

I don't blame you in the slightest. I probably would have chased the grit men down and asked them where they thought they were going

[JoM]

Weka, I probably would've done too

[miasmum]

Oh blimey, you are real 'light blue touch paper and retreat' today Deb, but I don't blame you.

The thing is by shutting the schools at the first flake, we are bringing up a nation of kids, who will think it is ok to not bother trying to get to work, or put yourself out in the snow. This country will get worse because of that attitude