Should we all clear the snow from the footpath outside our homes?

By davidpwelch at 12:10 on 01/02/10

Re-post

Back when most working class households did not have a car, and we travelled by bus and on foot. People used to clear the snow from the pavement in front of their house. Shopkeepers would clear the snow from in front of their shops.

Where people were too old or infirm to clear the snow from in front of their home their neighbours would do it.

With everyone clearing their pavement it was possible walk on clear pavements in towns at cities.

Now we sit inside our nice warm houses and complain that the Council has not cleared the snow from our pavements. That is, when we are not complaining about the cost of council tax.

Should we all be clearing the snow ourselves, as people used to!

By davidpwelch at 12:10 on 01/02/10
Report
Well, let's not forget we now live in a litigious society, where, should someone be injured on the cleared area, they will claim against you. This is why it isn't done and has become the council's problem.

There are places abroad, where it is compulsory to clear your patch, or be fined, but you are not allowed to claim for injuries in the cleared areas. If we bring in such a prohibition, then people will be more inclined to clear the way. It will have more effect if the fines were not allowed to be deferred by those on benefits, if the couldn't be bothered to do it.

The only caveat, here is that the time period would need flexibility, to take account of those who may not be present at certain times of day, due to work, appointments, etc. It would be unfair to fine someone for not clearing their path by 9am, if they got in from work at 6am and went to bed, but it started snowing at 7:30.

By frjack at 13:01 on 01/02/10
Report
No someone will want to make a claim against you if they fall

By propforward23 at 18:43 on 01/02/10
Report
@ propforward23: Thanks, for the chuckle, mate. Seriously, though, If that's your perception, then you are somehow out of touch with today's litigious culture. Dolescum (not to be confused with those temporarily out of work), chavs and layabouts absolutely WILL claim. It's "free" money, that will buy ****, beer, big TVs and crappy tracksuits. I slipped in the middle of town, but because I managed to grab a lamp post and didn't go down, I wrenched my knee. I was immediately surrounded by the types I have described, not offering help, but telling me to "bang a claim in" and offering to be a witness. Needless to say, I considered telling them where to go, in a crude manner. Ice causes people to slip; we know this and it's time we changed the law to prohibit claims for this. However, the council could have followed the example of others and spread some grit on the pavements.

By frjack at 11:42 on 02/02/10
Report
I had a fall in asda one saturday morning at around 0730am due to their cleaning machine losing water, by the time i got home 3 different people had posted on another forum asking when i was going to see a solicitor.

By propforward23 at 20:24 on 02/02/10
Report
I notice that some moderating filter decided that the colloquial English word for "cigarettes" is offensive. We do not use "****.s" to describe a certain demographic, here. Please sort it out!

By frjack at 18:01 on 03/02/10
Report
And, yet again it happens.

Dear moderators, please sort this as it makes you appear to be overly politically correct and somewhat akin to the thought police.

By frjack at 00:51 on 05/02/10
Report