Early Risers.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

The slow thaw continues after yesterday evening's re-freeze.

I need to sort out a few things to take to this month's club meeting tomorrow but I don't have too many other plans for today.

 

Tony

[DDolfelin]

SWMBO took car to be MoTd yesterday.

Failed.

The screen washers wouldn't work because they were frozen.

Going back for re-test this morning.

Washers working fine.

 

It may be costing me a few quid now but it will cost them hundreds down the line in tyres etc., which I will now buy from elsewhere.

I know they are required to test the vehicle as presented but they could have warmed it up first.

This is after years of custom.

[eldavo]

Morning All, It's Friday again then. Not as cold but the ground still seems solidly frozen. Work for me today seems to be another mandatory piece of education and re-certification. This is about the 6th this year I think. It's not as though I'm an airline pilot or a surgeon holding somebodies heart in my hands, this is all administrivia to ensure the management have covered their collective butts! Then again I did write some code for an air traffic control system but I didn't need any certifications for that!

 

Have a good one all.

 

Cheers

Dave

[Tony_S]

SWMBO took car to be MoTd yesterday.

Failed.

The screen washers wouldn't work because they were frozen.

Going back for re-test this morning.

Washers working fine.

 

It may be costing me a few quid now but it will cost them hundreds down the line in tyres etc., which I will now buy from elsewhere.

I know they are required to test the vehicle as presented but they could have warmed it up first.

This is after years of custom.

 

I think if I took my car to the MOT garage and they didn't test the washers after allowing it to become warm for the emission test I'd be rather disappointed. (Matthew said he would have always preferred to been shouted at than be told I was "disappointed"!) Tell all your friends/acquaintances/neighbours , as personal recommendations do lot for local businesses. My car is due for its first MOT in January but I'll have it serviced at the same time so hopefully it will pass (especially as it has heated washer nozzles, but even they don't actually help if the fluid is frozen!)

 

 

 

[45156]

Afternoon All

 

A bit warmer here last night and also this morning - the heating is off, and I don't feel the need to switch it on. How long this respite will last is anybody's guess.

 

DD - The service manager at our local garage, who is in charge of 4 MOT testers, told me that there is no longer the discretion and application of common sense that there once was - even down to the setting up of the MOT computer system, which is governed by the testing station's agreed times for tests, and if a tester tries to logon before the start time, in his case, 08.30, then the system will reject the logon request and flags it up at the regional centre. He also said that the application of common sense is no longer "allowed" in the MOT regime. He had to fail me for a faulty wiper blade, then fitted same, and issued a retest pass, all while the car was sitting on the ramp - however, this is indicative of the modern lunacy (again).

 

Nice pic of the frozen Broomielaw there - I think that the last instance was 1979, as that was the year I got married, and my folks came down by train, and said that as they crossed the Clyde there were great lumps of ice in it.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[DDolfelin]

Thanks, Tony and Stewart.

 

A material fact was that their whole forecourt (on a hill) was covered in about 4" of frozen snow.

Even customers who had just bought new tyres had difficulty getting out of the place.

I don't really blame them for not clearing. I am aware that if they did and someone subsequently slipped and broke their neck they would be liable.

(A fact that has allowed me to escape snow clearing duties).

But we all know that heat rises and, if the engine is running with the bonnet raised, it won't warm the washer reservoir which is not very far off their frozen forecourt.

 

Of course, it was working perfectly today and passed.

Fortunately they didn't burn the motor or fuse it trying to squirt frozen water.

In those conditions it would have instantly frozen to the windscreen anyway.

[gordon s]

That's the daftest thing I've heard, DD.

 

God 'elp us, the jobsworth's and PC brigade are taking over the world....

[trisonic]

I've commented before that Britain's snow clearing liabilities are slightly weird.......

In the most litigious nation on Planet Earth we have to clear sidewalks in front of our premises (home or work) within 6 hours after the end of the snowstorm failing which we get fined $100 for every day it is uncleared, the clincher is this: To do that we are indemnified against any lawsuits by complying with the local regulation. It's actually sensible, for a change...............

Maybe someone can introduce this idea over in the UK?

 

Best, Pete.

[Tony_S]

Daft things I've seen recently.

1. people throwing snow / lumps of ice into the road so passing traffic will disperse it.

2. people clearing snow off their drive and building giant berms across the pavement blocking the pavement and narrowing the road.

[sixoh8sixoh]

Daft things I've seen recently.

1. people throwing snow / lumps of ice into the road so passing traffic will disperse it.

2. people clearing snow off their drive and building giant berms across the pavement blocking the pavement and narrowing the road.

 

SEPA in Scotland suggest shifting any piles of clean snow next to watercourses but not salty snow.

[Tony_S]

SEPA in Scotland suggest shifting any piles of clean snow next to watercourses but not salty snow.

 

 

 

We don't have the luxury of salty snow down our road!

The thaw continued after sunset for quite a while and I don't think it will freeze again tonight. I'm off to play trains and eat Christmas lunch tomorrow. I assume by then all the snow will have disappeared from that part of Essex.

 

Tony

 

 

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all...

 

Well above freezing 'round here, so we shouldn't have any problems with snow either. Will have to post a parcel later on and perhaps get some foodstuffs as well.

 

 

Daft things I've seen recently.

1. people throwing snow / lumps of ice into the road so passing traffic will disperse it.

2. people clearing snow off their drive and building giant berms across the pavement blocking the pavement and narrowing the road.

 

Berms along the edge of the pavement I know from around here. These can be loads of fun if there are marked parking spaces along the pavement which then become unusable for anything except Humvees or battle tanks . However, I haven't seen anyone building snow berms across the pavement.

 

Have a good day everyone!

[Robert]

Morning All,

 

There were quite a few berms around here too - but not across the pavement given that it is the householders responsibility to clear the pavements!

 

As Dominik said, the temperature is well above freezing and there isn't a lot of snow left to be honest.

 

I spotted this video on-line this morning - this is just how it should be done. Slowly and carefully - this should be dedicated to all those bus drivers out there who do their best to get us through whatever the weather. Thumbs up guys (and girls of course)!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Pcdg9m7Dao

 

Have a good day everyone...

[BoD]

Morning all

 

I don't think I've ever seen snow go so fast. Almost overnight it has gone from well over a foot (or a few inces of compressed ice) to just a few stubborn patches of ice. That's how it should be, miss the dirty slushy part out and I'd be quite happy with more picturesque bits.

[Tony_S]

Morning all.

BoD's post is accurate for South Essex as well. I suspect I shall have a very mucky spaniel after the walk this morning.

 

Tony

[skipepsi]

Morning all the ice is still on the road but the snow is just a patch of white in the garden.

[sixoh8sixoh]

BoD's post is fairly accurate for Edinburgh too, though probably with a slightly higher percentage of icy lingerings.

[DDolfelin]

Hurrah!

Made it after no Broadband this morning.

Fortunately, I knew a man who could.

 

The world has turned green here, too.

Never seen frozen snow disappear so fast.

Just one or two blocks of ice left.

[45156]

Just going back for a moment on the MOT failure, another thing I was told by a tester was that every station has a percentage target FOR FAILURES - whether that is true or not, I don't know, but it seems quite feasible given the "new" attitude of test/fail/repair/retest/pass which seems to have replaced the old examine/repair/test/pass attitude of years gone by.

 

Snow all gone here as well. but I hear that there's now problems with heavily snowed roads in Scotland becoming heavily flooded.

 

Regards to All

Stewart

[DDolfelin]

I'm sure you are right, Stewart.

But some seem to be outright blackguards.

I took the old Volvo to a localish Main Dealer a couple of years ago for MoT.

 

They wanted £680 + VAT for urgent repairs.

I was shocked because I knew some of the stuff was working perfectly.

 

My lucky day.

In the Reception was an Inspector who inspects MoT centres.

He said 'Leave this with me'.

I took it to another garage and it sailed through the test - even though I pointed out the things it had failed on.

I've never been back as the staff responsible would have needed urgent repairs.

[BoD]

....... Dented bodywork or blocked exhausts?

[Tony_S]

After my experiences owning a Volvo, I'd never consider having another one unless it could be proved that there was no-one working for them still who had anything to to with the design, production, retailing or servicing of the vehicle we had. Actually to be fair the Michelin tyres were rather good.

 

Tony

[gordon s]

After my experiences owning a Volvo, I'd never consider having another one unless it could be proved that there was no-one working for them still who had anything to to with the design, production, retailing or servicing of the vehicle we had. Actually to be fair the Michelin tyres were rather good.

 

Tony

 

 

Good, but done for in 10,000 miles on my T5. I'm with you Tony, I'd never have another one.....

[Tony_S]

Good, but done for in 10,000 miles on my T5. I'm with you Tony, I'd never have another one.....

 

 

Before anyone asks I (my wife really was the potential recipient) was even offered another Volvo as a gift and declined it, very politely, as I knew it had been looked after by the same garage that had previously dealt with the one I hated. The dealer must have been really good at selling as my FiL and MiL had gone out to buy a small hatchback. I'm sure I was just unlucky or my parents in law did something dreadful to these cars before they gave them to us as I know there are many people who are happy with Volvos, but it looks as if Gordon and I are not.

I notice that the motoring chap in the Telegraph says nice things about Hyundai but my experiences with a Getz in Austria mean that not only would I not buy one if offered one for hire I'd decline even to the extent of paying for an upgrade.

It looks as if all the car buying might start up again soon. My wife has been keeping her Clio until Matthew can drive but a 1.6 Clio isn't in the basic insurance group for his age band so I suspect it will be replaced at the next expensive replacement bit requirement. As her criteria for a new car probably can't be satisfied I suspect she will keep the Clio anyway.

 

 

[NGT6 1315]

Morning all...

 

Overcast and windy outside, but no frost yet - which but is predicted to change tonight. Next week may then see us at well below zero again. I wonder what Christmas will be like, weather-wise!

 

I was thinking about heading out for some railfanning later on, but am not sure yet, given the weather.

 

Have a good Sunday all!