Four hours to drive 3 miles (From Echo)
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Four hours to drive 3 miles
1:36pm Tuesday 7th February 2012 in Letters
My son visited the First World War battlefields of Belgium on Saturday, and his coach party was driven through northern France and Belgium, where it was also snowing. The roads were as clear as a bell, despite the depth of the snow, similar to here.
My son went all that way with no problem – until he got back to Essex.
I picked him up from Wickford at 11.30pm and got on the A127 from the A130 intersection and travelled towards Rayleigh Weir.
This is a journey of three miles. Four hours, several pushes and wheelspins later, I arrived home, having had to abandon my car at the bottom of the main road into Rayleigh.
I saw four snowploughs, obviously far too late to make the slightest impression and, during the day, no sign of gritters.
When is Essex County Council going to justify my £100 a month council tax as a single parent and start sorting out its bad weather strategy?
It had two weeks’ notice of this weather, so why was it again not prepared?
The county’s track record of looking after the roads is abysmal. I suppose we’ll have to endure even more damage to our cars because of the resultant pot holes that go unrepaired for years. The county council owes me £130 for repairs to my car, which it refuses to pay.
Kim Gandy
Eastwood Road
Rayleigh
Comments(11)
Kim Gandy
says...
7:07pm Sun 12 Feb 12
I dislike your sarky tone,
Kim Gandy
says...
7:08pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Kim Gandy
says...
7:08pm Sun 12 Feb 12
Nebs
says...
6:21am Mon 20 Feb 12
You and all the other drivers had two weeks notice of the snow, and you were aware of the councils track record, and yet you went out in it anyway. Perhaps your blame should be directed at those drivers who did not go out prepared with a shovel and some grit or old sacks, or winter tyres, as it is they who slowed down your journey.
Kim Gandy
says...
10:12am Mon 20 Feb 12
Keep your holier-than-thou opinions to yourself.
I suspect you have NEVER ever been caught out in bad weather have you? Being as well organised as you are, it seems you are practically perfect in every way.
I real example to the rest of us ordinary folk.
Nebs
says...
8:32am Tue 21 Feb 12
No, I don't expect you to leave your son on the coach, I expect every parent to make every effort to care for and to protect their children to the best of their ability. Sometimes that involves a bit of hardship.
Who else have you blamed apart from the council, how about the coach company which had two weeks notice of the snow but didn't cancel the trip and managed to get to Wickford OK, how about the other drivers who had two weeks notice of the snow and still failed to take adequate precautions. Your £100 a month council tax would be much higher if the council decided they would spare no expense to clear every road in Essex as soon as the snow falls.
I didn't get stuck in the snow as I took a look out of the window and cancelled two appointments that week that would have involved long journeys.I appreciate that you couldn't do that with your son, but at least when I did go out on local jobs I took a couple of bags of grit and a shovel just in case. Most drivers seemed to be driving very sensibly, the only problem was one elderly couple who felt it acceptable to tailgate me on the sheet ice along the seafront, so I simply pulled over and let them pass.
Kim Gandy
says...
9:19am Tue 21 Feb 12
I haven't time to read through that diatribe.
You must have such a bad headache from that halo. It's obviously far too tight these days.
Nebs
says...
1:12pm Tue 21 Feb 12
At least I had the decency to read your letter to the Echo before forming an opinion.
Kim Gandy
says...
4:33pm Tue 21 Feb 12
Nebs
says...
4:59pm Tue 21 Feb 12
Rayleigh mum says...
3:50pm Tue 7 Feb 12
we travelled back from a wedding in Clacton saturday night on the A12 then A130, A127. Left there at 10.15pm and were home in Rayleigh by midnight or thereabouts. on the way there it took hour and a half. conditions abysmal agreed, but no way did it take 4 hours to travel 3 miles!