It's not the cold in general that I have a problem with, it's all the side effects that occur as a result. Things like more people in cars because they're "too cold" to get a bus - resulting in increased amounts of traffic. This not only wastes my hard earned fuel but it send me nuts. I'm all for people using their cars but come on! if you usually get the bus because it's more cost effective for you, don't clog up my road space with your car when your privates get a little frosty!
On top of this we have the hugely inadequate road system. I pay over £100 a year to this useless government in road tax. What do I get for the privilege? absolutely nothing, that's what. I swear, if I was given £1 for every pot hole that I'm faced with on a daily basis then i'd be a millionaire, wouldn't have to work and wouldn't need to drive myself thus saving myself all the hassle.
The rest of Europe laugh at us during winter. There Germany is, with a well structured transport infrastructure and here's the UK. The place where a little white fluff grinds the country to a halt. You would have thought we'd have learnt by now. Global warming is not going to go away overnight and our winters have become a lot harsher. We have snowy and icy conditions every year yet nothing is done. My car is always stocked with the necessary in the event of a breakdown in these conditions but there are many people who aren't so prepared - our own government for one. I was stuck in an approximately 5 mile traffic jam the other day, all because a car had skidded in the ice and blocked the entire road. Now maybe this is just me, but if that road had been correctly gritted I wouldn't have been ranting and raving in my car for well over an hour...
Anyway, ranting aside here are the main items we should all be carrying in this horrid winter weather:
- De-icer (some, even myself, dispute the necessity of this item. Usually a good old ice scraper does the trick and you don't get left with any gooey residue on your windows)
- The legendary ice scraper (if you don't have one, buy one! If all else fails, use your credit card. The plus side of this is you won't be able to increase your debts!)
- Spare tyre and the appropriate changing kit (I would recommend a full size, those mini tyres are a waste of time and most new cars don't even have the luxury of one)
- Food (obviously nothing that requires refrigeration, although the icy conditions may well be just as good as a fridge..)
- Water (I've been told off for keeping the plastic bottled water in my car because the ice could make the bottle explode when it freezes. I've never had a problem though. If you are worried about this, just put some water in one of those flasks and seal it tight)
- Blanket (If you're stranded for a while you will definitely need one of these to escape the chill - especially when you haven't got the luxury of the heaters)
The above list is what I would deem absolutely necessary for all journeys during winter. As I'm a massive paranoid weirdo I carry way more than I need but it keeps my mind at rest and I suppose it may all come in handy one day.
Important: I am not a professional when it comes to this area. Use my list lightly. If you want any further advise, seek professional assistance. Companies like the AA will provide the key info for free.
To finish things off, I'll give you a forecast for the next couple of days. Just to put you in high spirits..
Monday:
A frosty start to the day, then mostly fine and dry with a good deal of sunshine in most areas. Chance of the odd wintry shower in the east. Chilly. Maximum Temperature 5 °C.
Outlook for Tuesday to Thursday:
Staying largely dry and bright with some sunny spells. Despite this, it will stay cold with widespread overnight frosts and freezing fog patches that may be slow to clear.
(all data from the MET Office website and for the North West of England only. Forecasts for your local area are available from the website at www.metoffice.gov.uk)
Until next time, keep trucking.
