Yes, it's that time of year. With the exhaustion of the Christmas and New Year holidays behind us, less than three weeks later comes,-with plenty of warning,- a few days of snow, most of it in low or moderate quantities rather than in blowing dix foot drifts.
"No problem" you might say or think ," The indomitable Britsh spirit in the face of adversity honed through centuries of heroic defeats will see the country through".
Well, no actually. A new spirit walks the land. One of risk aversion, taking the safe and boring option. No more heroic fighting on the beaches, struggling to get to work through thick and thin and making sure eveything gets done and nobody is let down. We just don't do that anymore.
Britain's key business airport and alleged global hub, Heathrow , no longer sets out to fly the plan even if it takes into the wee small hours and a waiver of the night jet ban. It orders the precautionary cancellation of flights regardless of how the weather actually turns out on the day. Then some airlines,- a very big one in particular,- heap on a few more just to be sure/have rear ends covered. "People would rather know in advance they are going nowhere" says the voice of "We're not even going to try". Actually said people just want to get on with their travels. The airport and airlines' task is to enable that to happen, and safely. It's been done in the past, even at a near saturated airports. It is elsewhere. Why not now? It's all about attitude and the bulldog having become a cosseted poodle.
The disease is not confined to airports. Next step forward the schools and timorous health and safety obsessed head teachers worried about whether a car might skid into the bus queue, the playground gates or heaven forbid, the admin office. Never mind the huge problems posed to parents, working ones especially and the self employed in particular. "We're not babysitters" says one teacher quoted by the Times. "Well amongst other things you actually are" should be the answer of any head with a firm grip, "Whatever your mean minded unions may say. You have an inalienable responsibility to your customers,- that's parents and children both".
The local health centre says its computer system , a scandalously expensive public sector disaster in the first place, should be fixed for this week "if the contractors can get here safely". Who are these contractors that they havent heard of 4 x 4s, winter tyres, good old fashioned chains or any other means of getting to a comfortable, warm, inside job. Do they not feel a responsibility to get to their customer and meet their obligations unless they are buried under an avalanche. (unlikely on main roads in a flat part of the home counties)? The answer is apparently "No" and their nice succulent taxpayer funded contract can wait another day or two if they'd rather go sledging with the school-less kids instead. Maybe they did turn up. I'd ask the health centre if they could get around to answering their phone. Maybe that's buried under the snow too.
And so it goes on. The really unfortunate part of the saga is that the message to many of the next generations is that going for it is off.
Bring on more Poles.
"No problem" you might say or think ," The indomitable Britsh spirit in the face of adversity honed through centuries of heroic defeats will see the country through".
Well, no actually. A new spirit walks the land. One of risk aversion, taking the safe and boring option. No more heroic fighting on the beaches, struggling to get to work through thick and thin and making sure eveything gets done and nobody is let down. We just don't do that anymore.
Britain's key business airport and alleged global hub, Heathrow , no longer sets out to fly the plan even if it takes into the wee small hours and a waiver of the night jet ban. It orders the precautionary cancellation of flights regardless of how the weather actually turns out on the day. Then some airlines,- a very big one in particular,- heap on a few more just to be sure/have rear ends covered. "People would rather know in advance they are going nowhere" says the voice of "We're not even going to try". Actually said people just want to get on with their travels. The airport and airlines' task is to enable that to happen, and safely. It's been done in the past, even at a near saturated airports. It is elsewhere. Why not now? It's all about attitude and the bulldog having become a cosseted poodle.
The disease is not confined to airports. Next step forward the schools and timorous health and safety obsessed head teachers worried about whether a car might skid into the bus queue, the playground gates or heaven forbid, the admin office. Never mind the huge problems posed to parents, working ones especially and the self employed in particular. "We're not babysitters" says one teacher quoted by the Times. "Well amongst other things you actually are" should be the answer of any head with a firm grip, "Whatever your mean minded unions may say. You have an inalienable responsibility to your customers,- that's parents and children both".
The local health centre says its computer system , a scandalously expensive public sector disaster in the first place, should be fixed for this week "if the contractors can get here safely". Who are these contractors that they havent heard of 4 x 4s, winter tyres, good old fashioned chains or any other means of getting to a comfortable, warm, inside job. Do they not feel a responsibility to get to their customer and meet their obligations unless they are buried under an avalanche. (unlikely on main roads in a flat part of the home counties)? The answer is apparently "No" and their nice succulent taxpayer funded contract can wait another day or two if they'd rather go sledging with the school-less kids instead. Maybe they did turn up. I'd ask the health centre if they could get around to answering their phone. Maybe that's buried under the snow too.
And so it goes on. The really unfortunate part of the saga is that the message to many of the next generations is that going for it is off.
Bring on more Poles.
