My area has a lot of snow today, and it’s still falling, up to a foot locally, more in places.

Social media has obviously been dominated by snow. But WTF is this term ‘snow day’ all about? It’s as if it’s a thing, nearly every post I’ve seen contains it in some form or other, it’s just snow, life goes on, most people are going about their usual stuff. It’s like it’s a national holiday or something.

Nah, snow day means a day off work dunnit

It’s a day. With snow.

You know how you would say a sunny day is a Sunday?

It’s like that, but with snow.

People need something to show they are doing one better than everyone else (or so they think) on social media

Nah, snow day means a day off work dunnit

This.

Never heard anyone mention a frost or rain day, I’m being a grumpy old man, I know, but it just seems to be another modern, social media driven thing that people have to latch on to and make into a big event somehow. They see it somewhere once then latch on and these things grow and grow, usually just for attention seeking.

Somehow everything has to have a name now and be bigged up as a major event to enable FB showing off.

I’m being a grumpy old man,

Yes, that’s exactly what you are… 🙂

It’s an americanism isn’t it? People here have adopted it to mean a day when they can bunk off work or school blaming the snow.

Used to get at our work, those who stayed in remote parts got the day off whilst us city types didn’t, we were expected to make the effort to get to work.

Many complained about this as they got a free day off and those in city were expected to come in to cover the country bumpkins.

Updated policy now, take a day off due to snow, lose a day annual leave. Now we have increased sickness related to snow.

I’m being a grumpy old man

Yes.

*lobs snowball*

it’s just seems to be another modern, social media driven thing that people have to latch on to and make into a big event somehow. They see it somewhere once then latch on and these things grow and grow, usually just for attention seeking.

It was used at my school when I was a kid.. and I started school in the late 70s. Might well have been from some American TV or film I guess but it’s hardly “modern”.

what is this snow stuff?

#sunnyasfuckinleeds

Simpsons innit

Bart gets an F

1990, jeez I feel old….

core – Member

Never heard anyone mention a frost or rain day, I’m being a grumpy old man, I know, but it just seems to be another modern, social media driven thing that people have to latch on to and make into a big event somehow. They see it somewhere once then latch on and these things grow and grow, usually just for attention seeking.

Or perhaps some of what you said combined with hugely congested roads and drivers who aren’t used to driving in snow because it’s much less frequent these days. Combine that with a detached impersonal society where we treat all other road users as our enemies so there’s no sense of collective effort to help each other. The net result being light snow causes complete gridlock making commuting a pointless en devour for many.

Makes you think.

I’ve written you a note in the snow outside your house to explain it.

No **** snow day likely for me! 🙁

I’ve worked for a couple of big organisations who specifically tell employees not to attempt to come to work, the implications for the emergency services etc of blocked roads and abandoned cars is a bigger problem, but they also have measures in place to run safely with key personnel brought in.

how come Ton can swear?

but what happens when emergency service people take snow days…………..

I think the problem here is “social media” rather than the snow day, it doesn’t bear any relation to real life most of the time.

The headlines are the worst kind of negative trauma:

Snowmageddon
Britian Gridlocked
UK devastated by Snow Bomb

Etc….

**** off….

giantalkali – Member

how come Ton can swear?

He is a stealth ubermod

Cheer up you lot.
I’ve got an unexpected day off tomorrow. Couldn’t GAF what it’s called 😀

but what happens when emergency service people take snow days…………..

There will or should be a plan in place to get the key people to work or to maintain a level of service, everyone of those heroes who struggled in put themselves and others in danger doing it. Sorry for the sober non exciting no anger version of things.

You’d think that wouldn’t you, sadly not. #wemakeitupaswegoalong

No snow down here, so I’m taking the day off to go surfing instead.

Snow day (n)

(1) A day where normal motorised vehicles are perfectly capable of negotiating a smattering of white precipitation if driven with a little care but where half or more of drivers choose instead to demonstrate that they are in fact totally incapable plonkers behind the wheel and not the driving god’s they pretend to be. (2) A day where schools and businesses close because those who live ten minutes walk away can’t get in due to the need to have a snowball fight.

but what happens when emergency service people take snow days…………..

NHS round here the deal is to report to anywhere you can get to, I think assuming on general balance they will end up with enough staff to cover emergencies even if they are someone elses staff!

Every single one of my friends who are teachers are bleating on about their day off today as they can’t get to work. Strange as I’m currently about to drive a big heavy van around their areas and I doubt I’ll have much problems. Even better is I deliver to two of their schools so will be taunting them via social media about how they could have easily got into work and that they’re all a bunch of shirkers 😈

Even better is I deliver to two of their schools so will be taunting them via social media about how they could have easily got into work and that they’re all a bunch of shirkers

And get all the kids in and out safely? Plenty of hero’s out there today I bet 🙄

We have a resilient schools plan. S1-S3 are to attend if within walking distance. All staff have a local school they should attend assuming they live within 1.5miles.
Of course we’ve had absolutely no snow so business as normal.

Have fat bike, riding to work 😉

Meanwhile, in places where it actually does snow it was brought in after people died getting home…

I remember hearing a tale of a kid, dropped at the end of his farm road, only made it within 250 yards of his house before succumbing to the weather. My memory might be a bit wonky, this was back in the seventies. In Aberdeenshire.

Being bussed into school we all had to have storm addresses nearby.

But, yeah, folk taking the day off coz ‘snow’. Mostly 😀

Our kids school just text everyone. For some reason they’ve got a 9.30 start instead of 8.30. There is no snow on the roads….

giantalkali – Member

how come Ton can swear?

He is a stealth ubermod

Leeds is grim but is it a swearword?

It’s above freezing here I’ll ride through the rain/sleet but tonight and tomorrow morning worries me as it is forecast to be -8 tonight.
If we don’t get in the paper misses its print slot and we are in deep doggydo.

We have a resilient schools plan. S1-S3 are to attend if within walking distance. All staff have a local school they should attend assuming they live within 1.5miles.

Thats a really good idea, however now must schools are not under LEA control I struggle to see hiw it would work.

http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/news/society/roads-full-of-men-with-strong-but-conflicting-opinions-about-how-to-drive-on-ice-20171211140691

As widespread snow is followed by treacherous icy driving conditions, millions of men aged between 34 and 71 confirmed that they know precisely how to handle the situation.

Accountant Roy Hobbs said: “People make a big fuss about driving on what is basically a sheet of glass, but it’s actually a doddle.

“You’ve got to stay in second gear and lightly touch the wheel with your fingertips as if it were a very hot jacket potato. Also you have to wear special ‘hi-grip Plastex’ driving shoes, and listen to Albatross by Fleetwood Mac because it keeps you calm but focused.”

Been around for a long time. Mainly used by the city types to avoid going to work while the rural ones just seen it as another day with snow and got to work anyway. Meaning the rural ones did had to cover the city guys.