Sir, – I know it’s only the second week in September, but I don’t know how many times already I’ve been told we’re in for a winter colder than last year, with the snow starting in late October!
This is starting to stress me out already, remembering the hellish few weeks where it was almost impossible to walk across the road to the shop without fear of breaking a limb. The worst thing about this was you were risking your safety on piles of compacted snow and ice which were just allowed to build up on pavements, particularly on corners and including the ground around pedestrian crossings.
We had three “snow episodes” in 2010, and icy paths were a problem during all of them. I think the obvious solution is for every business and household to be responsible for clearing the portion of the path outside their premises. There may be some elderly or disabled people who are not capable of this but I am sure these can be helped in the task.
To ensure people’s safety this should be organised centrally, through the relevant city or county councils. Surely a letter to each household or business would go a long way in encouraging people to take this action? – Yours, etc,