True Grit
Bill Gates | 07.02.2009 13:33 | Analysis | Climate Chaos | Social Struggles | South Coast | World
Is hard to find. Councils are diluting it with sand. The Daily Mash has the real reasons for the shortage: Experts claim the shortage has been caused by climate change, childhood obesity, or possiibly the influx of unskilled, non-EU immigrants.
A spokesman for Hertfordshire County Council said: ``I have seen some rather fat, hungry looking children hanging around the depot
``And let's not forget that one of the most devastating effects of climate change is to make council officials forget to order more grit. ``But no, on second thoughts you're right, it's probably all that immigration.'
Melanie Phillips is also on the case: Melanie Phillips, writing in the Daily Mail, said: ``As if it was not already obvious, modern Britain has no grit. ``The arctic weather has exposed not only our lack of grit, but also, and in a very real sense, our lack of grit.
Here's some helpful advice from Canada, whose expats in the UK must be looking around in utter astonishment at the hysteria and panic caused by a few days of snow.
Making an intercity car trek in the winter or even completing a short jaunt to the country can be done safely whatever the weather. But a little preparation and planning is crucial for keeping you on the road.
View Large
A coatless driver hops out of his car at an offramp in Ottawa to clean his windshield of ice in a storm in this file photo.
Photograph by : John Major, the Ottawa Citizen
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RELATED LINKS
How to get the car unstuck
How not to crash the car this winter
How to navigate stormy winter weather
Special: Winter driving guide
Enough has been written and said about winter tires so there's no need to harp. If you're thinking of heading out for any trip without four winter tires on, think again.
Colder temperatures take their toll on fuel economy so fill the tank before hitting the road. The extra weight of the fuel in the rear of the vehicle will provide more control on snowy roads as well as keep you moving. And when you're at the gas station filling up, clean off the headlamps and tail lights along with the windshield and rear window.
For a bonus tip, if your plastic headlamp covers are getting a little hazy with age, try hand-polishing them with a car wax-cloth and a few generous dabs of plain, white toothpaste. The fine grit in the toothpaste and a little elbow grease will remove a lot of the haze and will bring your headlamps back to their original brightness.
If you've never been in the habit of performing a walk-around to check out your vehicle before leaving home, winter is a good time to start. Check tire pressures, lights, doors and fluids. Finding out your windshield washer fluid reservoir is empty as a passing truck obliterates your vision isn't just inconvenient - it's dangerous.
And another tip. If you are the green sort who purchases washer fluid out of a bulk tank and reuses the same container over and over, buy a jug base to keep the container upright and secure in the trunk. After a number of uses, the twist-on cap can get leaky.
Give the wiper blades a lift and flex them to make sure they can follow the curve of the glass. Take a moment to clear any buildup of ice and snow from under the blades at the base of the windshield. If enough slush builds here it can stop the wipers from completing their cycle. That could cause them to stop completely.
If your vehicle has a block heater, make sure to use it when overnight temperatures drop below -15 C. If you don't have one, a mechanic's trouble lamp will do in a pinch. (Those portable incandescent lamps with the bulb enclosed in a cage.) Simply pop in a 60-watt bulb - if the lamp is rated to accept it - and park it under the hood facing the engine and battery, making sure it doesn't come into contact with anything that could melt.
If your trip is overnight, remember an extension cord for block-heater use. Your trunk should also carry a good set of booster cables, a safety reflective triangle, a small snow shovel and some type of traction aid.
A couple of resealable one- or two-gallon pails filled with salted sand won't take up much room but will provide helpful traction weight as well as grip for your tires if you get stuck. Secure one in each rear corner of the cargo area using a bungee cord or rope.
If your car is going to be parked for a few days in extremely cold weather, consider a solar panel to keep the battery fresh and topped up. Most auto hardware stores carry them for under $40 complete with cables to connect them to the battery.
Avoid running any plug-in accessory if the vehicle's engine is turned off. Cellphone chargers, electronic games and video devices can quickly take an auto battery below the point where it will start the engine.
If you've been completing a lot of stop-and-start trips on frosty days, get the engine oil and filter changed before a trip away. This type of running can play havoc with engines, causing moisture buildup in air breather cases, vacuum lines, intake components and crankcase vent systems. The air filter should be checked to ensure it's dry and clean. Any excessive moisture on the paper substrate can ice up overnight, reducing the amount of air getting in during a startup. That can lead to engine flooding.
And if the crankcase vent system freezes shut, the resulting pressure buildup can blow major oil seals and gaskets and cause drastic oil loss.
If your car has experienced some rough starts and poor engine running lately, take a whiff of the engine oil dipstick. If you detect a decidedly gasoline odour, then the crankcase is contaminated with gasoline from flooding. This can thin out the engine oil to the point it can't sufficiently lubricate critical components and, in rare cases, an engine backfire can ignite the oil/gas mix in the oil pan, creating some very exciting and dangerous fireworks as well as expensive damage.
Here's another trick for smooth operation - silicone lubricating compound. Available at any hardware store, this spray will keep door seals from freezing the doors shut, allow windows to go up and down and keep latches and locks operational regardless of how far the mercury plummets. Unlike spray grease, it won't get thick and stiff with the cold and won't attract dirt and grit.
Use the spray nozzle straw to get the silicone compound down in the door window tracks and into lock cylinders.
Be generous with your trip timing. Partially snow-covered roads, a few flurries, and the odd whiteout is all it takes to slow you down. Add at least 20 per cent to your time allotment.
``And let's not forget that one of the most devastating effects of climate change is to make council officials forget to order more grit. ``But no, on second thoughts you're right, it's probably all that immigration.'
Melanie Phillips is also on the case: Melanie Phillips, writing in the Daily Mail, said: ``As if it was not already obvious, modern Britain has no grit. ``The arctic weather has exposed not only our lack of grit, but also, and in a very real sense, our lack of grit.
Here's some helpful advice from Canada, whose expats in the UK must be looking around in utter astonishment at the hysteria and panic caused by a few days of snow.
Making an intercity car trek in the winter or even completing a short jaunt to the country can be done safely whatever the weather. But a little preparation and planning is crucial for keeping you on the road.
View Large
A coatless driver hops out of his car at an offramp in Ottawa to clean his windshield of ice in a storm in this file photo.
Photograph by : John Major, the Ottawa Citizen
ARTICLE TOOLS
Printer friendly
Font:
RELATED LINKS
How to get the car unstuck
How not to crash the car this winter
How to navigate stormy winter weather
Special: Winter driving guide
Enough has been written and said about winter tires so there's no need to harp. If you're thinking of heading out for any trip without four winter tires on, think again.
Colder temperatures take their toll on fuel economy so fill the tank before hitting the road. The extra weight of the fuel in the rear of the vehicle will provide more control on snowy roads as well as keep you moving. And when you're at the gas station filling up, clean off the headlamps and tail lights along with the windshield and rear window.
For a bonus tip, if your plastic headlamp covers are getting a little hazy with age, try hand-polishing them with a car wax-cloth and a few generous dabs of plain, white toothpaste. The fine grit in the toothpaste and a little elbow grease will remove a lot of the haze and will bring your headlamps back to their original brightness.
If you've never been in the habit of performing a walk-around to check out your vehicle before leaving home, winter is a good time to start. Check tire pressures, lights, doors and fluids. Finding out your windshield washer fluid reservoir is empty as a passing truck obliterates your vision isn't just inconvenient - it's dangerous.
And another tip. If you are the green sort who purchases washer fluid out of a bulk tank and reuses the same container over and over, buy a jug base to keep the container upright and secure in the trunk. After a number of uses, the twist-on cap can get leaky.
Give the wiper blades a lift and flex them to make sure they can follow the curve of the glass. Take a moment to clear any buildup of ice and snow from under the blades at the base of the windshield. If enough slush builds here it can stop the wipers from completing their cycle. That could cause them to stop completely.
If your vehicle has a block heater, make sure to use it when overnight temperatures drop below -15 C. If you don't have one, a mechanic's trouble lamp will do in a pinch. (Those portable incandescent lamps with the bulb enclosed in a cage.) Simply pop in a 60-watt bulb - if the lamp is rated to accept it - and park it under the hood facing the engine and battery, making sure it doesn't come into contact with anything that could melt.
If your trip is overnight, remember an extension cord for block-heater use. Your trunk should also carry a good set of booster cables, a safety reflective triangle, a small snow shovel and some type of traction aid.
A couple of resealable one- or two-gallon pails filled with salted sand won't take up much room but will provide helpful traction weight as well as grip for your tires if you get stuck. Secure one in each rear corner of the cargo area using a bungee cord or rope.
If your car is going to be parked for a few days in extremely cold weather, consider a solar panel to keep the battery fresh and topped up. Most auto hardware stores carry them for under $40 complete with cables to connect them to the battery.
Avoid running any plug-in accessory if the vehicle's engine is turned off. Cellphone chargers, electronic games and video devices can quickly take an auto battery below the point where it will start the engine.
If you've been completing a lot of stop-and-start trips on frosty days, get the engine oil and filter changed before a trip away. This type of running can play havoc with engines, causing moisture buildup in air breather cases, vacuum lines, intake components and crankcase vent systems. The air filter should be checked to ensure it's dry and clean. Any excessive moisture on the paper substrate can ice up overnight, reducing the amount of air getting in during a startup. That can lead to engine flooding.
And if the crankcase vent system freezes shut, the resulting pressure buildup can blow major oil seals and gaskets and cause drastic oil loss.
If your car has experienced some rough starts and poor engine running lately, take a whiff of the engine oil dipstick. If you detect a decidedly gasoline odour, then the crankcase is contaminated with gasoline from flooding. This can thin out the engine oil to the point it can't sufficiently lubricate critical components and, in rare cases, an engine backfire can ignite the oil/gas mix in the oil pan, creating some very exciting and dangerous fireworks as well as expensive damage.
Here's another trick for smooth operation - silicone lubricating compound. Available at any hardware store, this spray will keep door seals from freezing the doors shut, allow windows to go up and down and keep latches and locks operational regardless of how far the mercury plummets. Unlike spray grease, it won't get thick and stiff with the cold and won't attract dirt and grit.
Use the spray nozzle straw to get the silicone compound down in the door window tracks and into lock cylinders.
Be generous with your trip timing. Partially snow-covered roads, a few flurries, and the odd whiteout is all it takes to slow you down. Add at least 20 per cent to your time allotment.
Bill Gates