Letter from the editor: '˜Snow' bother if we all muck in

The heaviest snow falls for several years had people in a flap.

Problem is for most parts of Scotland, the Highlands accepted, heavy snowfalls are not something we get too much of. Rain yes, snow no.

So when it does arrive we are rarely prepared.

In some respects we’ve never had more warning about adverse weather with sophisticated tracking systems and constant reminders to watch out for snow/ice/wind/rain.

But still we get caught out when it arrives. The drivers stranded overnight on the M74 are testament to that.

In a week when we are again warned about budget shortfalls and belt tightening needed at Falkirk Council, people are still moaning because their street is not cleared.

Perhaps if more people took a few moments to clear their own paths and the area around their home, then it would allow the local authority to concentrate on the main roads and the areas around our schools and hospitals.

There are no doubt already cries of “but that’s why I pay my council tax”. Well okay, but I’d rather I cleared my own pavement and the council emptied my refuse bin.

And as an aside, I 
received a phone call from someone in London this week who started off by apologising for contacting me so early in the morning.

It was after 11am!

Left me wondering if someone had introduced a time difference south of the border and no-one had told me ...