Fair enough Allison, but many do not.I think the issue about pavements is simply that there is not enough grit even for the roads, and sliding cars can kill lots of people (including pedestrians). The Goverment made councils promise to cut gritting by 25% today, and even hard shoulders on motorways are no longer being gritted.I think we need to appreciate that tough decisions must be made and this is about rationing - I think (frustrating though it may be) emotiveness about how "they don't care" is unhelpful. Heavily trafficked areas may be gritted (shops) because if you only have enough for a few streets, you may as well do it where most people are going to benefit, rather than just your street (but not mine; or vice versa) surely? Painting this as "they only care about profits" is mean-minded I think - the authorities need to balance eveyone's interests (including, yes, the commercial viability of the town) and they may get some of it wrong, but it's not through deliberate malice, conspiracy, or neglect.Other spikes suitable for putting over shoes (your ones are those I had in mind, but I note the availability) include Cotswold Magic Spikers and Grivel Spiders. These may still be available from some online outdoor retailers.Also some shoes with good grips are better than others for snow - I go walking in the hills a lot and have two pairs of boots, and some are useless on this ice while the others feel like having crampons on, they're so good. In other words, if your good grip or proper boots are ineffective, you may still be able to do better by trying others, so keep looking. It can come down to different plastics or spike patterns in the sole units, and I'm sure we'll be seeing this sort of weather again; the Europeans spend time choosing the best outdoor wear, and we should get used to it too.
Gerald Cabb ● 5695d