Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

It's ridiculous.

On one hand, some firms insist employees TRY to get to work, and on the other, HMG advises, 'Don't drive unless your journey is absolutely necessary.'

I believe it's what's known as a 'Catch 22 Situation'.

J.R. wrote:It's ridiculous.

On one hand, some firms insist employees TRY to get to work, and on the other, HMG advises, 'Don't drive unless your journey is absolutely necessary.'

I believe it's what's known as a 'Catch 22 Situation'.

A number of very large employers went on TV to tell their employees that, if they didn't get to work, they would not be paid. Given that these were shop and supermarket staff who are generally badly paid anyway, the pressures on them to get to work were immense. Of course the Government has ensured that there is insufficient / no public transport left in many places so they have to use private cars. Catch 22.

After the scandal some years ago about the chief constables owning the company which was doing all the police checks, one has to wonder about the ownership of this tow-away company.

We had a similar problem. Public notices went out on the University's website :-
a) Wednesday - we are closed. Push off. Don't come in if you haven't already tried to do so. If you have struggled in - bog off home. We won't support you in any extra travel arrangements you need to make. (One colleague ended up walking through atrocious conditions to the bus station, in the town, about 2 miles from us, found that the buses had stopped and then had to pay £25 for a taxi to get her to within a mile of where she lives, which is only about 3 miles from the bus station. She had to walk the rest of the way)
b) Thursday. We are open again. But we are not gritting paths, roads or car parks. Underfoot it is treacherous. So wear proper winter clothing and appropriate footwear, but come to work if you can. If you/your Line Manager can allow you to work at home, please do so. (By implication, if you come to work, happen to fall over and break something, don't blame us because we have already warned you)
c) Friday. We are open. If you don't come to work, though onsite road and car park conditions are still treacherous, we will call this a day's leave (irrespective of where you come from/your home circumstances. You choose to live where you do)
d) Sunday. We will be open tomorrow (Monday) - under the same conditions as Friday. But we will be closing at 4.30, so if you have come to work on Monday please disappear by 4.30.
e) Monday, 12.00 noon. Gosh, the weather conditions have improved and we have more supplies of grit and salt! So please stay until the normal end of your working day today. We have gritted roads and paths, and when we can we may turn our attention to the car parks.

I have to say, in defence, that I DID pull all the stops out to get to work today, and found that my greatest difficulty was manoeuvering myself from my car to the 'shed' in which my disability buggy lives, and from there onto the 'roadway' which had been cleareed (I needed to surmount an 18" ledge of snow and ice, from where the roadway had been cleared). A gentleman (unknown) came along and asked if he could help, and lifted my buggy from one side to the other of the ledge of ice. I complained to Estates and when the time came for me to go home, I found that they had cleared a pathway through that ledge of ice/snow, and down to and beyond my buggy's 'garage'.

Let's see what tomorrow brings!

I regret that I do not know Kerren, personally ------

But I think I would hate to cross her !!!!

You do, Neill. It was I who tapped you on the shoulder during David Miller's talk, last Old Blues' Day................

kerrensimmonds wrote:You do, Neill. It was I who tapped you on the shoulder during David Miller's talk, last Old Blues' Day................

...... with a large club, no doubt !!

NEILL THE NOTORIOUS wrote:I regret that I do not know Kerren, personally ------

But I think I would hate to cross her !!!!

She scared the bejasus out of me in my first year when she was Upper Sixth.

Regarding the unreasonableness this thread is about, several years ago, in the middle of the night, my car was broken into and the perps. attempted to 'wire' it. They had already tried round the corner with no joy, but that owner had seen them and called the police, who missed them as there are back alleys out of our close.

The police asked if they could take my car for forensic examination and I said yes. A week later I received a bill from the recovery company for 'recovery@ (from my drive) and 'storage', while it was examined by the police.

The reason they could not start my car was because there was a problem with it anyway and I was going to get rid of it so I told them to crush it.

Mary - you probably saw her most in the House. I saw her flying down the hockey pitch towards me in goal - also terrifying!

Katharine wrote:Mary - you probably saw her most in the House. I saw her flying down the hockey pitch towards me in goal - also terrifying!

Sounds like a 'St. Trinian's' moment !

This is getting personal!

I'm afraid it's the thought of short gym-slips and visible stocking-tops, Kerren !

Our tunics were certainly not short! They had to at least reach the knee.................

kerrensimmonds wrote:Our tunics were certainly not short! They had to at least reach the knee.................

I know the feeling well !!