Amazed and Confused

I have recently returned from dropping off the kids at school. My round trip generally takes 10-15 minutes if I get through the busiest traffic light quickly. However, today the round trip was approximately ONE HOUR! Our fair town has been blanketed in perhaps four inches (yes FOUR) of snow and slush in the past two days and the roads were at a standstill this morning. I actually parked the car on the side of the road in true British fashion and we walked some distance to school because everyone was sliding into the road. I will admit that the snow had been compacted over the last two days and was a sheet of bumpy ice in many places, but I was completely amazed at the town's inability to function in snow. Craig says that the way I feel about the roadways here is the exact way he felt about Maryland roadways when he moved from Illinois but I still say that at least in MD they understand the process of clearing the roads even if they tend to overdo it at times. They don't seem to clear roads here. I am not sure that they even have the equipment although in areas there might be a sprinkling of "grit" on a road or a sidewalk. (Every so often, there is a "grit box" on the corner of a street which contains sand, pebbly stuff and maybe ice melting crystals.)
Now I do want to say that I heard on the telly that this is the coldest winter in England for the last 13 years (lucky us) and that it rarely even snows according to our 10-year-old neighbor who has never experienced snow in England. Also, we are located up against almost like a bowl of hills which may exacerbate the problem (colder, shadier here and snow gets trapped on this side of the hills) and Craig said that the roads were definitely worse on this side of town as he was cycling to work. We thought it never snowed in England and didn't even pack a snow shovel in our menagerie.
Lastly, I am going to admit that I played the part of the ugly American in my big four wheel drive and just took my right of way whenever possible because I didn't want to have to stop in fear of sliding and I know I made some people angry but I just don't care today. I used up all my nice driverness bank account on this day, but I did allow a driver to use my mobile as I was walking back from the kids' school because she was stuck and needed to call her husband. Besides we ALL know that the law of gross tonnage clearly states that you need to yield to the heaviest vehicle...