Thou Shalt Not... help thy neighbours

When I was growing up, I knew everyone in the street and, of course, everyone knew me. It was a safe environment for a child to grow up in, to explore an ever-expanding locality and, eventually understand and appreciate.

When the power cuts came, I was sent round to check on Mrs A, Miss B and Mr X. My mission? To make sure they had candles, that all their light switches, ovens and suchlike were turned off. All in the name of 'taking care'.

If it snowed, which it always did in the winter, we youngsters would be sent out again, armed with bags of cinders, salt and shovels. Our mission? Simple: we were to shovel the snow away, sprinkle salt and lay the cinders. To make it safe for the older people to get out of their houses.

The older people were always so grateful. We often got a bag of sweets or a penny or two but just a 'thanks son' was enough.

Today, a neighbour flagged me down as I drove back into the road I live in. His words stunned me, not because I hadn't heard them before, but because of the sadness in his voice.

"The 'Overseers' don't want us to clear the pavements of snow or ice", he said. "I don't understand what's going on any more."

I asked him what he meant and he replied that: "If I clear the snow and ice so [the neighbours] can get out safely and someone falls over on the cleared pavement, they say I'll get in trouble. I just don't understand. What do you think?"

What's going on here?

Utter, absolute arrogance on the part of the 'Overseers', I would suggest.

How is it possible for someone to sue a householder for clearing the dangerous ice from outside their home, or down the path so the postman's delivery is made easier?

Apparently, if they fall over on the 'safe' part of the path, they are able to sue for compensation. But, what happens if they slip and fall on an untreated, dangerous and icy pavement?

Well, they probably don't have a leg to stand on, do they?

Can the 'Overseers' be held accountable for a fall on an untreated, dangerous pavement? I doubt it very much. They probably have several 'get-out clauses' in their insurance policies. Snow and ice is an 'Act of God'; 'our responsibility is only to grit main roads', that sort of thing.

It would be interesting to see if the 'Overseers' can, in fact, be sued for injury caused by their preventing people from helping each other by the threat of legal action.

Unfortunately, the 'Overseers' policy appears to be working.

Thou Shalt Not... help thy neighbour.