TOKOROA MAIN STREET GRITTED AFTER COUNCIL BLOKE 'FELT A BIT OF A CHILL' AT LUNCHTIME
Temperature at time of gritting: 14 degrees. Forecast low: 11. Locals asked to please stop laughing.
A stretch of Tokoroa's main drag was gritted on Tuesday afternoon after a Waikato District Council staffer stepped outside, zipped up his fleece, and declared conditions "a bit nippy underfoot".
The grit went down between 1.15pm and 2pm. The mercury sat at 14 degrees. The sun was out. No frost has been recorded in Tokoroa since August.
Retiree Moana Whitiora, 71, watched the truck from her front step on Leith Place. "I've lived here since '74 and I've never seen grit in October. Bloody nice of them, mind. Bit early but."
A council spokesperson confirmed the grit had been laid "as a precaution" and the staffer had "a good feel for these things". Asked whether anyone checked the forecast, the spokesperson said the forecast was "one input among many".
By 3pm a light westerly picked up and a woman outside the Pak'nSave put her cardigan back on. Some are calling it vindication. The grit is still on the road. So is the sun.
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Reader Letters
bex_south08
Lol. Baffled by this.
Garry_from_Gordonton
As if Tokoroa needed winter tourism now! Gritting at 14 degrees is just wild. I guess someone thought we needed a change of season urgently? Next, they'll be putting sunscreen on the pavements when we're heading into winter.
janet_thinks
Honestly, how can anyone stay amused by this madness in Tokoroa? It's baffling how council decisions go.
lovelylisa1982
Well, it was a bit chilly yesterday, so who's to say it wasn't needed!
SensibleSue
Council's 'good feel for these things' sounds like a load of rubbish to me. They had old Moana watching in disbelief. Surely, checking a forecast isn't that hard?
tane_tokerau
Mate, the article says the forecast was considered, but it was only one input. Doesn't mean they ignored it, eh.
oldtimeryarn
Back in my day, we just rubbed two sticks together for warmth, not asked the council to do a song and dance if a breeze blew through. 14 degrees is a balmy day compared to what we used to get.
Trevor_Tokoroa
Whatever happened to neighbourly common sense? Whatever next, fixing potholes just because someone tripped on a leaf?
tidy_jo_from_tok
It seems like a harmless mistake, but a costly one nonetheless. All that grit will just need sweeping up again, what a waste!