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Venting about snow removal


Steve Sells

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we have 15 inches or so of snow on the ground from this weekends storm.  there is no off street parking here, we all park on the side of the road.  My neighbor hired a plow to clear the area in front of their house,  as a result I have no place to park anymore because the plow piled their snow in front of my my house, leaving 3 foot of packed heavy snow were I normally park. Police Desk Sgt said there is nothing they can do to get it removed.

 

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Even with off street parking I remember have a yard or more of solid ice in a wall at the end of the driveway.  Had to use a pickaxe to carve a slot in it to get the car out.  I was much younger back then. I tried dealing with that now It would probably end up getting slightly abraded by the underside of the gurney they hauled me off to the hospital in.

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The method I would not suggest is waiting till they go somewhere and parking in their spot. I've had a run in before about people thinking they owned the parking on the street in front of their house. They blocked me in and were surprised to find me calling the cops to have them towed.  Luckily they were not my neighbors.

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When I was growing up in Michigan, we'd shovel the driveway into our yard, then a few days later when the plow finally came down our street, they pushed up a wall of snow that blocked the driveways and buried the mailboxes.

Same thing happened in the fall, just with leaves instead of snow.

I remember the postman following the plows.  I'd be digging through a 3' tall wall of snow and he'd threaten to withhold my mail because I hadn't dug out the postbox yet!  Mind you, he was in a mail truck, and he could actually reach the mailbox door from where he sat.

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  When I can, I use the blower to clear a path right through everybodies front yard, close to their house, down our side of the block so the mailman doesn't have to either wade through a snowbank or go around on each seperate sidewalk.  I'll probably get sued for something or arrested for trespass one of these times.

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When I lived in the trailer court a neighbor's boys offered to shovel my parking space for $5. SOLD! I go out to leave for work the next morning and my next door neighbor is digging his car out. The boys had literally piled the snow on and around his car. I apologized, walked across the road, got the boys out of bed and made them help us dig the car out. I suggested they shovel his parking space WITHOUT burying my or anybody else's car a few times to make up for making us late for work.

When I was still incapacitated after the accident Deb haired a guy to plow our driveway. The idiot pushed snow against objects, the decorative boulder on the gore point where our driveway branches and against two corners of my shop. Literally against the shop! I made Deb find someone else, a church member had me ride with him when he plowed and all was well. 

Our driveway is on a relatively steep hill and plow trucks can't carry enough speed to throw the snow off the blade so it gets bermed across our driveway. The drivers won't square the plow and carry it across either, eyes ahead don't look and everything is just fine. Happily I have a plow truck but our drive is on hill with a short sight line uphill from us, clearing the verge can cause pucker muscle exhaustion.

I comfort myself by remembering some of the poor folks on roads I used to plow who had drives that were almost impossible not to plug. A couple you couldn't even clean up with the pickup plow truck that was part of the crew in those areas. We finally started having him park in the driveway when we cleared the road and they'd bust the berm from the inside and clean the mess. 

It'd be nice if snow removal were taken into consideration when things were built. Too expensive to have that space just sitting there waiting for snow. <sigh>

Frosty The Lucky.

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The neighbor kid has a blade on the front of a riding lawnmower and made it a point to only clean the driveway of the OLD folks.  He came back and hand shoveled the side walk from the house to their garage.  Usually after dark and without pay.  Same kid was always on the list during baking season for cookies, a slice of pie or cake and somehow his family always had fresh garden vegetables in season.

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BIL is special needs and can shovel a little snow out to the mailbox. A County snow plow came along at speed and BIL stood about 6' off the side of the road watching things. Got plastered with snow, He thought the plow would quit plowing. Got mad cause the path He just made was buried. Went into the house so the cloud of steam coming from His ears would not make a traffic hazard. Went out later to reshovel the path and the plow driver evidentially turned around and cleared the path. I hope BIL learned not to watch from close up.:o:D

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My neighbor kid does my snow. I was in the shop earlier this winter and heard a noise, there he was with his snowblower in my driveway. I went in the house and grabbed a $20. My drive aint that big and i aint got but 30' of sidewalk total to worry about, so yeah it was more than i would have offered but he came with out asking just to do it. I went to hand him the money and he flat out refused to take it. I even stuck it in his pocket and he chased me into the shop and left it on the bench. I had to go over to his house and give it to his mom. His mom said that he just loved to get out and clean off snow with the snow blower, he is the same with the riding lawn mower also. I also think his mom has been on and off out of work with the whole covid thing and gas aint free...

This last snowfall we got about 10" total. This kid did every house on the block with out any one asking him. The worst part is i was provably the only person that even offered to pay him. 

I think he may be about 12 but this past fall he came over with a knife him and his dad had made and asked if he could come over and watch sometimes. I of course said he could as long as his parents were ok with it. Looks like i will be telling dad to come with him sometimes and i will turn him lose on some hot metal and some free lessons this summer. I would be much more comfortable with dad there with him for obvious reason if he is to handle hot stuff. 

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8 hours ago, rockstar.esq said:

"Putting a watermelon on someone's doorway at night is an inexpensive way to occupy a portion of their mind forever".

  I get it the jist of it, but these day's, most would just take it in and eat it and throw the rind on you lawn.  Not all, just the majority. 

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Billy:  Every now and then you run into a young person who is a joy to know and you think, "This kid will go far and I'll be able to say that I knew him/her when."  Most good kids grow up to be good men and women.  This includes some of the young people here on IFI.  I was contacted by one who email interviewed me as a Vietnam veteran.  He did a very good job on his paper regarding the interview for his school (A+++ grade) and I got a nice thank you email from his teacher.  From his interactions with me and his postings here I was very surprised to learn that he is only a 9th grader.  By the time we were done I felt like I had made a new friend and felt a bit like an honorary grandfather.

Unfortunately, many people, young and old, are so wrapped up in their own thoughts, lives, interests, problems, etc. that they have little time for other people or issues other than their own immediate world.  Too bad for them and us. 

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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I'm pleased to say I run into a surprising number of polite helpful young people, seems to the the majority. I haven't run into what I'd call a bad one in a long time. 

Our vehicles were gone through one night WHILE we yelled at the dogs for barking. They didn't get anything from us and got caught by a gentleman who listened to his dog. That's about the worst we've encountered other than the typical dip stick with the stupid blind everybody too bright headlights but that's about it.

For the most part the young folk we know and meet are decent young folks, some very hard working and charitable. Our firewood is delivered and stacked for about half the going rate and they won't take a tip, say to donate it to the food bank. We do in their name. 

They makes me feel hopeful.

Frosty The Lucky.

 

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Part of it is being raised in an environment of people helping others; a sort of social contract. I remember back in the early 1960's in McLean VA, USA, being woken up by my father to drive 30 miles to shovel out the walk and drive for someone who had been out of town when the snow fell and was coming back that day.   (After the Apollo fire all the husbands at Bellcomm  disappeared into work, my Father told me that at 3 am they had everybody at work and working on the how and why!  I didn't see my Father for weeks and if there was a home maintenance issue; the wives would call around find out who was in town and they would come over to fix the problem.)

My wife drives a neighbor 80 miles for Dr visits.   You don't expect to be paid; you expect others to help you out when you are having trouble.

Rural areas and "remote" areas are much more likely than cities to foster such interactions as "we're all in this together"  feelings still abound.

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I agree, a large part is living where any mishap can turn into a survival situation. You just don't pass someone in need. It's different in Anchorage and to a lesser degree the city of Wasilla, you get city punks. There are occasions where a punk tries strong arm robbery and meets the wrath of innocent not so bystanders. Armed thug or not, Alaska is a concealed carry state and packing is common. We don't have a "stand your ground" law, it's assumed. White hair and feeble doesn't mean safe victim. 

I like living where it's not safe to be a bad guy and the law doesn't punish you for defending yourself and yours. It's almost as good as having to figure out how to find parking for everybody who shows up because you need a hand with something. 

It's the kind of place to live.

Frosty The Lucky.

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Much the same in WY.  Probably 3 out of 5 cars on the road off the interstate have a firearm on board.  If you are broken down beside the road almost every vehicle will stop to help because they expect it when they are busted down.  The more remote the road the higher percentage of people will stop.  It's a much better way to live than ignoring someone who needs help and being ignored when you need help.  I've lived in impersonal big cities and friendly rural areas.  Friendly is better.  Having a help and be helped attitude is better for your soul.  Good karma.  "Cast your bread upon the waters and it will return ten fold."

"By hammer and hand all arts do stand."

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Helping people is good for the soul. When I'm feeling really down I'll go to a shopping center or big box and help people. Not much, take the cart back for them, help load groceries or hold a door. Little things and people smile at you, say thanks and a little depression lifts. My smile is easier, less forced and shortly I can smile at someone and they smile back. Before long I'm in a great mood and can cheer people up with a smile. 

People want to help, unfortunately they usually don't know what to do. All those people standing around an injured person aren't there to look, they want to help but don't know how. If you're administering first aid, they'll get in your way so put them to work. They'll dive in with spirit. 

Helping people in trouble is a bit of heaven. Cast bread indeed. 

Cities seem to smother a lot of the cooperative nature that put us at the top of the food chain. I suspect it's competition for resources and a lot of people who don't know what resources they're competing for they're just competing like their life depended on it. That's just a feeling of mine though

Frosty The Lucky.

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