Today, I'm surly.
It was a beautiful, cozy weekend to welcome the official start of winter with a couple of big snowstorms in the Boston area. I really love snow, both being out in it and also being inside and watching it fall while sipping a hot drink and enjoying the sight from the comfort of my living room.
What I don't love, however, is dealing with navigating through the complete mess our sidewalks become once the snow is done falling. If this were my personal blog, this post would be full of obscenities, so please feel free to fill them in wherever seems appropriate as you read.
This morning, I mentally praised my neighbors who have done even a moderate job of clearing the snow from their sidewalks in the last few days. Unfortunately, this was largely overridden by muttering about the people (and businesses!!) who haven't even begun clearing their sidewalks, making the sidewalks effectively impassable for pedestrians on their way to ... well, anywhere, really. This meant that nearly all the pedestrians I saw today were walking on the street, which is narrower than usual, due to piles of snow on either side, meaning cars have less room to maneuver around people on foot. This isn't safe or comfortable for anyone!
Also, the street is slippery, as I learned when I had my foot slide right out from under me, so surely some of my grumbling is due to having taken an unpleasant spill first thing today. Fortunately, the cab that was approaching was going slowly enough that there was no risk of my getting run over while I picked myself up.
Nevertheless, this is a great opportunity to remind everyone that snow clearing is an issue of vital concern to all of us. Please check out our snow/sidewalks page to see what WalkBoston has to say on the issue.
And if you have time, why not take a shovel out to the corner and dig a connection between the sidewalk and the street where the plows have left nearly impassable mountains of slush? If you do this and send me a picture, I'll praise you publicly and buy you a pony! Or a coffee. Whichever you'd prefer.
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I don't even know where to begin. Having just moved from Madison, WI, I felt like I was absolutely spoiled there and sent into the 7th abyss of hell on snow day in Boston. Just so that I represent myself correctly, I love snow! I cannot get enough of it. However, last week's snow removal was absolute bull-sh_t!!! Instead of biking on Monday, I thought it would be safer to run my errands (like actual running). It took me 3.5 hours only because I was pretty much running through sand the entire time along with weaving back and forth to the street.
And I cannot believe how the city doesn't take responsibility for enforcing the resident's shoveling. In Madison, you get a fine because the city can get sued if someone slips and breaks something.
Ahhhhh, I'm just so mad!!!
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