[Vision2020] Snow Grouch

[Craine Kit]

a) Responsibility is responsibility. Having to shovel in the dark or  
early in the morning is one of those nasty little things that comes  
with owning property  or signing a lease that makes shoveling the  
tenants responsibility. If one has to arise early just in case snow  
needs to be shovelled, so be it. If you guess wrong, enjoy an extra  
cup of coffee.

b) If you are going to be out of town when it might snow, it is still  
your RESPONSIBILITY to make sure your sidewalks are cleared while you  
are gone. If your substitutes fails, that is between you and him/her.  
Do not expect passing pedestrians to pay.

c) If you are suddenly ill, it is still your RESPONSIBILITY to do the  
sidewalks (remind me to tell you the story of my having two impacted  
wisdom teeth removed the day before an unexpected 10" of snow and  
having to find someone to clear my walks when I was zoned out on pain  
killers and couldn't talk). Even so, it is not unreasonable for the  
community to provide (via the city or other means) an organization  
you can call for help. I have been suggesting this for years to no  
effect.

d) I have proposed (and sort of got a start on) a voluntary program  
thorough PCEI to help those who truly can't comply with the law. The  
city wasn't interested.

This is a problem that can be solved if the community--as managed by  
the city--is interested. Fact is, that neither the city nor the  
community really cares--they would rather have pedestrians to walking  
in the traffic lanes than make travel on Moscow's sidewalks safe for  
everyone.

I am endlessly amazed at the number of whining excuses why the  
responsibility-challanged should be able to harm those who are  
exercising their right to  safely use a public sidewalk instead of  
being "men" and doing what needs to be done.

Kit Craine





On Dec 29, 2008, at 8:59 PM, Chasuk wrote:

> This is a problem that doesn't have an easy solution.  Not everyone
> who fails to clear their public easement within 24 hour is a scofflaw.
>  Shoveling isn't easy for everyone.  Whether because of obesity, age,
> illness, injury, or other infirmity, not everyone is capable of doing
> it.  For those who are capable, the 24-hour requirement, while
> seemingly reasonable, isn't always enough time.  Combine work and
> sleep, and maybe school, and you are left shoveling in the dark.
> Maybe you are visiting family during the holidays.  Maybe you have no
> family or friends who can help, or they can't help precisely according
> to schedule.  Maybe paying your rent and your mortgage is already
> tight, and you have to decide which is more important, paying someone
> to shovel your snow, or buying groceries.  Maybe charity is
> embarrassing for you, or you don't know where to seek it.
>
> Let's have some compassion, folks.