And I imagine that the city, with it's lust for big machines, would actually love to have some real ATV type emergency vehicles like they do in places like Vermont.

I'm oh so sure that the people whose cars end up buried in the snow kicked up by said ATV-type vehicles will just shrug their shoulders. (Now, instead of shovelers having space holders, they'll have portable walls!) Same for when the vehicles go flying around corners in neighborhoods with really tight streets, lose control and cause damage.

Vermont may have some ATV-style rescue vehicles but they also have far fewer people spread out over a far larger area than are found in the Boston metro area. They can get away with a lot of things that can't be done around here. Also, some people in VT are in really remote areas that flat-out require such enhanced vehicles. Sorry, but snow doesn't demand the same solution in every case.

When hovercars and hoverboots become ubiquitous, I'll certainly consider leaving Boston's streets untouched. Until then, I'll pay a few extra bucks to the city and state to make sure I can get to the hospital in less than three hours.