(no subject)

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

Is it just me or are the sidewalks just outside of Davis Square in worse shape this winter than in years past? I walk along College Ave from Powderhouse to Davis Square each day and it seems fewer and fewer people are bothering to shovel or put down salt on their sidewalks.

Obviously, this morning was difficult, but a lot of people haven't shoveled since last week's storm. There's a good 4 inches of ice in front of so many houses. The sidewalks that had been shoveled were fairly bad this morning but the sidewalks that had never been shoveled were impassable.

If you live in the area and have shoveled your sidewalk, THANK YOU! Your neighbors who walk to public transportation thank you - you're a true asset to the community. If you haven't shoveled your sidewalk yet this winter, please do so. It's really dangerous for those of us who must take public transportation to get to work. I know we're all really busy and that shoveling really sucks, but think of your neighbors. Think about how bad you would feel if someone fell on your sidewalk and really hurt themselves.

Maybe people think I'm naive to expect people to shovel their sidewalks and maybe I am. Maybe people don't really care if someone slips and falls on their sidewalks and hurt themselves. And if you don't care, do keep in mind that if someone slips and fall on your sidewalk, you are liable for that and they can sue you. The City of Somerville can fine you for not clearing your sidewalk. I have no idea if they actually do this or not, but their website says there is a fine. Rather than paying the fine, just pay someone to shovel. Your neighbors will appreciate it.

Comments

[bigrock.livejournal.com]

I think the police are able to issue tickets to homeowners who haven't shoveled their public ways 48 hours after a storm.

[ah42.livejournal.com]

The type of snow and the timing of it might have contributed to the lack of shovelling... more what I'm thinking is that everyone walked over the unshoveled snow on their way home from work that day, turning it to ice. Person comes home to shovel, and can't break the ice, but shovels the slush left on top. You still have ice :(

[bluepapercup]

Honestly, that's still no excuse. Go buy an ice chopper for $20 at Home Depot and get the teenager across the street to break the ice on your sidewalk.

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Man, the Davis area is 5759 times more considerate than Winter Hill... I nearly died this morning walking to the bus stop.

To those who shovel their walks, thank you! To those who don't... give it a shot, eh?

[cosinezero.livejournal.com]

Well, we shoveled what we could, but on much of the walk the ice was impenetratable. I was out there with a hoe trying to break it and it was just not having it. There's ice everywhere from the last storm, it was terrible. Thankfully, today's rain should take care of much of it.

[ruthling.livejournal.com]

I know Somerville ticketed last year and it really seemed to make a difference. And they've been doing a decent job keeping the path near Powderhouse Park clear so far, which I appreciate. The winter isn't even here yet and there's miles to go, so yeah, please do your best to clear your walk!

Ditto.

[kyroraz.livejournal.com]

It was just bizarre seeing patches of clean sidewalk to completely iced over patches all down Somerville Ave and Beacon. Feh. It was doubly bad this morning with the ice having a fresh layer of wet over it. I chose to occasionally risk the streets and interweaving between moments of traffic and trafficlessness.

Thanks for answering the question about tickets though. I hate the idea of turning in the neighbors, but ... it's bad.

[spatch]

That stretch on College Ave across from the library is a killer. Someone was good enough to shovel a foot-wide path through the ice at one point, but the rest of the sidewalk is still iced over.

To make matters worse I swear someone let their dog crap on the shoveled part, so today my travel options were walk on killer ice, or step in dog crap. IT'S A WINTER WONDERLAND

[lidiya6.livejournal.com]

nice post, I totally agree!

Especially after seeing an elderly lady walk at an incredibly slow pace a few days ago, it got me to thinkning how scary it must be if - for whatever reason - you aren't very steady on your feet.

The rain today actually made some patches of ice worse - it somehow smoothed it out to make it even more slippery.

[midorionna.livejournal.com]

as someone who generally walks 20 min or more to work, i also thank the shovellers. this morning it was nearly impossible to walk, but those little cleared patches made it much easier.

[ron_newman]

In past year, the city has often neglected to clear the sidewalk in front of the Day Street parking lot, forcing pedestrians into either the lot or the street. I used to call Jack Connolly every time this happened. Now it's going to be Rebekah's job to get these calls. Lucky her...

[rekling.livejournal.com]

I agree!

I know ice can be difficult to shovel, but a lot of people haven't even bothered to put down sand or salt. While those don't fix the problem, they make it a little safer.

[desiringsubject.livejournal.com]

Mostly for cosinezero: Up at Phillips Academy, here's something they do with paths that ice over (which, as several people pointed out, is sometimes inevitable) they would mix salt and sand togther. The result is that the salt burrows little holes into the ice, into which the sand sinks, creating some version of traction. Of course, it's still ice, but it does help if it's rough sandy ice. Sand on plain ice just slides around. Using enough salt to melt all the ice is bad for the grass, environment, the rubber on our shoes, and is wasteful. However, mixing the two can be quite a nice trick! Also, if it works well, it makes the ice much easier to break up with, say, a hoe.

[plumtreeblossom.livejournal.com]

I thought I was going to DIE on my walk to the T this morning. It's not often I get angry at the city, but after the 8th time my foot slipped and I had to windmill to stay upright, I found myself saying "This goddamn town!" to the I-hear-ya looks of fellow pedestrians.

I have melting crystals but I'm getting low. Must get more.

[squibbon.livejournal.com]

Here here!
(spoken as someone who has fallen twice and is nursing an injury)

[prunesnprisms.livejournal.com]

OUr new landlords have not provided us with salt yet. Hmm. I'd better phone them.

[catalyst.livejournal.com]

     as someone who didn't grow up here, i don't really grok all the mores you people have about snow and ice and traffic circles. but to my mind, you have to not be paying attention to hurt yourself on the ice, and while that happens, it *is* winter, and there *is* ice everywhere, and most of it isn't somebody else's fault, so there's really no excuse for zoning out even in a perfect world where everyone shoveled. it would *never* occur to me to sue somebody for my own inattention and/or clumsiness.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

I figured there would be at least one person who turned this into something negative.

I do pay attention. I am not clumsy (no more than anyone else) and I slid all around this morning. I finally walked in the street. It's wonderful that you're so steady on your feet that you can walk on a solid sheet of ice. Good for you, but the rest of us are not so lucky to be so graceful.

And if I fall and split my head open because someone hasn't bothered to shovel their sidewalk in over a week, I would certainly sue. I would be out of work and I have to feed my family.

If the streets can be cleared so people can drive, the sidewalks can certainly be cleared so people can walk.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I am a California native. I still get that you need to shovel the sidewalks.

[nowalmart.livejournal.com]

I walked from Powderhouse to Davis this afternoon (and then back this evening) and the number of people who did not shovel does not seem worse than last year, but the weather this past week has made it miserable in the places where people did not do anything.

For everyone complaining about the inability to break up the ice, I cannot suggest strongly enough to put down sand and salt. With the warm temperatures last night and today, a little bit of salt this week would mean that there would be no ice at all on your sidewalk, even without any shoveling at all.

Salt is also really cheap. I am not suggesting it as the only thing that a snow-remover needs to use, but its addition to shoveling goes a long way.

I think the problem with snow removal in Davis Square is due to the number of rental units. MA law says that landlords are responsible for snow removal (and cannot write it in the lease that tenants are instead), but a lot of landlords simply do not care.

On a side note, there is at least one church on College Ave. that did not shovel or salt their sidewalk.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

I know the exact church you're talking about. Their sidewalks actually make me really angry. That church often has people out front handing out coffee, lollipops, cider, etc. I want to know where those volunteers are when it comes time to shovel a little snow. It's sad because I've actually thought about attending that church, but if they won't shovel the walk for me to get there, I'm not going to go.

My husband and I shoveled last week and breaking up the ice was a snap since by the time it iced over, it was a fairly thin layer and thus easily broken up. But if you don't shovel at all when it snows, waiting for it to turn to ice isn't going to make it any easier.

I think you're absolutely right about the landlords.

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Summer Street is insane. You cannot walk on Summer.

However, the bike path is joyfully clean and easy to walk.

[lissie930.livejournal.com]

I've been trying to get around with a double stroller, which is almost impossible. Makes me wonder what those with mobility impairment have to go through.

[amethystmoon.livejournal.com]

A tip to those who've said the ice was too hard to break up: If you put down salt or something sugar-based (my college used to use something that we think was molasses, or possibly soy sauce, or a combination....) BEFORE a storm, it keeps it from getting too unmanageable. Even when you get enough for the ice to still form, it keeps it soft on the bottom and makes it easier to break.

[elements.livejournal.com]

Every year this is such a huge problem. I've never been seriously hurt but I'm an able-bodied person without mobility issues. Still I regularly fall on the ice several times a week in the winter, skinning knees and cutting my hands and often ending up with tears in whatever pants or tights are on my knees when they get skinned. Yesterday I fell twice on my 15 minute walk to work. And in the past week every single person I've seen with a stroller has been forced into the street, nevermind the people with walking difficulties, with canes or walkers, or in wheelchairs and power scooters. It's not as if folks can just depend on The Ride to get them around - and people with mobility difficulties shouldn't lose all independence just because all it takes is one property with unshoveled walks to force them onto the street.

Personally I'd like to see sidewalk shoveling become a municipal responsibility. I don't know if even hefty fines would be enough to get homeowners, especially absentee landlords, to care - especially when fining would require monitoring and reporting.

Sorry for the rant, it's been building for days. Thanks for posting - the more awareness that this is a real safety issue, the better.

[rdcf.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the rant, it's been building for days.

No worries - trust me, this post was much nicer than the things I say under my breath while walking to the T :-).

[catalyst.livejournal.com]

I figured there would be at least one person who turned this into something negative.
     yes, you were all compliments and sunshine until i showed up.

Good for you, but the rest of us are not so lucky to be so graceful.
     i realize that this is america, but your lack of grace should not be grounds for a suit.

I would be out of work and I have to feed my family.
     yes, there are a great many unfortunate accidents that can befall a person. eventually we will have invented a way to divide them all between litiguous spheres of responsibility, i suppose, although quantum uncertainty my pose a few problems.

If the streets can be cleared so people can drive
     if you think there is not enough snow or ice on the streets in winter for one to slip on, there is something seriously wrong your eyes. but maybe that was the problem to begin with...