Why did Somerville fail utterly to handle thie storm properly?

[feoh.livejournal.com]

Why was the snow removal process botched so horribly that plows weren't out at all on Sunday and many side streets weren't plowed at all until last night?

The result has been a nightmare. I just spent an hour and a half riding a bus to work that usually takes 10 minutes or maybe 20 on a bad day or of it rains. Cars are forced to crawl along, traffic backs up. The entire city becomes some sort of giant constipated nightmare vision from hell with noone getting anywhere and everyone wishing they were anywhere else but trapped in the bus/car they've been in way too long.

On top of this, while many people do a good job, a startling number of people and even businesses utterly fail to shovel their sidewalks.

What's up with that? I watched an elderly lady take a nose dive into a pile of muddy snow this morning because the Kwik Mart on Highland Ave barely shoveled at all (There's a narrow trench not even big enough to solidly put your foot down, much less walk normally).

I just don't get it. This is not rocket science. We live in New England and we get snow on a regular basis. The fact that we've been spoiled the last few years by wimpy winters shouldn't cause us to forget how to deal with the weather.

Grumph. Anyway, pardon my rant but it just seems too far out of whack not to speak up.

Comments

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

I agree.
The walk from Hancock Street & Summer along Summer to Davis Square is a nightmare. There's a large stretch where you just have to walk in the street. It's insane.

Our house shovelled...I live in a triple-decker with 3 apartments. But it looks as though a lot of people just didn't bother...and you know, there really aren't that many elderly or infirm people in my neighbourhood..at least, if there were, you'd have thought I'd have seen them at least once in the 3-1/2 years I've been here...
And isn't it interesting how the houses with decorations often are the ones not shovelled?

[rmd.livejournal.com]

And isn't it interesting how the houses with decorations often are the ones not shovelled?

i live near a *very* decorated house, and i have to say the folks there are fabulous. they were out there with a massively industrial strength snow blower and not only did they do their own sidewalk and driveway, they did the sidewalks for several houses all around.

i expect it's a combination of civic-mindedness and getting to play with a very large toy. :-)

[talonvaki.livejournal.com]

Heh. Well I did say "often."

I think it's more that the snow gets in the way of their display...hehehe...

But at least round me, the ones that are more decorated tend to be less shovelled. Of course, I'm practically in Cambridge; that may have something to do with it.