General bitchery....

nota · Post by **nota** » Sat Dec 13, 2003 7:54 pm

...about snow removal.

Whatever happened to shoveling snow at businesses?

I was DT and at the Plaza and in the 'burbs Friday. Snow was barely removed anywhere. Just tiny paths shoveled out rather than shoveling sidewalks.

Parking lots where you have to walk through slush over your shoes because they are too cheap or too lazy to shovel.

I helped some little old man on a walker out to his car in Hen House parking lot yesterday. I have no idea how people who have trouble walking on regular pavement get along when no one cleans their snow up.

End of rant-I think

trailerkid · Post by **trailerkid** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 12:41 am

Nota... I was downtown on Friday too...NOTHING was shoveled anywhere. Get a shovel in the hands of the Yellow Coats (they're usually just standing and talking anyway).

Post by **bahua** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 12:43 am

I think you'd have to pay them a lot more to get them to shovel.

nota · Post by **nota** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 7:04 am

That is what I don't understand.

None of those places have any early AM business because no one is out and about. It is easy to have time to shovel.

When I worked for Target, I shovelled snow with my people every time. I even shoveled paths from the employee parking lot if the snowplows werent' fast enough.

If I have to ruin my shoes to shop somewhere, I'll go elsewhere.

Post by **dangerboy** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 10:09 am

Sidewalks are also a problem, few people shovel their sidewalks. I see it in both urban neighborhoods and surburban subdivisions (the ones that actually have sidewalks). Since so many people now drive everywhere, I guess it doesn't occur to them that many people still walk places - like to school, the bus, or the coffee shop. I wish we had a shovelling ordinance like most northern cities, which means not shovelling your sidewalk gets you a fine from the city.

Post by **bahua** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 12:37 pm

I think they could slip that one through, considering how often(or not often) it snows here. Sounds like a good idea to me.

nota · Post by **nota** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 6:08 pm

We have a garden tractor with a blade. Hubby and I shoveled and scraped 5 BIG driveways and all the sidewalks yesterday AM before 9AM.

He does the tractoring-I'm the shovel girl.

Our neighbors love us. Shoveling snow is good for us besides it gets us goodies like free cat sitting services, good food, and all kinds of good will.

In our neighborhood, there are lots of teenagers. I didnt' see any shoveling snow yesterday.

When our kids were still at home, they would leave home early in the AM with a snow shovel and come home in the afternoon with the snow shovel and a pocket full of $$$.

FangKC · Post by **FangKC** » Sun Dec 14, 2003 8:09 pm

I used to shovel snow for money when I was a kid too. It was almost expected of me. My mother would look at me and say, "get off your butt and go out and scoop some sidewalks. There are old people in town that can't do it."

carfreekc · Post by **carfreekc** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 10:35 am

dangerboy wrote: I wish we had a shovelling ordinance like most northern cities, which means not shovelling your sidewalk gets you a fine from the city.

Apparently we do have one, according to the ordinances on the city's web site (http://www.kcmo.org/clerk.nsf/web/ords?opendocument)

Sec. 64-246.Â Removal of ice or snow.

It shall be the duty of all persons owning or occupying any real property, fronting upon any street, boulevard or highway, to remove from the sidewalks in front or alongside of such property all ice and snow within a reasonable time after cessation of a storm depositing such ice or snow. The provisions of chapter 62, article III, pertaining to littering, and penalties for violations thereof, shall be applicable to violations of this section.

(Code of Gen. Ords. 1967, Â§ 30.104)
Cross references: Littering, Â§ 62-81 et seq

Although that "within a reasonable time" is vague. And the city's snow removal FAQ doesn't mention that 'Hey, you're supposed to shovel your sidewalks, citizens!'

If they allowed citizens to do a 'citizen citation' for this, it would be easier than expecting the city to go around looking for it. And then we could cite the city plows that dump snow on to sidewalks...

ShowME · Post by **ShowME** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:20 pm

I have to say I've been very impressed with our snow removal in KCMO in Clay County. We had this guy who drove a KCMO department of engineering services full sized truck with a plow on the front. He must have plowed our street 3 times a day since last week. He must live in the area or something. Our street had dry pavement on it by yesterday afternoon. I was like DAYUM!

nota · Post by **nota** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 12:52 pm

I'm only complaining about the parking lots and public sidewalks etc. The businesses.

I sent a scathing letter to Hen House yesterday about it since it still wasn't cleaned as of yesterday afternoon.

My streets that I've had to traverse have been great everywhere.

carfreekc · Post by **carfreekc** » Mon Dec 15, 2003 11:43 pm

nota wrote:I'm only complaining about the parking lots and public sidewalks etc. The businesses.

I sent a scathing letter to Hen House yesterday about it since it still wasn't cleaned as of yesterday afternoon.

My streets that I've had to traverse have been great everywhere.

Which is why you'll sometimes see people walking in the streets instead of on the icy, treacherous sidewalks in this weather. You'd think the city would get on people to clear the sidewalks to avoid the dangers of people walking in streets instead.

Sidewalks are just as much travel networks as are the streets, and they should be treated the same.

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