The comments at the bottom of page 2 of the article are interesting. I don't live in Boston so, I won't have to deal with it, (yet?). I feel bad for the elderly or physically impaired. Is it fair for those away from home? Is it fair that the city plows cover the sidewalks with several feet of snow from the streets which is usually heavier and more compact? Isn't the sidewalk public property? I can understand something like this for businesses and state facilities, but I don't agree with it for the public and wouldn't have voted for it. Also, the officer in the video stated that the pathways need to be 36" wide, while the FOX news report, the article and Boston.gov states 42". This appears to be false information, but I'll assume the officer is trying to give folks a break.
The citizens of Boston voted it in so, they asked for it.
"...and when I leave, come together like butt cheeks." -Grits 'n' Gravy
I think its bs, some people dont have the money to pay and physically cant do it. I know I have helped the people across the street from me at my old house and now i do the sidewalks for the older gentleman that lives behind me.(I live on a corner house)
Now if people dont clear it for no other reason then there lazy puss bags then I say ticket them, they are worthless. Those are the same type of people that dont cut the grass but a couple times a month and NEVER pick up there dog ****. Aww **** dont get me started.
Well I don't know which way to stand on this.. I'm all for a business not being able to force employee's to work if weather is bad so this would keep people off the roads and emergency personal from having to go out and get their butts out of a ditch or something. The purpose is for safety and with as many kids as there are now running around looking for a little bit of extra cash it wouldn't take much to get a few feet of sidewalk cleared off. I know around here if the snow plow put it on the side walk it isn't enforced for obvious reasons..you do your best if you can get it moved then great. I can certainly understand why its more important in a big city where the sidewalks are considered a main artery for people to get around.
I use a snow blower and I do my best to not blow the snow out onto the street or anywhere my neighbors would have to shovel it. My neighbor across the street seems to do just the opposite. I clean the snow off of my sidewalk but here most people don't. They just shovel a path to their front door so they can get their mail, newspaper, and get in and out. There is no law requiring you to clean your sidewalk. The city plows the sidewalks on the main streets and around schools with small sidewalk plows. Where my father lives there is a bylaw requiring you to clean the sidewalk in front of your house. It's enforced with fines, but they give one or two warnings first.
Mixed feelings. I'm from the "keep your sidewalks clear and clean" approach...having worked hard in downtown retail when I was younger, was taught always to keep the sidewalk in front of the store clean and clear.
My father was one who taught me to clear the driveway and walkway and steps of your house ASAP, as well as carve away a spot towards your mailbox so the mailman could still pull up close and deliver your mail.
But also I can see from the other side of the coin...getting pissed at the town. Example...Mondays are our garbage collection days. We put our cans and recycle bins out at the front by the street..and the garbage cans have to be rather close to the street because the garbage truck is one of those automated ones that has the arms which reach out and pickup and dump the cans, instead of the guys getting out of the truck to hoist them by hand. Well...Sunday night the snow plows throw up that bank of wet 'n heavy snow, knocking over the garbage can on the majority of our street. Looking up and down the street..I saw about 90% of them knocked over. I picked mine up early Monday morning...put the garbage back in..put rocks on top of the garbage can lids (adding weight because it was windy too)..and pulled them back a few feet. Silly me for figuring the garbage guys would go do it by hand since the snow banks were in the way, and most of the neighbors just left their cans knocked over with garbage spilling out...here's silly me..putting mine back up with rocks to keep them from falling over again. So the town knocks them over...yet another town department won't pick them back up. //rolls eyes
As for mandatory cleaning of sidewalks and/or mailbox and/or garbage can areas? I don't think that's fair. Think of some special cases..such as the little old lady that still lives on the corner, with 2 sidewalks, and limited income. When I was a paperboy..delivering the paper on my bike, I had no hard feelings about some of my elderly customers..when we'd have a blizzard..and I'm wading through waist deep snow to carry the paper up to their front door...realizing that they're old and couldn't shovel the snow. I delivered their paper with a smile, holding nothing against them for not shoveling the snow. Cuz I knew they were old, didn't have a lot of money, probably had no kids around the area anymore, whatever the reason.
I find it a bit sad, yet just typical of some people, to find excuses to not do their job (cuz a pile of snow is in the way) or to try to sue someone for not getting every last snowflake and/or spot of ice off of their sidewalks. Yeah..lawsuit time!
MORNING WOOD Lumber Company
Guinness for Strength!!!
No to high jack the thread, but last summer a city worker was handing out tickets for trees that hang lower than 8 feet above the ground. When he came to my door with the ticket. I asked him which trees, he pointed the 4 along the curb and he said they hung over the street and sidewalk. Lower than 8 feet.
I was quick to point out those trees belong to the city. I can’t touch them, get a city employee to take care of it. I will not violate city ordnance on cutting city property. He turned beat face red and started looking at my shrubs and lawn. He cited me for dead grass said I was not watering my grass enough. I which point I mentioned there has been a water restriction imposed due to a drought for the past 2 months and we were advised to not water out lawns.
He said your neighbors lawns are green. How come yours is not as green. They are paying for watering permits. I am not.
This guy stomped off as he could not give me a fine to save his butt…
Far-N-Wide wrote:No to high jack the thread, but last summer a city worker was handing out tickets for trees that hang lower than 8 feet above the ground. When he came to my door with the ticket. I asked him which trees, he pointed the 4 along the curb and he said they hung over the street and sidewalk. Lower than 8 feet.
I was quick to point out those trees belong to the city. I can’t touch them, get a city employee to take care of it. I will not violate city ordnance on cutting city property. He turned beat face red and started looking at my shrubs and lawn. He cited me for dead grass said I was not watering my grass enough. I which point I mentioned there has been a water restriction imposed due to a drought for the past 2 months and we were advised to not water out lawns.
He said your neighbors lawns are green. How come yours is not as green. They are paying for watering permits. I am not.
This guy stomped off as he could not give me a fine to save his butt…
That's just him being pushed to hand out fines to raise funds or his job is going to get cut.. can't blame him there.
Also, the officer in the video stated that the pathways need to be 36" wide, while the FOX news report, the article and Boston.gov states 42". This appears to be false information, but I'll assume the officer is trying to give folks a break.
