Sunday, December 16, 2007

snow etiquette

I am back in from another 20 minutes of shoveling--biker buddy is still out there (but I went out before him.)  We still have a ways to go to clear the driveway.  With the new snow, prolly half still remains.

I was so upset that the next door neighbors would be so inconsiderate as to shovel snow in a huge huge heap behind Biker Buddy's car--his car is parked in the road because my car is in the driveway to be worked on.  I was shoveling the heavy stuff from the plow at the end of the driveway when Biker Buddy came out.  I carefully lift each shovelful and carry it to the curb.  Biker Buddy came out and started shoveling snow INTO THE ROAD!  I was shocked and HORRIFIED.  I thought only total @$$#@&#$ did that!  It's stupid because the plow will just push it back in and it will make lumps for other drivers and it is inconsiderate and asinine.

I told him I was embarrassed and ashamed to be married to him.  Then a car went by and gave ME a nasty look, as if they thought I had done such a crime against humanity.  So I went up and shoveled way up away from the road so I wouldn't have to suffer unjustly the evil stares of passers-by.  Aieee--did I make a terrible mistake marrying Biker Buddy? I thought he was smarter and more considerate.

After a while, he cleaned some of it up and I went out and shoveled the rest of the heavy stuff at the end of the driveway while he shoveled the lighter stuff in the middle.  I can't really complain about that thought, normally, he does way more than his share of the work around here.

I'm thinking that because there is normally less snow in Detroit than in Snowstorm City, they have had less opportunity to develop a sound snow etiquette.  But general kindness, consideration and intelligence should warn people against piling snow where someone else just has to shovel it again.  Am I all wrong to believe in being polite and considerate?  What's happening to the world, anyway?


5 comments:

BerryBird said...

What really gets my goat is those hired plow services! They almost invariably push the snow from their customers driveway into the public roadway, or even worse, into a neighbors driveway. I don't even know how it's legal. It freaking extortion... pay me to plow your driveway, or I will fill it with snow from someone else's, hahaha.

Coffeypot said...

I would just stand there and shoot him a bird. Tell him if he doesn't like what he sees, the shovel is right there against the house.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Yr right about that, Berrybird! AK!

We never did get the driveway all shoveled.

But Biker Buddy read to me tonight (Dolphins of Pern) so I've forgiven him his misdeeds.

bluerose said...

"Snow etiquette"... hmmm. I suppose here in Houston, if my neighbor shoveled all his snow into my driveway, I'd run out and try to build a snowman before the afternoon sun melted it all [all 3 shovels full]. Of course, I wouldn't be worried about trying to get out of my driveway, because if it snows here, the whole city shuts down, and there's nowhere to go. It's interesting to read this post, because I'm considering relocating to the Adirondacks, and these are things I've not thought about before. I'll be well educated in proper snow etiquette if I do go, though. :]

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

I wonder if EMily POst has a chapter on Snow EtiQuette?

I went out to shovel more and discovered Biker Buddy had been making snow piles IN OUR OWN driveway rather than piling them on the lawn. I will shovel around those. He's normally an intelligent person and I can't understand why he would do soemthing so stupid.

I wonder if he's getting Alzheimers'.

I would think normal intelligence and consideration would help a lot in snow etiquette.