@ Canard
Fair enough. Then by the same logic, why should the city respond to any issue at your home when you're away for an extended period of time? Say, a fire.
I mean if you honestly believe (and it sure seems like you do) that your being away removes any responsibility you have regarding laws and by-laws which pertain to your property, than surely it stands that the city/region is also free ot responsibility toward your property.
I'm also guessing you don't walk very much, and drive everywhere.
It's interesting to read the far more visceral responses to the guy who refuses to shovel his walk while on vacation, as opposed to the one who shovels his snow into the street. Both are equally irresponsible.
I'm not in the habit of shoveling snow onto the street (it's against the law, and I guess there's a reason for it), but I know why people might take less exception to that behaviour than to someone who simply doesn't clear his sidewalk.
When a sidewalk is not clear, you are creating a potentially dangerous situation, and some of the people experiencing that situation are those who are already disadvantaged (the elderly, children, people with mobility impairments). When someone pushes a couple shovel-fulls of snow onto the street, at worst he is very slightly inconveniencing a few motorists, who are- let's say- the opposite of marginalized.
The responses also might seem more "visceral" because some of us have been directly impacted by negligence on the part of property owners.
Schooner77, it's his attitude that he feels that since he's not home, it doesn't matter that his sidewalks aren't cleared, regardless of how much snow may be on it. He doesn't feel it's any concern of his.
And were I able to drive, I'm betting I'd be less annoyed by a few shovelfuls of snow in the road, a road that WILL be cleared sooner rather than later, than I am now by someone who feels total indifference to whether or not people can walk on the sidewalk the law says is HIS responsibility to clear.
Clearly the rights of drivers is much more important than the rights of pedestrians to people like him, and a hell of a lot of other people too.
(02-27-2015, 02:31 PM)Elmira Guy Wrote: [ -> ]Schooner77, it's his attitude that he feels that since he's not home, it doesn't matter that his sidewalks aren't cleared, regardless of how much snow may be on it. He doesn't feel it's any concern of his.
And were I able to drive, I'm betting I'd be less annoyed by a few shovelfuls of snow in the road, a road that WILL be cleared sooner rather than later, than I am now by someone who feels total indifference to whether or not people can walk on the sidewalk the law says is HIS responsibility to clear.
Clearly the rights of drivers is much more important than the rights of pedestrians to people like him, and a hell of a lot of other people too.
I think Canard is being sarcastic. But, well, written communication.
(02-27-2015, 10:02 AM)ookpik Wrote: [ -> ]Halloran appeared to give her usual platitudes
I think this describes rather well her entire term in office.
(02-27-2015, 12:56 PM)clasher Wrote: [ -> ]Yeah, just like you have to get someone to mow your lawn once a month or whatever so it doesn't get long enough to have by-law called you.
There is a huge difference between mowing your lawn once a month at your convenience and having to shovel snow within 24 hrs of a snowstorm.
(02-27-2015, 01:23 PM)taylortbb Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, that's exactly what's expected, and it's quite reasonable.
So I assume you won't complain when next year when we ask you to also shovel the road in front of your house.
You point out that people suffer when the sidewalk isn't shoveled. This simply shows the need for sidewalks to be shoveled, but in no way demonstrates that sidewalks should be shoveled by house owners.
(02-27-2015, 03:45 PM)BuildingScout Wrote: [ -> ] (02-27-2015, 01:23 PM)taylortbb Wrote: [ -> ]Yes, that's exactly what's expected, and it's quite reasonable.
So I assume you won't complain when next year we ask you to also shovel the road in front of your house.
If the entire city road network was shovelled by property owners, then yes it would be reasonable for me to make arrangements to have it done when I was away. We couldn't leave the road impassable for a week because I went to Florida.
That was not a comment on the reasonableness of having homeowners shovel, I agree it should be the city's responsibility and well worth the $40/year. The point was that if that's the system we're using, it's reasonable that you have to make other arrangements when you're not doing your part.
Edit: I see you've edited since I hit reply. To be clear, I'm firmly on the side of city clearing. I just don't think that's an excuse for ignoring one's responsibilities under the current system.
Wow, I actually never thought of snow removal when on vacation. Good to be reminded. I went away this winter down south for a week and didn't even think about that.
My neighbours must have helped clear snow, because it was just a light dusting on the ground when I came back. Having the cities and Region do snow removal on sidewalks seems like a good idea, but if they are to be held to the same level of quality (24 hrs, to the concrete) that may increase costs for the non-residential removal. As others have mentioned, the level of snow removal on non-residential/non-commercial walkways is pretty poor.
Out of curiosity, does anyone have any idea how often the "24 hour, to the concrete" rule has actually ever been applied in K or W? Apart from the recently reported case, my sense is virtually never.
I've been given a citation exactly once. Some idiot upstanding citizen walked by just before I shoveled the sidewalk, 20 hours after the first snowstorm and then walked by again eight hours later, after a second snowstorm, when I hadn't shoveled yet, so he called city hall and I got a citation.
I pointed this out to the city hall bureaucrat over the phone who promptly understood what happened and cancelled the citation refused to listen and let the citation stand.
I usually shovel within four hours of a snowstorm before the snow packs down, but that winter my spouse was in the hospital.
Talking to my dad today who lives in Elmira where the township clears most sidewalks. The price to expand the clearance of ALL sidewalks (which is being considered) in the town will increase to $12 per household.
Who the hell wouldn't sign on for that?
This thread is hilarious.