I know its probably a bit too late but I figured I'd voice my opinion on the heated topic of snow removal and parking in the Forge.
When digging out your cars, please try and remember that parking here is at a premium. I notice many large piles of deposited snow taking up valuable spaces all over the neighborhood. Try and be a bit more considerate and dump your snow either in your yard or on the strip between the sidewalk and road. It may take you a few extra steps per scoop, but it really will help with the grand scheme of things.
My car was in the shop during during the storm and when I brought it home today the spare spots were either piles of discarded snow or lawn chair reserved. Which brings me to my other peeve. I understand that you worked hard to shovel out that spot and you expect it to be there when you come home...for a few days following the snow, I understand. But please remember, just because you dug it out doesn't make it yours to keep forever. Use your judgment and once things appear to be improving, it may be time to fend for yourself and leave the chair inside.
Just some thoughts about what I realize can be a very frustrating situation. Just try and remember you share these spots with 1776 other homes.
Thank you for writing this. It's never too late nor too old to hear and have reiterated. The past few days I have seen many people shoveling the snow back into the street, running stop signs, and parking wherever they please (I saw one car today in the middle of the street where 3 streets intersect!). It's as if when it snows, common sense goes out the window!
ReplyDeleteI do want to thank everyone who has shoveled their sidewalks and pathways. Many of us walk our dogs and it's easier and safer on the sidewalks than the streets.
I want to give a shout out to the 100 block of Dunkirk. We get the power of numbers when it comes to winter in the Forge and clearing snow! Neighbors are so generous with digging out themselves, and their neighbors, clearing side walks and cars! Also a big thank you to a dear friend and the neighbors in the 300 block of Hopkins who helped my husband get his car ‘unstuck’ and tucked away in a spot on Wednesday night! What a wicked drive he had coming home!
ReplyDeleteLeave your chairs and cones inside permanently. It's so incredibly petty to "claim" your spot on a public street. I noticed two great acts of neighbor-ness this week. First, one of my neighbors decided that they would bring out their chair on Wednesday afternoon, BEFORE the snow started to reserve the spot right in front of their house. Then, after I dug out my car, I came back to find that the spot I left wasn't occupied (I would have been fine if it was), but rather claimed with someone else's chair. Come on people!!
ReplyDeleteChris, personally I agree with you. I refuse to put a chair out to reserve a spot. But I do understand somewhat why people do it. Its a chain reaction effect. People dig their spot out and they seem like the only one on the block that is NOT reserving the spot, well then what happens? Your spot becomes the only "public" spot open for anyone else who needs to park in the area. Me? I don't mind walking a couple of blocks if I have to...I'll just park wherever there's an open spot and hike it. I just think in general we need a different approach on this whole situation neighborhood-wide.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone abides by these rules the parking fiasco would be a non-issue when it snows:
1. Shovel snow OFF the street on to your yard, not in piles on the street taking up valuable spots (and thus making those spots virtual icebergs and unusable for weeks instead of days)
2. Keep the chairs inside.
Unfortunately, when you have several thousand people living in a tight neighborhood, it isn't as easy as it sounds.
The problem is that people are parking on the street after we shovel out who weren't parked on the street before we shoveled out. I don't know if they are people who normally park in the alley, guests, people who were out of town, or what. It's not a problem to park in another cleared spot a little more distant from my house. it's that I may not find a cleared spot at all, and might be faced with the choice of parking in a foot of snow that I'll have to shovel (again) the next morning, or parking illegally and hoping for the best.
ReplyDeleteBeing considerate is always good advice, but more complicated in practice than it might seem. Those who drive a four-wheel drive vehicle with high ground clearance might consider not taking the spot that someone else cleared, and instead take a more distant spot that hasn't been cleared. Why? The SUV can often handle the spot with a foot of snow still covering it, whereas the typical sedan may struggle to get into it, and the spot will surely require additional shoveling to get out of it. I rarely see that kind of consideration given, however.
One might also give some consideration to the elderly and families with small children who claim spots near their homes.
This is definitely a stressful time, and more consideration and patience is called for, not less.