Proper snow shoveling etiquette? (My first snowy winter)

[Iron Woode]

I just put these on my truck. They made a huge difference:

http://www.firestonecompleteautocare.com/tirecatalog/Firestone/DestinationAT

they look nice!

 

[bignateyk]

I saw a lot of people using these in Montana. I've never seen one before.

WTF, is that thing real? How do you even lift it up to dump the snow off it? Or do you just push it around like a retard?

 

[RKS]

The law in OH actually is on your side if you do nothing. If you assume the duty of clearing sidewalks then you can set yourself up to being liable for injuries (if you cause the situation to become unnaturally dangerous). If you leave everything be then it's just a natural accumulation of ice and snow and OH legislature has determined that a reasonable person can appreciate the dangers of winter conditions and take proper precautions.

 

[Homerboy]

The law in OH actually is on your side if you do nothing. If you assume the duty of clearing sidewalks then you can set yourself up to being liable for injuries (if you cause the situation to become unnaturally dangerous). If you leave everything be then it's just a natural accumulation of ice and snow and OH legislature has determined that a reasonable person can appreciate the dangers of winter conditions and take proper precautions.

I have no problem with this. In fact I subscribe to it.

Salt! yes SALT! Salt down everything!!!!!

 

[Iron Woode]

WTF, is that thing real? How do you even lift it up to dump the snow off it? Or do you just push it around like a retard?

we have them here. They are called scoops. Just push it to where you dump the snow and tilt the back upwards to empty it.

Check this weirdness out:

Snow Wovel

 

[PingSpike]

WTF, is that thing real? How do you even lift it up to dump the snow off it? Or do you just push it around like a retard?

That's what I always thought about those...it's not the pushing that's the hard part, its the throwing and that looks like it focuses on making the throwing even harder in order to make the pushing barely easier. It's like a snow shovel designed by some one who hasn't ever shoveled snow. Unless you are literally strong enough to plow snow with your body eventually you're just going to get stuck and have to lift that massive thing up and try to hurl it...and there's no central point to grab.

 

[Iron Woode]

The law in OH actually is on your side if you do nothing. If you assume the duty of clearing sidewalks then you can set yourself up to being liable for injuries (if you cause the situation to become unnaturally dangerous). If you leave everything be then it's just a natural accumulation of ice and snow and OH legislature has determined that a reasonable person can appreciate the dangers of winter conditions and take proper precautions.

its a bylaw here that all home owners must clear their sidewalks of snow and ice.

 

[PingSpike]

I'll give you one that will knock you off your rocker then. When the city deems it necessary to replace the sidewalk (or parts there-of) in front of your house, guess who foots that bill? That's right; the homeowner. I've know people with corner lots that have gotten hit with $6K sidewalk replacement bills. It's VERY common around here too as there are countless trees (many VERY old and large) planted in the median between sidewalk and street. The roots just up-heave the sidewalk sections at will.

Sounds pretty bananas, but its the logical extension of the sidewalk shoveling thing...I assume if you said you wanted to fix it yourself they'd say only a city approved contractor could do it.

 

[PingSpike]

we have them here. They are called scoops. Just push it to where you dump the snow and tilt the back upwards to empty it.

Check this weirdness out:

Snow Wovel

LOL...it's like a snow blower from the 1800s.

 

[AMDZen]

1) Its not winter yet
2) California is homosexual

 

[wiredspider]

Around here, you are required to clear your sidewalks within XX hours after the snow ends. Think they changed it to 24 hours last year, due to the huge amounts of snow we got last year.

 

[sourceninja]

Screw shoveling, buy a snow blower. Cost is minimal (just get a 2 stage) and they last for years and years. Then you just walk and watch the snow move out of your way.

Where I live the plow doesn't plow my culdesac so I'm forced to snow blow not only my driveway, but half the street to get to where the plow does plow. Takes people next door about 2 hours to do via shovel. Takes me about 15 minutes.

 

[preCRT]

Screw shoveling, buy a snow blower. Cost is minimal (just get a 2 stage) and they last for years and years. Then you just walk and watch the snow move out of your way.

Where I live the plow doesn't plow my culdesac so I'm forced to snow blow not only my driveway, but half the street to get to where the plow does plow. Takes people next door about 2 hours to do via shovel. Takes me about 15 minutes.

You must have a very short driveway.

I have a 2 stage 8.5hp blower [about $500] & a long ass driveway. Even with the blower, it takes almost 3 hours to clear the damn thing when there's a heavy snowfall.

 

[sourceninja]

It's not short, but it's not very long either, it's about 3 car lengths to the street, and another 2 car lengths to the spot the county plows. We got our blower about 2 years ago, I think it was around 650. I bought the widest cut with the highest HP that they had in stock.

Go big or go home I say

If it was much longer I'd just buy a plow for my tractor.

 

[Homerboy]

Screw shoveling, buy a snow blower. Cost is minimal (just get a 2 stage) and they last for years and years. Then you just walk and watch the snow move out of your way.

Where I live the plow doesn't plow my culdesac so I'm forced to snow blow not only my driveway, but half the street to get to where the plow does plow. Takes people next door about 2 hours to do via shovel. Takes me about 15 minutes.

You don't need to snowblow when it's an inch or two of fluffy snow. In fact I was just laughing at the people doing just that this morning as I walked to the bus stop. So stupid.

It took me about 25mins to SHOVEL our driveway and the sidewalk and 2 neighbors sidewalks (and partial driveway) this morning.

 

[Homerboy]

It's not short, but it's not very long either, it's about 3 car lengths to the street, and another 2 car lengths to the spot the county plows.

If it was much longer I'd just buy a plow for my tractor.

3-5 car lengths and wont shovel? That's pretty sad.

 

[sourceninja]

3-5 car lengths and wont shovel? That's pretty sad.

I have better things to do then stand out in sub zero temps lifting snow. Especially when the drifts can be knee deep due to the way the wind blows.

I would call it intelligent.

 

[Wyndru]

Where I live now, sidewalks are done by the village, they drive these sidewalk snow blowers around.

I usually do them ahead of time so the mailwoman doesn't break her neck.

 

[PingSpike]

My snowblower is a 10hp 28" cut. Driveway is maybe 160 feet with a big (50'x50'? parking area next to the house and a couple walk ways. Your average 3-5" snowfall I usually just take about 15 minutes to quickly clear the escape path in the morning and then I'll clean the rest up at night when I get back home. The whole thing takes a little over an hour...maybe up to 2 and its a huge dumping and I have to drive the thing around in speed 1 the whole time.

There's no fucking way I'd clear that shit with a shovel...not even a small snowfall. I'd be out there all damn day for a big one and it probably would end with a heart attack or my back going out. Even the walkways I was first like "Oh, I'll just shovel those for exercise." Fuck no, they're long as hell and it snows all the time. I get tired enough muscling that machine around my crappy ass driveway and holding the auger down while walking up hill.

When it's "an inch or two of fluffy snow" I don't even do anything to it...it'll probably dump 3 inches of soggy snow on top of it in 2-3 days anyway and it'll get cleaned with that then.

 

[EagleKeeper]

A trick for vehicles that are left outside.


Take a large towel and lay it across the front windshield. Leave the wipers up to hold it in place.

In morning, you peel off the towel and have a clear windshield. Towel is frozen and snow on it - drop it in a sink/tub to thaw out.

 

[ManyBeers]

I live in Salt Lake and property owners here have 24 hours after a storm ends to clear snow/ice from sidewalks. Owners can be cited if they fail to comply.

 

[Wyndru]

A trick for vehicles that are left outside.


Take a large towel and lay it across the front windshield. Leave the wipers up to hold it in place.

In morning, you peel off the towel and have a clear windshield. Towel is frozen and snow on it - drop it in a sink/tub to thaw out.

I have side and rear windows on my car too

 

[Electric Amish]

I usually say fuck it. I have a truck with 4-wheel drive so I can get out of my driveway. My house faces south and a lot of the snow will usually melt in a day or two. I rarely shovel more the 2-times a year here in Utah. I have better things to do that exhaust myself shoveling that shit.

That being said, we had a big snow a few weeks ago and I broke down and bought a snow-blower.

 

[Electric Amish]

I live in Salt Lake and property owners here have 24 hours after a storm ends to clear snow/ice from sidewalks. Owners can be cited if they fail to comply.

I heard that on the news this year. Pisses me off. It's a scam for the city to make money.

It also made me paranoid so I bought a snow blower...luckily I could afford it. In past years there's no way I could.

 

[BornStar]

A trick for vehicles that are left outside.


Take a large towel and lay it across the front windshield. Leave the wipers up to hold it in place.

In morning, you peel off the towel and have a clear windshield. Towel is frozen and snow on it - drop it in a sink/tub to thaw out.

Where were you when I didn't have a garage?

I live in the Detroit area and we're required by the city to clear the snow within 36 hours of a snowfall or else we'll get billed by the city. We got less than an inch last night so I'm just going to leave it because the highs are supposed to be well above freezing today and tomorrow and it should melt on its own.

Also, I've lived in Michigan my entire life and as long as you're careful snow tires aren't a necessity. Sure, you'll get stuck occasionally but it's not too hard to get out. This will be my first winter with a AWD vehicle so I'm actually looking forward to a real snowfall a little.