Amen Brother!

I've always believed that clearing your sidewalk was something that every right thinking person did as a matter of common courtesy. Boy have times changed.

Here in Hamilton I have suggested that the City send their evil parking nazis door to door in residential neighbourhoods ticketing people too lazy or uncaring to shovel their snow. It would be nice to see the little trolls doing something that actually benefitted ordinary citizens.

Of course if the sidewalks were clear people might begin to insist that streets also be plowed within a week of snowfall. I guess we all know why the private contractors are able to bid so much less on snow clearance than the city would spend -- the City employees actually plowed the streets!

Hey Barry:

Walking to the subway (a leisurely 15 minutes) the day after the Wednesday night snowfall left my knees feeling like I'd just pounded down a vertical mile of moguls in the Rockies.

What about for older people or those with real mobility challenges?

I helped a senior navigate her way to a streetcar this afternoon. Careless street plowing along College Street left a big icy hump for her to crawl over. Can you say 'broken hip'?

Good luck to her in Scarborough. I would have had to carry her on my back to get her on a bus. The snow ridges there between the roadside and the sidewalk are at least two feet high.

This is a major burr under my blanket.

I am fully onside with your notion of repurposing the parking nazis.

Bill D.