By Barbara Morris
Before the recent snows, Mayor Giuliani and the Sanitation Department announced very clear suggestions for each New Yorker to do his or her part in making things easier and more efficient for everyone. As I recall, some of the pertinent points were: (1) Leave your car at home and take public transportation; (2) Do not park on a public street. The Sanitation Department will begin plowing as soon as the depth of the snow is 3 inches and parked cars hampering plowing may be towed away; (3) If you must drive, do so with extreme caution. Be patient and make certain you have whatever emergency equipment you may need; (4) Do not over-exert yourself while trying to shovel the sidewalk for which you are responsible, especially if you are not used to exercising. Take periodic rest breaks. Sidewalks must be cleared of snow within four hours after the snow has stopped falling; (5) Do not throw snow into the street; (6) Remove snow and ice from your car's roof before driving.
All that sounded pretty clear to me. The Sanitation Department did their part, and did so very, well, Congratulations to them!
Unfortunately, a high percentage of the public earned a big “Boo!” What went wrong? – Just about everything!
Affluence in southeast Queens has prompted many to depend on their cars or SUVs to travel even two or three blocks – snow or no snow! Cars were left in the street, so when the plows came through, some cars were buried. Of course, drivers cleared them by throwing the snow in the street, either in the middle or in front of someone else's property. All that snow was a potential hazard for emergency vehicles and required additional plowing, which drew new complaints against Sanitation for again burying cars.
There were all kinds of complaints. One woman who lives near LaGuardia Airport told me her neighbors threw their snow off their sidewalk onto hers. Others here told me that their neighbors with snowblowers, did basically the same thing. Once someone cleared a street parking space, that space was filled with an assortment of trash cans, electrical appliances, chairs, even a couch!
City law says “saving” parking spaces in such a way in a public street is illegal, but you'd never guess that by looking around in southeast Queens.
Many days after the snow fell, I tried a lengthy walk around our community. It was not just for a lark – I had places I really had to go. Guess what. Some sidewalks hadn't been shoveled at all, not after the first snowfall, not later. Do you suppose those who neglected that responsibility are suffering from pangs of guilt. More than likely, if they're suffering at all, it's probably from inactivity. If they get a summons, they will probably complain about that, too,
As for driving, people generally drove too fast, especially for the conditions.
Watching people drive on Brookville Boulevard and elsewhere sent shivers up my spine. Some not only drove well above the speed limit, but accelerated when crossing the double line down the middle of that narrow road, in spite of oncoming nearby traffic. At times, snow and ice blow off the roof of one or two of the speedsters. I guess those drivers don't remember that such debris, being thrust from speeding vehicles, are lethal projectiles that have claimed more than one victim in the past.
The mayor and the Sanitation Department, it seems, had given good advice – we would all have been better off if everyone had followed it.
It would be nice to think there would be more cooperation next time, but I'm glad I'm not a gambler.
Stay safe!
