Sunday, February 9, 2014

Ice: The Challenge

King icicle
After one of the recent storms, I forget which, I bought a 50-pound bag of salt at Park Hardware. It was too heavy for me to carry, so I took it home in my shopping cart. It proved still too heavy to drag up the front steps or down the basement steps, so I wheeled it into the garage and just used a bucket to get some salt out of the bag to scatter on ice.

Fast forward to the recent snow/sleet/freezing rain event. The new snow plow guy pushed the icy mix up against my garage door, effectively welding it shut. I tried two days to loosen it without any luck. So my plan to remove enough ice for a clear path to East Seventh Street was foiled until today, when I got the door open. I had taken a dustpan and brush and scooped up some excess salt from the porch to sprinkle down where the door was stuck.

This morning I spent a long time salting, chipping and shoveling to create a path free of ice. I know several people who suffered mobility issues (one a fractured hip) after falls and I do not want to become one myself. On the other hand, I have a feeling I will pay the price with a stiff back tomorrow!

Getting around on foot is very tricky in general, as many property owners have not cleaned their sidewalks and the slippery ice is like cement now where it is packed down.

My destination Monday is Municipal Court, where the City Council will hold the rescheduled Feb. 3 agenda-fixing session along with the Feb. 10 regular meeting, starting at 6 p.m. Tuesday it's the PMUA annual reorganization, 6 p.m. at 127 Roosevelt Ave.

--Bernice

2 comments:

  1. Yes, I agree with you Bernice. It s frustrating when people do not shovel there sidewalks, especially when they become pure ice. The prospect of falling is scary and aggravating! The city could do a better job of shoveling too! Stay safe!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Bernice, don't you rent? Why are you doing this and not the landlord? Is this another example of slum lords taking advantage of Plainfield citizens?

    Get your landlord to either clear the snow from your location (within 24 hours as required by law) or allow the residents to hire someone to do this.

    Reading things like this gets my blood boiling. You can bet that your landlord's home is shoveled.

    This is exactly why Plainfield has the reputation it has. I hope the city slaps a hefty fine on him/her.

    ReplyDelete