| Author | Message | ||
     RR Citizen Username: Rogers4317 Post Number: 77 Registered: 6-2004 |
I have two questions for you guys. Are homeowners required by law to shovel or remove the snow from the sidewalk in front of or around their house? Or is the snow removal by 95% of Maplewoodians common courtesy? I was honked at several times and almost hit by a car when I had to walk in the gutter of the street because my neighbors didn't remove the snow around their house. Walking a small dog in 15 inches of snow doesn't work. My other question is regarding parking a second car in a one car driveway whereby the second car is parked through the sidewalk to the edge of the street making the sidewalk impassable. I'm struggling with leaving a note for 2 neighbors with huge SUV's that park through the sidewalk making it necessary to come out into the street without seeing if any cars are careening down my hill. It is especially unnerving when i am walking my dog early in the morning or at night. Is there a procedure in place for reporting this kind of stuff? I ordinarily wouldn't complain but me and my dog's safety are starting to be more important than not ruffling a neighbor's feathers. Please comment!! | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7534 Registered: 5-2001 |
Snow has to be removed within a set time after snow stops falling. I think it is twelve hours, but I am not sure on this. Some older people have difficulty shoveling snow and I know on our block people, especially those with snow blowers tend to help out. Ditto with empty houses. There is probably some law prohibiting blocking the sidewalk, but I don't know the details. Why not talk to the neighbors before making an official complaint? | ||
| RR Citizen Username: Rogers4317 Post Number: 79 Registered: 6-2004 |
Rather than get "into it" with any of my neighbors, I think it would be safer to make a report anonymously if I felt the need to. My post was to ask two questions so I could make MY own decision as to how I would handle either problem. | ||
| eb1154 Citizen Username: Eb1154 Post Number: 355 Registered: 5-2001 |
1) Bobkat is correct. There is a law that states you must remove the snow from your sidewalk. The Building Dept. at Town Hall enforces this one. 2) It is illegal to have your car hang over the sidewalk. The Police Dept. is the one that handles this issue. | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 4904 Registered: 5-2001 |
RR: Both the problems you mentioned in your initial post are violations of Maplewood ordinances. However, it is generally preferable to speak with the homeowner in question and try to resolve the problem before bringing the town into it. Believe it or not, such an approach actually works to create better relations between neighbors. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 5420 Registered: 1-2003  |
I agree with Joan. You'd be raising less of a stink if you talked to them directly than if you involved the authorities. | ||
| sac Supporter Username: Sac Post Number: 1819 Registered: 5-2001 |
I think that the ordinance says that you have 24 hours after it stops falling to remove the snow. (i.e. you don't have to get out there at 6:00 in the morning if it snowed until 6:00 pm the previous evening.) Common courtesy says do it as soon as you can within reason (and in daylight, generally.) | ||
| Peter Citizen Username: Peter Post Number: 9 Registered: 7-2004 |
This morning, I forgot to turn the chute on my snow blower when I changed directions. I walked about 10 feet blowing snow into the street before I changed it. The snow plow guy screamed at me when he came by next: "Look what you did to the roadway. Don't do it again!" and drove off. Didn't fix it, just yelled at me. I thought three things: Couldn't he have been a little nicer; shouldn't he have lowered his plow for all of 15 seconds; and, is that what I sound like when I yell at me kids? | ||
| mjc Citizen Username: Mjc Post Number: 269 Registered: 10-2004 |
Peter, I'm guessing yes, yes and yes. Isn't it cool how a random incident like the snowblower/plow driver thing ends in an insight like yours above which probably, as my late m-i-l would say, adds to the joy of nations? happy snow day, happy parenting, MC | ||
| eb1154 Citizen Username: Eb1154 Post Number: 361 Registered: 5-2001 |
Peter, I understnd what you are saying and maybe he could have been a little nicer but I want you to consider the following and then tell me how you would have acted. 1) How many people throw the snow in to the street on purpose? 2) How many people say "they forgot" or "it was an accident" when confronted by a plow driver? 3) How many hours did this driver work before the two of you crossed paths? Please take in to consideration that the snow came down late Sunday night so most of these men were up since early Sunday morning and did not sleep until Monday afternoon. While I agree the driver could have been nicer you must understand what the plow drivers go through. They work long boring hours only to have their work messed up, have people curse at them, and the best is when people throw something at the truck. Last year, after working for 26 hours straight I had a little old lady throw me the finger for messing us her driveway apron. Then two minutes later and one block away I had a guy actually jump in the passenger side door of my truck and try and assault me. For what? Doing my job. Please try and put yourself in the driver's shoes for a minute. If you tell me what street or area of town you are in I will speak to the driver. | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 5005 Registered: 5-2001 |
Peter: You may not be aware of it but there was a very serious incident earlier Monday morning (about 2:20 AM) involving an out-of-control(?) vehicle which hit a stop sign, took down a street sign across the street, drove on to two properties where numerous mature shrubs were mowed down, hit two cars parked in their driveway, hit a house (causing plumbing, roofing, and facade damage), did some damage to one of the town trees in a median and then took off into the night. By daylight, the snow plow driver likely knew of the incident and was pretty aware of what could happen if the roads weren't kept clear. EB: The vehicle that did this must have been pretty badly damaged. Has anyone asked your snow plow drivers if they saw a vehicle on the road at that time which might have been the one that did all this? If the snow removal work can be as boring as you suggest, maybe they would have noticed something so out of the ordinary. If they did, could the information please be reported to the MPD? | ||
| Earlster Supporter Username: Earlster Post Number: 996 Registered: 8-2003  |
eb, everybody appreciates the work of the snow plow drivers, but at the same time if it's so boring, maybe they could make it a little more interesting for themselves, by not messing up freshly shoveled driveways. The snow a few weeks ago I was just done with all my shoveling, including the entrance to my driveway, when two plows came by. The first just cleaned up the street a little more. The second one made it 'wider' driving so fast, that my whole sidewalk was covered under snow again and of course my driveway was blocked again by huge chunks of compressed heavy snow. Good for him he drove so fast, or I would have given him a piece of my mind. You want people to be nice to you, be the same in return. | ||
| Cynicalgirl Citizen Username: Cynicalgirl Post Number: 1151 Registered: 9-2003  |
I have sometimes been guilty of the blocking the sidewalk with cars thing. You can't keep 'em on the street overnight, which coupled with the location of our gate led to the oversight. In terms of blocking the sidewalk, though, I'd as soon get after folks with world class messed up sidewalks and overhanging bushes as anything. I see more of that than the other on my walks.. | ||
| eb1154 Citizen Username: Eb1154 Post Number: 362 Registered: 5-2001 |
Joan, I just read the police report about 15 minutes ago. No one mentioned seeing anything that night. If someone had seen it, they would have called it in immediately. Earlster, If you can show me how to plow with out putting the snow in the driveways I will gladly do it. Do you think we enjoying plowing the driveways back in, and then getting cursed at? When you throw the snow back in the street we feel the same way you feel when you get plowed back in. The only difference is that we don't have a choice as to where we put the snow. Let me explain how the snow plowing works. The first goal is to open the roadways for traffic and emergency vehicles. Generally we make two passes on each street and continue this routine until the snow lets up. After the snow stops or when it starts to let up, we will then go back and plow everything back to the curb. You really shouldn't shovel the driveway apron until you are sure the plows are done. The snow being thrown on the sidewalk is sometimes hard to prevent due to the distance between the sidewalk and the curb, but it shouldn't happen because of speed. I'll give you the same offer as I did Peter. Tell me what street you live on or the area and I will speak with the driver. P.S. Get ready for the storm on Thursday, 5-8 inches can be expected according to cbs news. | ||
| mjc Citizen Username: Mjc Post Number: 273 Registered: 10-2004 |
eb1154, nothing but respect for the plow drivers who make it safe (possible) for us to drive around after a storm.  to all. Once last year, though, when I saw the plow approaching as I was shoveling out the apron for the 3rd time (husband and sons unavailable, and night coming on), I just went and stood a little ways out in the street and let him go around. He seemed to understand.  | ||
| Peter Citizen Username: Peter Post Number: 10 Registered: 7-2004 |
Eb: Thanks for posting and the dialogue. It helps greatly to know what the township it trying to accomplish and how -- actions seem less arbitrary once we know what's behind them. I appreciate your presence and participation, and I'm sure others do, too. You've helped shed some light on the plight of the plow driver. But how about this: I've got two kids under 4 who had to get to day care. I've got to get to the station to find out how screwed up NJ Transit is. I'm cold and frustrated and then I get yelled at by a guy 10 feet in the air smoking a fat cigar, who treats me like I'm a 5 year old for what is a truly honest mistake on my part. And Joan, if he was at all worked up over the accident you describe, then he would have dropped his plow and cleared the small mess I made. But he didn't. In any case, we could all be better served by trying to see things from others' perspective (the driver, me, my kids, for example). Eb, I didn't post to scold or ask that someone speak to the driver, but saw it as an interesting incident for the reasons mjc alluded to in her post. But, I live near the corner of Prospect and Harvard. Last night, some men came to clear the storm drains, as they always do after a snow. But they always (I mean always) fail to clear the drain on the south west corner of Harvard (next to the signal control box). Maybe they don't know it's there under the snow? By missing it, water and then ice spreads 1/2 way out to Harvard when the snow melts. Thanks to all. | ||
| monster Citizen Username: Monster Post Number: 582 Registered: 7-2002  |
the thing I hate about sidewalks is the poor condition of a lot of them, there is even a house on Coolidge that hasn't even had a sidewalk for several months, this summer there was grass planted on the sidewalk area. I can handle the snow on them, cars across the sidewalk I hate, the little $%*$% &#$*#& | ||
| Joan Supporter Username: Joancrystal Post Number: 5018 Registered: 5-2001 |
Peter: That was my house that got hit and my plants that were trampled. EB knows this since he has recently read the police report which names the location where the damage was done and my address is no secret to regulars of this board. I happen to live just two blocks from you. It could have been your house, your cars and your landscape planting that was plowed into and run over. Sometimes it helps to have a little perspective. | ||
| Bobkat Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 7712 Registered: 5-2001 |
My wife's brother in law is the public works superintendent in a town in Massachussets with roughly Maplewood's population, but with maybe three times the land mass. He started getting calls from various citizens before the big storm, which was a really big storm where he is, before the first snow flakes fell. Some of them, such as a nine month pregnant woman trying to make sure her street would be kept clear made sense and got service, but a lot of them were pure whinning and trying to wheedle preferential service. During the storm there were constant calls about blocked driveways, slow service and just about everything else. He has had drivers attacked and they are now instructed to keep on trucking and keep the doors locked. When they couldn't get him on the phone at the office, they called his home and were surprised when the tax assessor, his wife and the self-annoited most hated person in town, answered. One person couldn't get it through their head that they were married and another started bitching about their assessment. Being an employee, especially a visibible one, in a small town ain't a lot of fun. | ||
| Peter Citizen Username: Peter Post Number: 11 Registered: 7-2004 |
Joan, I am terribly sorry about the damage to your home and your neighbors', too. I have the sense from your post that I've offended you in some way. If that's the case, then I apologize, as it certainly wasn't intended. As I said in my post to Eb, my interaction with the snow plow driver was interesting and illuminating, and that's all. |
