Submitted by S_thescientist t3_10dtarv in boston
It’s my first winter ever shoveling snow. I am trying to do my best to keep folks safe and not get fined, but where do I put the snow I shoveled?
Submitted by S_thescientist t3_10dtarv in boston
It’s my first winter ever shoveling snow. I am trying to do my best to keep folks safe and not get fined, but where do I put the snow I shoveled?
Obviously! Thanks!
They are kidding. Don’t. It’s illegal to dump snow on the harbor.
It’s illegal to put the snow anywhere
OP, they're lying. if walking it is too far, you can also drive it over. fill up your trunk with the snow and/or the backseat if the trunk isn't big enough.
Just sling it everywhere but the sidewalk. If you are having trouble now just wait until we actually get some snow.
>If you are having trouble now just wait until we actually get some snow.
Ah, flashbacks of 2014, the year of 3 ft storms every week without melting in the middle, thankful we had one roommate without a car we could pile snow 8ft high in their space.
I’m still traumatized. I had to walk two blocks down the street to find somewhere to dump each shovel of snow
Ya, I've done a lot of that, although never 2 blocks. More like 2 or 3 car lengths.
I'm in the burbs and I gave up. The mounds around my driveway and sidewalk were so high between the snowfall and pay shoveling that I couldn't even throw the snow high enough to get over them. There was nowhere to put it but the street, which of course I didn't do.
That winter it got too high for the snowblower to throw the snow over. We had to take stepladders and shovel about four feet off the top and push it down the backside so that the snow didn't just tumble back down onto our parking spaces.
We shoveled our yard to make space before the third storm. There was no room along the driveway.
The way the lot was configured we were dumping the snow into the side neighbor's back yard, but they were cool with it.
The house behind us threw a fit that snow was getting thrown from our driveway into her yard. It was stupid too because they paid someone to clear their driveway so there was a giant mound of snow that the plow had pushed to the end of their driveway and our snowblower was putting it just over the fence but well behind that mound.
We had a bunny rabbit that used to walk down the sidwalk snow canyon and leave little bunny rabbit paw prints on the breeze-blown fresh layer.
If you can read this, commuter bunny, I hope you didn't get eaten by a coyote.
2014 was my breaking point. I moved to San Diego after opening day.
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Clutch
This winter is reminding me too much of 2015 for me to feel comfortable. Our first real snow that year was late January…and 10 feet later it was early March and we were all walking in sidewalk tunnels.
Ah yes, the sidewalk tunnels… brings back memories haha
I remember people in Boston shoveling a space and parking cars perpendicular to the curb.
The only issue I am having now is where to put it since I don’t have a yard, driveway, or flower box. Just house | sidewalk | street (with street parking)
I’d defer to observing what your neighbors do. Based on what you shared, there are likely a few options: 1. reserve part of the sidewalk for snow (I.e. you don’t shovel the whole sidewalk), 2. as others have said, small piles between the front/back of cars, and 3. the dead space on the street (hydrants, no parking zones, etc). I do have sections of my sidewalk where I actuallly shovel and carry the snow to a different spot I can dump it (15-20 feet max)…
Just don't cover the hydrants. In fact, be a good doobee and shovel out the hydrant nearest your front door. Fire Departments will sing songs of your deed.
And if there's a storm drain make sure that's uncovered too, when the snow melts it will need somewhere to go! Obviously not as much of an issue now because this was not much snow, but when we get a foot or more, it's pretty common for drains to get blocked by mounds of snow. There's one near my house that we learned the hard way to ensure it stays clear, because otherwise every basement on our side of the street floods when the snow melts.
Okay, so “don’t pile snow in the street” doesn’t include parking areas, just through traffic areas?
I think it means like, don’t block the road, areas to walk and parking spots.
Last winter I put some of it on top of the pile the plow had already made. It was technically on the street, but between a street parking spot and driveway entrance. You can pile it up against/next to public trees if you have any, or between the sidewalk and street parking, as long as pedestrians can get by and it doesn't touch any parked cars.
Correct, but keep in mind "as long as pedestrians can get by" means wide enough for a stroller/wheelchair, not just boots.
On a standard sized sidewalk that means like 60% of it's width should be clear, and you can push snow to the 20% along each edge.
Nothing worse than trying to get a stroller down the sidewalk when one tire is up on top of somebody's snowpiles.
Correct. During bigger storm, piling more snow on top of the banks the plows made is usually a safe bet.
We got like half an inch of snow. It will all be melted by tomorrow. Just push it to the side of the sidewalk.
My sidewalk is blocked by tree pits. I pile the snow up between the cars and cover the sidewalk to the width of the tree pit, although I am generous towards the tree pit.
Some professionals will clear every inch and throw everything into the street. First the sidewalk is nice and clear, but doesn't actually let pedestrians walk any more freely than if the piled it up against the lamp post or along the curb. In heavy storms, this clear every inch and pile it in the street prevents people leaving the building from going out into the street (our street has light traffic and is better for walking than the sidewalk all year round). Personally I think the professionals have no clue how to clear a walkway that it is good for everyone or even the people in the building they are clearing for.
It’s against the law to shovel snow into the street in Boston
It is also against the law to leave walkways unshoveled, yet the City of Boston mostly doesn't shovel walks in front of their property.
If I saw enforcement of landlords leaving commercial walkways unhoveled or the city actually making an effort to clear sidewalks at crossings on commercial streets after a big storm I might be concerned about moving snow into the first 6 inches of roadway.
Exactly. Plus by the time your shoveling the roads have been treated so much the shit you throw in the road will melt pretty quickly assuming you don’t pile it up like an ass.
Put it in your bathtub, run the hot water.
Former Mainer and shoveling aficionado here. You probably have a strip of grass near you sidewalk. Put it there. Build snowbanks. The trick is to pat the snow down as you shovel. Make the pile wide and level and you will fit a lot of snow. If you get a foot of fluffy snow you can compress it down to a few inches of packed snow.
It’s going to be high 40’s next two days. Don’t touch it. Rookie move.
My neighbor is out shoveling his driveway right now and I have no idea why. The snow is almost melted already.
Whatever stays will freeze overnight and be a safety hazard in the morning.
LOL!
No it won’t, it’ll be gone.
No, it won't lol it won't melt until the sun fully rises and it warms up to the high. The low tomorrow is still within freezing range. It'll be frozen in the morning
These shitbags won’t touch it, but will downvote you regardless.
Selfish move. There’s plenty of elderly people, strollers, wheel chairs that have a hard time especially as it packs and gets slick. Just be a decent person and shovel a path.
It’s a 6 hour window, salt it if there’s concerns.
Most of it will melt tomorrow.
Pile it on the roof of your car then drive down your street at a high rate of speed.
IT WAS YOU!
Pile it up, and sculpt it into a snow dick.
You know what to do next
Dedicate it to MLK?
Lessons learned the hard way 1) do not pile the snow against your home, it will melt into the basement; 2) do not pile the snow uphill, it will melt off, freeze and be a hazard; and 3) do shovel the snow even when it is going to get warm (it will turn into a sheet of ice if you miss your guess on the weather).
If there is not a lot of snow, you can toss it in the street. The streets are generally treated so it melts. You can get a ticket for that though. Piling it between the street and the sidewalk is a safe bet.
In the interstices. Between cars, between the sidewalk and the street, between the walkway and the fence, between the yards.
Do you own or rent?
This is a good, valid question. In Boston, the property owner is responsible for snow removal, not the tenants. Unless the tenants and landlord have an agreement (like I did), to provide snow removal to my landlord's satisfaction.
In my case, my landlord was an 82 y/o Irish immigrant who lived on the 2nd floor of my triple decker and would reward me and my roommates with home made soda bread from time to time.
For a piece of that soda bread, 4 hours of shoveling and salting was NOT too much to ask.
I once had a landlord that knocked $50 off the rent during the winter to reflect tennant's taking care of snow. I've also had many landlords put it in the lease that it's the tenants problem and just expect you to deal with it. I had one landlord once that was like "if I get fined for snow I'm charging you double the fine". Arse.
You only need to clear 4ft of the sidewalk. They are typically 5-6 feet wide so use the extra 2 feet. If not then wait for someone else to shovel and add to their pile. Also between cars.
Damn this is nothing but definitely figure out what you’re going to do when it’s 1’+
Don’t know your neighborhood/street situation so definitive answer would depend on more info
Shoveling it into your yard is best case scenario tho
That’s why I am trying to figure it out before the serious stuff comes. Just building, sidewalk, street. No yards.
Do you own the building? If you’re just renting then it’s the property owner’s responsibility
Tree pits or lamp posts that make part of the sidewalk unusable?
What snow, it barely snowed
Bend over and I’ll show you
You’ve got a lot of nerve talking to OP like that, mikehoncho1955.
I wasn’t talking to op
Honestly, you just have to learn how to strategically place it. Make sure there's a clear path through but sometimes you gotta start making snow walls
Put it in your freezer
Eat it.
But not if it’s yellow
There really isn’t that much.
On grass or a yard or a small pile in the street
Don’t have a yard and all the Boston.gov literature says not to put it in the street.
Put it on the curb very close to the street.
You just need to clear the sidewalk enough for it be passable (ideally by someone in a wheel chair). Pile it up either up against your building and clear the rest of the sidewalk to the street or make a pile at the edge of the curb and clear it to the building. If you’re near an area where plows left a big pile or near cars that shoveled out, add to those piles.
I never had an issue putting it in the street by the light pole. I also have put it in others people yards with out issue provided I did it neatly and kept it to a reasonable amount and didn’t put it in a place that would create work for the owners such as a pathway or near a gate.
All those chemicals are great for the grass and trees
On top of whoever moved your space saver and parked their car in your spot
Don’t encourage that shit. Space savers are for townies and derelicts
Shovel out your car and pile it up on the curb of the sidewalk, then shovel the sidewalk to make a path.
What you going to do when it really snows? Just dump it on in the side of.car and make sure it's packed tight and high.
i'm confused...what snow...we got a dusting
Right in the neighbor's driveway
on the neighbors car
Just push it to the side or fling it in a pile somewhere
Get a flamethrower
Don’t worry. A busybody neighbor will watch every move you make and yell at you for putting the snow “there”. Eventually, they will be quiet after you dump it one place they deem ok and that will be where the snow goes. Oh and wait until we get a real storm and all the snow from that one acceptable place gets plowed right back onto your car.
But in all seriousness, I always just put it around the trees.
Hose it down and salt the earth is my plan unless flame throwers are affordable.
In the trash
Wherever it’ll fit that isn’t the sidewalk.
There’s hardly any snow right now. Just wait.
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Flamethrower
Build lots.of snowmen ?
In a large pile on side of the driveway or walk. If you have kids, dump it all in the yard, creating a mountain for them.
I grew up in NE Ohio, had a 6HP self driven snowblower, some winters, you just could not clear it fast enough, piles on side of drive.
It does melt, eventually
Light it on fire with a propane torch.
Not on the street, not on the sidewalk (clear a path wide enough for a wheelchair), so probably in whatever space is left between the cleared part of the sidewalk and the road.
2015 the snow pile was so high at my parents house I had to park elsewhere because I couldn’t see traffic
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Keep making snowman until you have a whole Snow Battalion
Flamethrower.
What snow?
We got like 2 inches, I sincerely hope you’re not wasting time shoveling this. When it does snow for real you can just pile it behind your car or into the street where a plow will eventually take care of it.
Snowed 6 inches here. I’m just here so I don’t get fined
Lawful and courteous shovelers do what some people here have suggested: clear a 4 foot wide path, pile snow on curb close to street. Don't block curb cuts. Shovel with people who use canes and wheelchairs in mind. 6 inches of snow I'd shovel perpendicular to the street - push snow to the curb pile it on the curb.
And a pro tip is to make extra space at the curb where you or someone else would logically open a car door to get in or out of an auto. Bonus points if you make a second opening at the front or rear or a car to be able to, in theory, walk around it to the street (not always necessary).
Chappy_Sinclair_ t1_j4n3dmb wrote
Just walk it to the harbor.