doodledee

We've had some snow accumulation here in the metro area over the last 24 hours so I'd like to take a minute to remind everyone of proper snow clearing etiquette. Sit up straight and pay attention.

• First and foremost, if the snow has not accumulated to a dept of at least 6 inches, it is NOT appropriate to use mechanical assistance when clearing your sidewalk and/or driveway. And by 'mechanical assistance' I mean "anything that makes noise and ruins my otherwise peaceful snow shoveling experience". This includes snow blowers, power shovels, leaf blowers, hair dryers, or any other type of stupid tool that destroys nature's perfect tranquility after a snow storm. I know, I know, you *really* want to use your new 25-horsepower riding snowblower with a heated cab and a CD player to clear your 15 foot driveway, but I'm sorry, you'll have to wait until it's justified, which, if you're lucky, is maybe once or twice a year. Have fun with that cost benefit analysis, then. Doofs.
• No matter how tempting, do NOT shovel or blow your snow into an area of your neighbor's property that they have to keep clear of snow and/or use as a dumping ground for their own snow. (Duh.) Furthermore, do not assault your neighbor's house with the snow blasting out of your snowblower. (Duh again.) Put another way: winter etiquette dictates it is fine to throw reasonable amounts of snow into your neighbor's yard, just not onto their sidewalk, driveway, or house. That may seem counterintuitive at first, so read it again to make sure you understand it. (Your neighbors probably won't.)
• If you park your car outside and it gets snowed on, it should be brushed off thoroughly before you take to the roads. This is in contrast to the less common but still popular technique of clearing off just the driver's side half of the windshield and then hitting the streets to let the wind handle the rest. Doing so creates a thundercloud sized mobile blizzard on the freeway that effectively blinds everyone behind you. You may think you're a genius, but trust me, you're not. Brush it off next time.

There may be others, but I can't think of any right now. And remember, I don't make the rules, I just abide by them. You should, too. Hooray for winter.