Hey, there! Log in / Register
Some stores shovel and some don't
By adamg on Wed, 03/15/2017 - 9:04am
Vivian Again chronicled the varying levels of shoveling in Downtown Crossing this morning.
Neighborhoods:
Free tagging:
Ad:
Support Universal Hub
Help keep Universal Hub going. If you like what we're up to and want to help out, please consider a (completely non-deductible) contribution.
Comments
How long do they have to clear it?
I chuckled this morning as I saw a brigade of 6 people trying to chop their car from a block of ice.
It was raining which sucked, but last night it only took 30 min to do both the walkway and car where I was. Completely dry walkway and car spot today.
Only 30 minutes? But we were
Only 30 minutes? But we were told it takes 7-10 hours to brush snow off a car, hence why space savers were deservedly used. Are you trying to tell me that people who hog public property for themselves are not truthful?!?
yeah
Those people* are always full of shit
*cept for the elderly and disabled
It always amazes me
how people living in New England have no idea what is involved with shoveling/ snow removal, how snow works, or what type of weather warrants what type of response. Like how they salted the roads last week after a dusting squall, yet failed to salt when rain froze overnight a couple weeks before that, causing CHAOS throughout the area. That night I even said, "well this is all gonna be ice tomorrow, hope they salt the roads," and was shocked to find the streets a skating rink the next day. its like these officials who run our state grew up in Florida. this isn't hard guys, eat your member berries.
Anyways, the problem that happens in a lot of cases, and certainly with this blizzard, is people waiting until the next day to shovel. Look, if we are getting anything substantial, say more than 6 inches, people must shovel several times DURING the storm for the best results. Yesterday what came down was a mix of snow, sleet, and rain, meaning it went from heavy, to heavier, to back breaking. To do that all at once when the storm was over, especially the day AFTER the storm when all the late rain freezes to ice, is borderline impossible. You need a metal shovel to chip this stuff away today. And after the plows go by 4-5 times the pile they leave behind is super compacted and heavy. This is what people have trouble with removing the next day. This is what is required to get your car out. This is why space savers are used. The city doesn't plow to the curb even when they can. Unless there is a crippling storm leaving many feet of snow they don't come around to do snow removal either, at least where I live (predominantly non-white folk, aka NOT Marty voters). The only way to make the work bearable is to shovel out incrementally. I went out probably 5 times yesterday, for about 30 minutes each time. Today I pulled right out of my spot, no issue, space saver in place. Sidewalks and stairs and everything else done as well. Thye rest of my block still looks like Hoth, and I'll be pissed if someone parks in the spot I spent all day shoveling while they did NOTHING.
I live in a predominantly
non-'white folks' neighborhood (I prefer People of Non-Color), and the streets are plowed fine.
Fake news
They're using alternative space savers.
Conditions on the ground changed....
I got mine spotless (and salted) last night; by this AM enough slush had flowed downhill onto my stretch of walk that it would take a jackhammer to get it out. Salt... chop... salt... chop. My wife's out there doing it now, while I stand in the doorway, coffee in hand, directing....
It took me a grueling half
It took me a grueling half hour to hack one shovel-width of sidewalk last night. I didn't have the stamina to make it any wider.
Usually it takes 5 minutes to do the whole width. And this was before it dropped below freezing.
It's fuzzy math on ths website
I spent about an hour and a half to get the sidewalk, driveway (and cars) and cut to the street cleared, and I was using a snow thrower. I timed it right (out at about 3:30, when it was relatively warm) so later all I did was put the salt out. The Missus spent 45 minutes doing the steps and walkway to said steps, shovel only.
In short, this was not an easy snow to move, but no excuse for people not moving the snow.
Looks like there a Gap in the shoveling...?
Of course their slogan is "Fall into the..." oh, never mind.
So there was a gap between
So there was a gap between shoveled sections of the sidewalk.
Soooo...
Should be pretty easy to fine GAP considering how obvious it is? Do companies ever see ramifications from such neglect?
It's the property owner's
It's the property owner's responsibility.
The Gap has a big sign, but there are plenty of other tenants in the building.
True, but wouldn't you think
True, but wouldn't you think Gap would rather it's customers not fall on their asses coming in and out of their store?
Responsibility ultimately falls on the landlord, but clearly there's more than 1 lazy person who didn't give a sh*t here, and that's what's sad.
GAP isn't the property owner.
GAP isn't the property owner. They are a tenant of the owner. You have to check the commercial lease to see who is responsible for snow removal, landlord or tenant.
Part Gap?
From this angle it looks like the empty Barnes and Noble has snow in front of it, too, yes?
Ice
On my commute this morning, I was actually thankful for the places that didn't shovel. Pretty much everywhere that was shoveled out was very icy and difficult to walk on, but the places that didn't shovel were safer and had more traction.
Of Course
I'm sure the GAP specifically considered that and made the decision not to shovel and salt as a helpful precaution.
That's what happens when you
That's what happens when you don't salt and sand after you shovel.
The correct solution is to
The correct solution is to salt once it stops raining.
If you're not part of the
If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
Well-done!
This comment is the best thing I read on the internet today!
Okay Mayor, so the property
Okay Mayor, so the property owner gets fined, right? Well, here's the lowdown: 411 Washington Street, Boston is owned by 407 Smiley Crossing LLC, of which the managing member is 407 SC MM LLC, of which the managers are: David Pogorelic of 41 West Street, Suite 8, Boston MA 02111 and Jan Steenbrugge of c/o FinanceBoston, 101 Federal Street, 19th Floor, Boston, MA 02110. If they have a lease with The Gap as Tenant and them (the LLC) as landlord, does the lease say that the Tenant is responsible for snow removal? Or is the landlord (property owner) responsible for snow removal? Either way, these guys clearly look like the 1%, so I'd rather be ticketing them rather than little old Mrs. Jenkins who has struggled to stay in her same home that she's owned since the 1970s in one of those non-touristy Boston neighborhoods!!!
I'm 99% sure you can't force
I'm 99% sure you can't force a tenant (at least residential) to do the shoveling for you--it's the owner's responsibility. That would make sense too, since it's the owner who gets fined.
Here's a better idea
Post that on Boston 311. ISD will take it from there.
Winter Wimps
Went by at 9:30am and the sidewalk was clear. Looked like a crew just finished.
I think the store opens at 10 so maybe that is why it was delayed. I walk this street everyday and it is usually kept pretty clear & clean. Businesses in this area have to pay an additional property tax called a BID tax. This tax goes supposedly goes towards hiring crews to keep the downtown crossing streets clean.This area is certainly a lot better than it used to be.
Great, except
Businesses have 3 hours to clear their sidewalks.
I mean, an entire rush hour may have gone by with nothing done. I got my sidewalk in shape by 6 PM on Tuesday, with a final onceover around 9 PM. It looks like other property owners on the block were able to get things done in time. Why not them?