Sunday, February 18, 2007

Outside My Window: The Next Morning

This is what I woke up to on Wednesday morning. The snow continued to fall until late in the afternoon. By the evening, the snow had turned into ice, which made the roads slippery and dangerous for drivers. Some above ground trains were delayed due to circuit problems from icing on the tracks. Many schools and some businesses were closed early.

The snow storm was not all bad for New Yorkers. Some entrepreneurial youngsters were charging $10 to $15 per hour to clear snow from the sidewalks and driveways.

Why do private homeowners have to shovel snow from the public sidewalks, you ask? Well, there is a New York City law that requires private homeowners and businesses to clear snow from the sidewalks abutting their properties within a reasonable time or risk getting a $50 fine. In addition, the public sidewalks have to be properly cleared because homeowners can be liable for a slip and fall suit if it was established that the sidewalks were poorly maintained.

So what do you think of all these?