Let It Snow (Then Grab the Shovel)
Don’t let your snowy driveway ruin it for everyone else. Modern Manners Guy has 3 tips on neighborly snow removal etiquette.
For the first time in many years, December has brought snow to my city. A light dusting causes my fellow Maryland residents to dash to the grocery store to stock up on industrial-sized packages of toilet paper and gallons of milk, like we’re heading for armageddon.
So needless to say, when this past week brought nearly a foot of snow to my area, some people had a hard time adapting to the weather change.
Sponsor: Want to save more, invest for the future, but don’t have time to be a full-on investor? Betterment.com helps you build a customized, low-cost portfolio that suits your goals. Sign up at www.betterment.com/modernmanners and receive a $25 bonus when you make a deposit of $250 or more.
As “Snowmageddon” made its way to my neighborhood, I dug out my shovel from the garage, grabbed some coarse salt, and waited for the proper time to get to work on clearing my sidewalk. However, as I looked around, it seemed not everyone was on board the shoveling train. What ever happened to neighborly compassion? Or just putting some elbow grease into cleaning up your own walkway? Come on, people! Where’s the humanity?!?
I like to think that it wasn’t for lack of consideration. Perhaps some people’s schedules got in the way. Or maybe they suffer from chionophobia, the fear of snow (yes, it’s a real thing). But assuming that is a rare ocurrence, the reality is that it comes down to simple laziness or not caring about others around you. Sigh…
So, with that, here are my top 3 quick and dirty tips on neighborly snow removal:
Tip #1: Help Your Fellow Neighbor
I like to think I’m a pretty active guy. I go to the gym, I play sports, and I live a relatively healthy lifestyle. But after I shovel my walkway, I feel like I just went through war. My back aches, I’m sweating, my face is stinging from the wind…basically, it stinks. Yes shoveling is a drag. That’s not news. But nonetheless, we all have to do it.
And yes, I too get pissed when the city’s snow plow come by and push a mountain of snow up my driveway – the driveway I just spent 2 hours clearing. But that’s just part of the city’s street clearing efforts and I’m appreciative of their hard work when I drive my car down clear, snow-free streets.
All of this makes me roll my eyes in frustration when I see my younger neighbors refuse to pick up a shovel and take care of their sidewalk. Imagine how that 85-year-old neighbor feels when they try to shovel? Here’s a hint: If you think it kills you, you have no idea what it does to them.
If you have neighbors who for whatever reason cannot shovel their own walkway, or brush off their car, do your best to lend a helping hand. I also recommend talking to the other neighbors to get them involved. “Hey Bob, I think we should pitch in to help Mary with her walkway. Want to join?” Does it have to be done at 5am? No. But you should take an extra half hour out of your day to help your less fortunate neighbor. If you do a little, and then Bob does a little, and Jim, and then Kathy, you can all spend a few minutes to help out someone who needs it, and it won’t make a huge dent in your day. Chances are when you’re their age, you’ll want the help yourself.
Tip #2: Don’t Be Last
I’ll be the first one to admit it, I don’t exactly have a green thumb when it comes to lawn care. Cutting my lawn is not fun, but I do it. Raking leaves is a terribly boring chore, but again I do it. However, when it comes to snow removal, I make up for my shortcomings in the spring and summer. I’m a master shoveler!
The best way to show you’re a good neighbor in bad weather is to shovel your walkway, sidewalk, driveway, etc. at a proper time. What is the proper time? Well, that depends. For one, starting right when the snow falls is a waste of your time since you’ll be back out there a few hours later. But then again, you never want to be last.
Here’s when you know you really let your neighbors down: You step outside (usually in the late afternoon) and see that everyone else’s property is already shoveled clear to the concrete and you (slacker) haven’t even touched yours. But it should not get to this point.
You never want to have a neighbor come to you and ask you to do your share, nor do you want to have your snow pile up so much that it blows onto your neighbors’ clean walkways. If you get started midway through the snowfall (the weather forecasters have gotten pretty good at letting us know when that is), then you can save yourself a boatload of trouble in the end. Being last makes you look lazy and selfish – and neither will win you any fans in the neighborhood.
Tip #3: If You Can’t Do it, Ask for Help
In Tip #1 I mentioned people who could not shovel their walkway. If you have a condition that prevents you from doing physically demanding work, this is a perfectly valid reason to avoid shoveling. I would never expect my elderly neighbor to be out there for hours on end. That’s why we all band together to help her out. But what if you’re not physically disabled or elderly? What if you just don’t feel like it? Or maybe something came up (like you’re sick, hurt, out of town, etc.) and you actually can’t do it? In that case, I say call in reinforcements.
Your first line of defense would be to pay a local teenager who is looking for some extra video game money. When I was in high school, friends and I would go house to house and offer to clean off their cars and walkways. We’d make some money, get a good workout, and have fun doing it. I suggest you making a similar offer to a young neighbor if you can’t do it yourself.
And if you can’t the help of a teenager, I suggest calling in a big favor to a neighbor. Ahead of time, walk over with treats, drinks, whatever it takes to butter them up and make a plea for their assistance. “I know this is a huge pain but I won’t be able to shovel my area. Any chance you can help me out?” Again, always bring treats with you, and also remind them you will be more than happy to return the favor whenever they need it. That is a great way to be a good neighbor.
Do you have a story about shoveling issues you’ve faced? How did you get a lazy neighbor to shovel their area? Post all the details in the Comment section below.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.comcreate new email. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
And if you have any future or recent college grads on your holiday gift list, give them Reply All…And Other Ways to Tank Your Career. It’s my new book on getting, keeping, and succeeding in any job. It’s available in paperback, ebook, and even audiobook format!