One Neighbor’s Plea For Shoveled Sidewalks

Still have ice in front of your home? Neighbor Casey wrote in to express frustration at the dangerous conditions still lingering on many stretches of Ditmas Park sidewalk.

Today I watched a mother attempt to push a baby carriage down a sidewalk while still holding the hand of her other young child. Yesterday I saw an elderly gentleman struggle for balance on a cane while navigating through the ice.

Aside from just being a good neighbor, it’s also an actual law that homeowners clear the sidewalks or at least spread material to make them less slippery, though it seems like only about half of the neighborhood actually bothers.

How do we say this in a way that hasn’t been said before? If your walk isn’t shoveled (or at the very least sprinkled with material that creates some traction) after all of this snow, why not?

Certainly we have neighbors who physically cannot shovel for one reason or another, and if you know that to be the case, please lend a hand and help care for their walk. As for the lack of salt and ice melt, sure, we feel your pain–but at least, please run (or walk very carefully) to the nearest grocery store, pick up the cheapest kitty litter you can find, and sprinkle generously in front of your home. You don’t want a ticket, or worse, a neighbor’s injury on your conscience or your bank account.

If you’re not sure what’s required of you, check out a list of snow and ice removal rules from the Department of Sanitation. And if anyone has a local shoveler to recommend, or any other helpful tips, please leave them in the comments.

Photo by Casey