Posted on 02/18/2014 3:39:52 AM PST by sodpoodle
COLUMBIA, Md. — Two men in Howard County have died after suffering medical emergencies while shoveling snow, and a third died when he collapsed outside in the snow.
(Excerpt) Read more at washington.cbslocal.com ...
Knowing the ‘drill’ and accepting it are what prompted this discussion.
It is not established that the 2 deaths were a result of forced shoveling - but many people who are compelled to comply with ‘the drill’ might very well be putting their lives in danger. Men and women, young and old, neighbors and volunteers. Using snow blowing equipment also has risks, as well as using shovels.
Any service the government provides costs 10 times more than if it were purchased from the free market. Just hang on a bit more. The robots are coming! The robots are coming!
Why should they? Manual labor builds the sort of character that leads to gainful employment, which we all know leads to "job lock" and other bad things.
Cold weather in general puts most people at much higher risk. That’s one of the reasons to move south for retirement, or least to a condo. Believe it or not, a lot of people would rather die of a heart attack shoveling snow at their own home rather than among strangers at a ‘retirement home’.
In the old days, kids would go door to door offering to shovel to pick up spending money, or the parents would order them to shovel older neighbors’ sidewalks and driveways.
***Any service the government provides .....***
And any compulsory (unpaid)labor is slavery;)
In our municipality, builders are required to install sidewalks only on one side of the street — and they must be cleared of snow by the homeowner. When we went looking for a home here, about 30 years ago, I specifically instructed the real estate agent to show me only houses on the non-sidewalk side of the street. (I pity those poor souls who live on corner properties.)
That was prescient;)
I believe the fines for non-compliance are $50. Not sure if that would be applicable for each snow event - like consecutive speeding tickets.
Seems like a warning would be the first reprimand. Law enforcement must have more important things to do.
“Are you required to clear a sidewalk under penalty of law? Or is this shoveling to free your car and driveway?”
***
There is a municipal ordinance, but since I live among the “free stuff” crowd, the law is rarely enforced. However, there is a clause in my homeowners insurance to the effect that I must maintain the sidewalk. Not doing so could jeopardize payment by the insurance company should someone slip and fall. I might be on the hook for any claim.
When the weather gets bad, I don’t go out, so for myself snow shoveling is not essential. The only person who comes to the house is the mailman. He’s a nice guy, so I wouldn’t want him falling and getting hurt.
When I first moved into my house in 1989, there was a youngster who came to the door the first 2 years offering to shovel. He was so small, the shovel was bigger than he was. He didn’t do a good job, but it was entertaining watching him push this huge shovel around. I gave him $5 and you would have thought I had given him a fortune. He was so happy.
Haven’t seen him around since those first couple of years, so I suppose he moved away. Since then, there haven’t been any children offering to shovel snow. It’s just too much work for this younger generation.
After shoveling my parents, god-parents and the elderly couple across the street for free, I used to make a lot of money shoveling the neighborhood sidewalks and driveways. Once I made $108 in one day and that was in the 60s. Big bucks then. I remember the amount because there was a telescope that I wanted and did buy. :)
I did a quick calculation of labor costs etc., for clearing the sidewalk - neighbor(1) helping neighbor(2).
1. snow plow repair $100
1. labor 4 hours @ $10 per hour $40
1. gas for blower $5.00
2. travel to site gas $10
2. snow blower gas $5.00
2. labor 4 hours @ $10 per hour $40
3. 2nd worker 4 hours @ $10 per hour $40
4. salt de-icer $15.00
County saved $255.00 minimum
No, sidewalks are located within a street right-of-way, not on private property. Normally, sidewalks are located one foot from the property line.
You were raised with a work ethic. Unfortunately, so many young people don’t know what real work is. They want a job, but they don’t want to actually work. Today it seems people expect something for nothing. And they are raising their children that way.
Give all those on welfare shovels. In order to get their bennies they must shovel. When there is no snow, give them brooms or rakes.
Why not get a walk behind self propelled snow blower. They last forever?
You forgot the taxes and health insurance!
AMEN!!
Today’s yoots would be having the heart attacks; the poor, overweight flab buckets!
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