Posted on 12/21/2007 11:16:12 AM PST by Lorianne
I dreamed of a white Christmas and woke up disillusioned with New Urbanism. We've had 23 inches of white so far this month in Milwaukee. By itself, this is nice. My days have not been merry and bright, however, and it's because of my alley.
When we bought our house in an old neighborhood, we bought into the idea of alleys, or I did and I persuaded Mrs. McIlheran to go along. An alley meant a safer sidewalk, since cars wouldn't back out of driveways and run over our kids as they rode Big Wheels. A garage opening right onto an alley meant less of our lot taken up by a driveway. Lacking a driveway, we'd have less snow shoveling to do.
Sure. I was listening to urban planners. Wrong specialty. An economist would have explained how alleys, in Milwaukee at least, are a tragedy of the commons.
The city doesn't plow alleys. You could persuade the neighbors to jointly hire a guy, but who's got the energy, especially on a double-long block? Since plowing only makes sense if it's done all the way from your garage to the street, past all those deadbeats who wouldn't chip in, no one does it.
My alley eventually is navigable because enough people with pickup trucks mash down tracks. But backing across it and into my garage is impossible — those tracks become wheel-spinning traps. So my garage spends the winter housing my lawnmower. The car shivers on the street.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
So buy a snow blower, do your area and then charge your neighbors a nominal fee to do theirs. When presented lemons, make lemonade.
LOL. I will plow it...for a fee.
Now own two plow trucks. ;)
Lived in Miltown, mostly on LaFayette and Summit, for a dozen years, never in a house with an alley. I always thought they would be handy! But I can see your problem. Your block is not like a condo, which makes common areas rather difficult to maintain.
This sounds like a cooperation problem, not a planning problem. It’s a little surprising that an author who could recognize the similarity to “the commons dilemma” can’t remember the cooperative solution that is the major lesson of the commons dilemma.
His neighborhood can easily deal with this problem. He will have to talk to his neighbors, however. This, apparently, has not dawned on him as a necessity. Instead he tolerates the costs of an unsolved cooperative problem.
For any academics who happen to be reading this— Where were our colleges and universities when this guy was learning social science? These problems should be child’s play for anyone with a decent education.
Hopefully, this problem will take care of itself by Spring ;o)
The new people were commuters that worked in DC. They did not understand that you cooperated with your neighbors out in the country, that they were on a common driveway and were expected it to participate in maintenance. They did not even mow their side of it for the rest of the year. I knocked it down once or twice, but that was all that was done for the season...then winter came.
I cleared the first snow since I was home, doing the common and private portions. They did not help, but it was light and all I did was plow. When the second snow came, the other neighbors were away, we were home, but had no need to go anywhere. Late that day we get a knock on the door. Its the “the new people”. They wanted to know who they should call and complain to since the driveway was not plowed. I pointed out it was indeed a private driveway and residents had to do it themselves. They were astonished, said it could not possibly be true and left. They returned home and called everyone they knew yelling about how they are trapped. Finally they call the former homeowner who tell them that I had done the plowing in the past.
That evening I get a knock on the door. Its the “the new people” who are incensed saying that I misled them and that I am the person who is supposed to plow their driveway and the common section. I point out that while I do have a plow on my tractor, I was not going to plow until the next day at the earliest. The wife starts shouting about how I have to do it and how they have to get out. I ask them if they left a car on the street like all the rest of us do? They are confused, do not understand why anyone would do that, and then start insisting I have to plow immediately and am required legally to do so. I tell them I have to do no such thing, and close the door.
A few hours later, there is another knock on the door. Its a Deputy Sheriff. The “the new people” have complained to him that I have the legal obligation to plow their driveway and common section and by not doing it I was kidnapping them and holding them prisoner. They had actually called 911 over it. I invite him in out of the cold and tell him the story of “the new people”. I point out it is a community driveway and that I have not asked for payment (no ransom). I also point out that I will be plowing my way out in the AM. I also look at their driveway and see his tracks (he was in a Blazer). I point out that he had already done the hard work, they just needed to shovel it clear. He agrees and goes back over to talk to them. Later I see them trying to get their Prius out through the snow. No luck, its still there in the AM.
The next day I plow my way out. I don’t do the neighbor that is not there since it will melt before they get back. The “the new people” are standing by their stuck car watching but make no move to communicate with me. A month later there is a for sale sign on their house. The sell (for a loss) and the “new new people” have their own tractor.
I park on the front street when the weather calls for snow so I don't get stuck in the alley.
great story
Lazy, whinning democrat moron. That's your part of the ally. Shovel it and you'll be able to get in your garage.
I used to live in Milwaukee and this guy is just a little pansy.
It just is not that difficult to get out in even deep snow. Just shovel until you see the road.
Or get a Sears tractor and put a plow on the front.
Not hard to do.
Did it for many years on a 3/4 acre lot with 150 feet of driveway. Not a big deal with a shovel. Great to come in to hot chocolate when finished.
This guy needs to stop playing video games. He is an adult, or should be.
Thank God global warming will take care of problems like this.
LOL - I see you have experience at this.
The city of St.Paul, Mn. doesn’t plow alleys either. As a
plowing contractor, we solved the “commons” problem. Those
who paid got driveways plowed. Those who don’t? The snow has
to go somewhere.
Oh, nevermind, by the title, I thought this was a story about outlawing abortion... ;)
So far we have been spared the pleasure but only because our common borders are shared by like-minded country folks. The urbanites are coming closer however, and it is probably only a matter of time before the sh*t hits some fan or other.
We here in Ohio live in the land of the Snowbelt. A 'snowbelt' is a cup of coffee and a shot of Southern Comfort.
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