I didn’t really understand how important snow etiquette is until I got my own house, with my own driveway to shovel. Now I realize that on those days when you wake up to the daunting task of digging your car out of a foot of snow and making the long trek to work on time, every little consideration matters. Just by being a good neighbor and doing your part to clear things up, you can make a snow day go a lot easier for those around you.
Dig, Clear, Repeat
Unless you are renting and have an alternative arrangement with your landlord, it is your responsibility to clear the sidewalks in front of your property. Digging your car out isn’t enough; you also need to make sure the walkways past and up to your front door are clear for pedestrians and the postman to struggle as little as possible. Even though you might feel like it is your house to do with as you wish or that you are just too busy to shovel right away, you are part of the community and it is your responsibility to help your neighbors with snow removal. We all pitch in taxes for the snowplows and sanders, and we all need to do the same when it comes to our own front yards. If, for some reason, you cannot shovel yourself, hire a neighborhood kid to do it for you. They’re usually walking around on snowy days trying to make a buck. (By the way, if community spirit isn’t enough to get you motivated, consider that shoveling snow burns a whopping fifteen calories per minute.)
Clear ALL the Snow off Your Car
Isn’t it great how the snow on the top of your car just blows off while you’re driving and you don’t really have to worry about it? Sure, except that it ends up smacking someone else’s windshield or hitting an innocent pedestrian in the face—a great way to ruin someone’s day. When you clean off your car, clean off all the snow, even what’s on the top and even if it’s only a small amount. It won’t take too much extra time or effort and it will keep you from annoying an already harried driver on his or her way to work.
Don’t Fence Me In
My downstairs neighbor and I share a driveway and during the last snow day, I went down to my car to find that she had piled a mountain of snow in front of it during her efforts to dig herself out. Because of her carelessness, I had a ton of extra shoveling to do to get free and on my way. Watch where you’re throwing the stuff, and make sure you’re not blocking anyone else in while you’re digging yourself out. It’s common courtesy—and common sense.
Chill Out
You’re not going to get to work on time anyway and getting an attitude with the other drivers on the road is not going to change that. Take a deep breath, avoid getting upset, and extend the same patience and understanding to others that you would want yourself.
Help Out and Have Fun
Today was another big snow day and it reminded me why I love my neighborhood so much. As I dug my car out from underneath its thick blanket of snow, everyone else who was outside doing the same took the time to say hello and good morning. Several men were walking around with shovels and snow blowers offering to dig out others.
I greeted one neighbor, a father whose son was “helping” his dad clear off the car. I said hello to the father and asked the boy if he was enjoying the snow day. He looked at me with these huge eyes, his bottom lip trembling a little bit from excitement, and said in the most earnest voice, “This is the best day of my life!”
