Amusing true story.
I live on a corner lot
I have a side walk only on one side of my property
One year we had a small sort. 2 inches or so.
typically around here when its that little nobody bothers to shovel cause its usually gone in a couple of days.
On this occasion the township got a bug up its but and sent warning notices around to everyone that didnt shovel this 2 inches that all snow was to be shoveled whenever ity snowed to where the sidewalk meets the street on the corners.
and that in the future anyone that didnt shovel the wal would be issued a summons
Well you know when they pow the roads after a decent sized snowfall they often like to pile up the snow Which is now more like a solid block of ice about 6-7 feet high in one huge mound over a sewer drain?
Well there is one about 2 feet from where my sidewalk meets the road so when they pile it up there is a big huge mound of snow where my sidealk meets the street at the corner.
Next snowstorm was considerably more
So I did exactly what they said so as you walked down the sidewalk you suddenly met this dead end where the snow was piled up.
cop walks the sidewalk and I see him come to the end and suddenly stop at the wall of ice.
Me- " Hey how ya doing?"
him - "this sidewalk isnt clear"
Me-"yes it is. its done exactly the way the warning I received said to do."where the sidewalk meets the street (pointing down) See there is the curb"
Him - "You supposed to have egress to the street"
Me (clanging a shovel on the pile of ice) Well tel ya what. Either get the plows to stop piling it here or get the township to issue me a blastng permit to get through this and I'll be more then happy too (clanging the shovel against the ice again for emphasis)
Him "I see what you mean. i'll mention it. but if it happens again just clear a path to the road so people can walk."
Me (chuckling as the wheels of devience were turning in my head already)
Ok no prob.
Next decent sized storm.
(Did I mention my property has a 50 foot setback?)
I did exactly as he said. Took my handy dandy snowblower and cleared a path to the street. by way of the scenic route.
Right at the ice wal I turned the path hard right went in about 4 feet then went hard right again effectively forming a U turn. then plowed up about 40 feet and then made a hard left, in 4 feet then another hard left. And headed back toward the street again stopping about 5 feet short, then made another hard right and went back and forth across my entire front lawn in a zigzag pattern till it finally ended at the end of my driveway.
Next day Im watching the cop from my window as hes comming down the sidewalk looking curiously at this weird pattern in my yard. He stops at the ice wall. looks at the wall. then the path, then the wall again and I see him laughing as he's shaking his head. Evidently he said screw dat cause he walked thoughteh unplowed snow betweet the walkway and the road and kept going.
Havent seen him again since and they usually pile up the snow a little more to the side.
When they dont I just do the zigzag routine to remind em.
Ok ok sometimes I do it anyway just for fun.
Since the elementary scool is about a block and a half from my house the kids seem to love it.
Parents seem equally amused
