In Chicago, homeowners and building owners are responsible for clearing their sidewalks, but many do a half-assed job of it or don't do it at all. Where I lived previously there was a big apartment building I had to walk past and they never shoveled, so the snow would get compacted down to a lumpy, icy mess. I used to fantasize about creating a device that was a container for salt with a long tube to the ground and a trigger so I could turn on and off the salt flow. That way I could write messages in the compacted ice. Like "Clear your fucking sidewalk!"

It was much better here when the homeowners were responsible, and the city cleared the bus stops and the paths to the cross walks. Now the bus stops and the paths to the cross walks aren't touched (you have to walk to a driveway to cross the street or catch the bus, because the snow is piled high from the street plows), and the sidewalks are poorly plowed.

So now, everyone walks in the street, which is not really safe in the winter either, but it is impossible to walk on the sidewalks. And since most of the walkers, and public transportation takers are ethnic minorities, all the drivers blame the crazy black/asian/Latino people who walk in the street for no reason!

For some reason, people here got the idea that homeowners would be legally responsible if they cleared their sidewalks but someone slipped and fell on residual snow/ice/whatever, but would NOT be liable if they left the sidewalks untouched. I think the idea was you would be liable if you did a half-ass job, but not liable if you could prove you didn't do ANYTHING (and therefore not a half-ass job?).

I seriously can't tell you how many people have parroted this idea back to me over the years. Finally, a few years ago, the news did a story on it, saying there is no law on the books that a homeowner is legally liable if they shovel their walks but someone later falls on the walk they shoveled, so PLEASE SHOVEL YOUR SIDEWALKS.

I have no idea if this increased the rates of shoveling or not.

I'm not usually in favor of shame as a tool for enforcing societal standards, but I can see where it might be useful in minimizing a tragedy of the commons type of problem. I'll have to think about that.

They are not saying the shame is part of it, but apparently there are big signs that come with the fine.

I'm in NYC. The meter in the taxi is broken, so you can guess how well that's working out for me.

I have an official interview scheduled on Thursday for the Dublin position. I'll have to inform my manager. And I'm glad I packed a dress, even if it'll be a VC.

I am listening to This American Life, and they are playing the recording of Eric Miller, a young man who died in police custody from asthma in Milwaukee.

In the background of the audio, Panic at the Disco's Ballad of Mona Lisa is playing very very softly. It is really weird-- were they playing it in the police car? I wouldn't have recognized it, except Brendon's voice is very recognizable, and it kind of cuts through.

Go shrift!

I almost hate when people shovel their walks, because what was something with terrain you could work with becomes a Zamboni'd skating rink. They'll leave a half inch of snow that's going to freeze over instead of breaking through to the pavement that can collect sunshine and start melting the surroundings.

It's a fine line, and I have realized how many factors there are! My front walk by the driveway gets a little sun and is also on a slope, so no matter what we do, it turns into an ice sheet. A little further along, it gets less sun and the yard soaks up the melt (I guess), so it's easier to keep clear. Also the texture of the sidewalk varies and can make it harder to get the ice up, once it's formed. I have learned A LOT this month!

I am grateful this winter has seen less snow than past years. Also, I started parking in a base lot on campus, again, because of people who didn't, or didn't properly, shovel their sidewalks. In one day, I slipped on sidewalks three times. I didn't throw my back out that day, but a week later it gave up and I ended up having 6 weeks of PT to partially fix it. It's still not very strong, the least sideways twist threatens to put it out of joint. I can't say the parking lot is much better than many of the sidewalks due to melt and refreeze, but it's a shorter distance to walk and the university is liable.

Home owners, here, have 24 after the snow ends to shovel or it's a $200 fine (ask my daughter.) However, if it's snowing straight for a couple of days, that means they can let it build up without doing anything. That's why I finally gave up on walking to work.