I rsvp’ed to attend a training event (coordinated through MoveOn.org) that was being held at a private home last Sunday - week and a day ago. We got a couple of inches of snow two days before the event and I expressed concern to a friend that the hosts of the event may not clean up the snow adequately and he said “they’re having 30 strangers to their home for an event, of course they will.”
Now I have a mobility challenge, and I’m wary of conditions that might precipitate a slip and fall incident; like snowy/slushy/slick curbs where there is nothing (or no one) to hold onto for stability. My own issue, I know, but it’s completely alleviated by proper snow removal/ice abatement measures. If the curb has been properly cleared (even if the street is a mess right next to it) I’m okay.
So I went to the event and not only had the hosts not cleaned the sidewalk in front of their house (required by local law) they hadn’t cleaned their own walkway or steps. I couldn’t find any place that was safe for me to try to step up on the curb, not in front of the host house nor any of the houses around. (Apparently this block just doesn’t go in for the sidewalk shoveling.) I turned around, made my way back to my car, and went home.
Now in this case, timing is a factor, the hosts were observant Jews (I gather by the request to bring only sealed, kosher snacks for the potluck) so that meant that they would’ve had to do snow removal on Sunday only, but the event didn’t start until 3 p.m. There was adequate daylight time for someone to come out, and the work could’ve been done with a simple household broom and some ice melter/sidewalk salt.
And that, to me, is just what you do when you live in cold-weather country and have wintertime guests. If you aren’t able to clear your sidewalks (or get someone to do so for you) then you don’t offer to host things in Pittsburgh in January.
Am I wrong in thinking that it’s pretty much the height of thoughtlessness to fail to do even minor snow clean-up when you know that 30 strangers are coming to your house 36 hours after a snowfall?
I’m with you. It’d rude. If some unforeseen circumstance prevented the clearing of the snow, they should have had someone near the door to help anyone struggling with the conditions (ya know, 'cause someone is gonna chime in with “Well how do you know they didn’t try and wind up throwing their backs out”, or “maybe they had a family emergency during the time they could clean it”).
Rude and obnoxious. And really, if you had decided to brave their snowy walk and falled and injured yourself, you would be able to sue and win a lawsuit, so stupid as well.
I’m not entirely sure how Jewish shabat works, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t last for 36 hours.
it should have been cleared. either by them, or by any number of people who come by and ask if you need your public areas cleared.
it is still lightly snowing here in philly and i’ve had 3 people stop by to ask if i needed to have the pavement and steps cleared. i’m sure it is the same in pittsburgh.
It’s 24 hours, from sundown to sundown. As a practical matter when dealing with the shomer shabbos, you can expect them to be out of circulation for a couple of hours at either end.
But that doesn’t even matter. Snow is common in January in Pittsburgh. So regardless of any other factors, you shouldn’t have 30 strangers over without making provision to get your walks cleared beforehand.
So yes, what they did was rude. It was also dangerous, stupid, and illegal.
Even if you don’t care about the safety and comfort of your guests…why would you want all that snow tracked into your house? Rude, thoughtless…are the hosts really young or really old?
Wow, I’ve NEVER had anyone offer to shovel for me. Are you talking about high school kids that want to get paid to do it? I could understand that, but I’ve never had someone offer to do it for free. At least on my block, instead of offering to do it, you just go ahead and do it. I always do my neighbors sidewalk if I’m out first, he does mine if he’s out first. And same goes for the approach if the the plows pushed a big ridge of snow in front of it.
OP, yup, either they should make sure it’s clear* or call off the event, it’s not fair to make guests walk though snow. If they need a selfish reason to convince themselves to do it, they should just figure that it would make less of a mess in the house, even if guests take their shoes off it’ll probably still be in their pants.
*At the VERY least there should be a path from the street to the door a few feet wide, that would take a fraction of the time it takes to do the whole thing and would be more or less acceptable.
No, the snow started right around the same time as shabbos on Friday afternoon, and continued all night Friday. When shabbos ends on Saturday, the sun has set, so the snow couldn’t have been cleared on Saturday evening. That means that for the purposes of this event, it would’ve had to have been cleared sometime on Sunday before the 3 p.m. event.
Really? Maybe maybe maybe in the slightly more pedestrian-friendly neighborhood where this event was to be held (it’s called Squirrel Hill but it has areas that are mostly flat) but in my part of Pittsburgh, that doesn’t happen. I can’t remember the last time anyone showed up to want to clear my walks and sidewalk and consequently, it doesn’t get done. (Neither I or my mom are physically able.) It’d be nice if there were people willing, even if they wanted $20.
My take was that they were definitely adults, 30s or 40s, and professional people, as the husband and wife had different last names on the e-mails I got.
wow! perhaps philly just has more enterprizing shovelers.
joey p, yes, the ones who knock/ring to ask do it for pay. 2 of the people who asked were teens, 1 an older gentleman. i’m in a row home, 5 dollars is the usual for my area, 10-20 if you are a corner house. could be more depending on the depth of the snow. we don’t have much pavement and no driveway.
it is a time honoured way to make some cash.
we also have the neighbour thing, houses that have older people or have people who would have trouble shoveling are cleared. i will clear my neighbours on either side if i am out first and it isn’t 20" or more. (that is when it is worth 10-20 dollars)
I always thought that’s why people have kids. You force them to do the crappy chores like doing the dishes, taking out the trash and shoveling snow. At least, that’s what my dad always told me
Wow, I’ve NEVER had anyone offer to shovel for me. Are you talking about high school kids that want to get paid to do it? I could understand that, but I’ve never had someone offer to do it for free. At least on my block, instead of offering to do it, you just go ahead and do it. I always do my neighbors sidewalk if I’m out first, he does mine if he’s out first. And same goes for the approach if the the plows pushed a big ridge of snow in front of it.