# Mini-Month Mini-Rants (Feb 2026) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Tags:** monthly-mini-rant\ **Created:** [February 1, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273 "2026-02-01T16:40:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/1 "2026-02-01T16:40:49Z")
Winter finally hit SoFL. We awoke to temps just above freezing, ~35F ~2C. But at least the wind was howling. Hw cold was it? There were frozen iguanas littering parking lots. At breakfast about 1/3rd of the spaces were obstructed by inert, paralyzed, but fully still living, iguanas. Bright green, 2-4 feet long. So Florida. They’ll be fine tomorrow when it warms up again. Unless some warm-blooded predator eats them meanwhile. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/2 "2026-02-01T16:46:28Z")
Just 28 days to get our rants in? Life is so unfair. I try to take a neighborhood walk most days. People, if you cannot find a way to keep your sidewalks clear of snow and ice, you should move to Arizona. That is all for now. mmm ---
**Author:** ![BippityBoppityBoo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bippityboppityboo/32/5745_2.png) [@BippityBoppityBoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BippityBoppityBoo)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/3 "2026-02-01T17:58:48Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Unless some warm-blooded predator eats them meanwhile. You aren’t looking up recipes on line, are you? ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/4 "2026-02-01T18:15:16Z")
I think I will sort out my rants on an excel sheet for the month. I need to categorize them by severity, duration and possibility of remediation. ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/5 "2026-02-01T18:16:46Z")
Here on the North Shore of Boston, it’s been in the low teens for a few days, and the water in the drain trap of our only tub/shower has frozen twice now, so it doesn’t drain. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to put a pipe heater on the trap.) I’ve been pouring a gallon of boiling water down the drain every night before going to bed, which seemed to help. But it happened again this morning. The only option is to open the access panel and blow hot air from a hair dryer onto the overflow pipe above the trap and wait for the heat to work its way down to the block. I also pour boiling water down the drain, bail it out with a bucket after it’s cooled a while, repeat. It takes a while. My wife’s been waiting to take her shower for a couple of hours now. The temps are supposed to get above freezing this week. Let’s hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/6 "2026-02-01T18:17:24Z")
Or you could just put them here and let us sort & categorize them for you. Then you could rant about that too. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/7 "2026-02-01T18:20:01Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > Or you could just put them here and let us sort & categorize them for you. Then you could rant about that too. 😉 I will take that under advisement. 😎 ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/8 "2026-02-01T18:21:25Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > Here on the North Shore of Boston, it’s been in the low teens for a few days, and the water in the drain trap of our only tub/shower has frozen twice now, so it doesn’t drain. (Unfortunately, there’s no way to put a pipe heater on the trap.) I’ve been pouring a gallon of boiling water down the drain every night before going to bed, which seemed to help. New fear unleashed! I hope you can get some movement in those drains. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/9 "2026-02-01T18:24:16Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > if you cannot find a way to keep your sidewalks clear of snow and ice, you should move to Arizona. If you cannot find a place where the city keeps the streets and sidewalks clear of snow and ice, you should move to a place that has decent government services . ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/10 "2026-02-01T18:27:07Z")
These are residential sidewalks I rant about; it is the homeowner/resident’s responsibility to keep them clear. mmm ---
**Author:** ![commasense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/commasense/32/3017_2.png) [@commasense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/commasense)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/11 "2026-02-01T18:28:19Z")
The good news is that ice in a drain won’t burst the pipe the way ice forming in a closed pipe will, because it has open air to expand up into. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/12 "2026-02-01T18:35:02Z")
> [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > These are residential sidewalks I rant about; it is the homeowner/resident’s responsibility to keep them clear. How do you define “residential sidewalk”? Unless it’s private property, I consider it the city’s responsibility to keep the streets and sidewalks clear. That’s part of why I pay property taxes. A sidewalk in front of your home is not (and certainly should not be) private property. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/13 "2026-02-01T18:43:25Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > The good news is that ice in a drain won’t burst the pipe the way ice forming in a closed pipe will, because it has open air to expand up into.. OMG thanks for the clarification. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/14 "2026-02-01T18:48:46Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > > [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](#): > > > > These are residential sidewalks I rant about; it is the homeowner/resident’s responsibility to keep them clear. > > How do you define “residential sidewalk”? Unless it’s private property, I consider it the city’s responsibility to keep the streets and sidewalks clear. That’s part of why I pay property taxes. A sidewalk in front of your home is not (and certainly should not be) private property. Where I live the borough issues warnings that sidewalks need to be cleared by the property owner within a day. I’ve never lived anywhere where the jurisdiction cleared individual sidewalks after a snow storm. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/15 "2026-02-01T19:03:23Z")
> [@Ellecram](#): > > I’ve never lived anywhere where the jurisdiction cleared individual sidewalks after a snow storm. I know that’s often the case, but I’ve never lived anywhere where they didn’t. The concept of “this is city property, but it’s your responsibility to maintain it” sounds strangely contradictory to this here believer in social democracy. ---
**Author:** ![Ellecram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellecram/32/18948_2.png) [@Ellecram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellecram)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/16 "2026-02-01T19:04:59Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > I’ve never lived anywhere where the jurisdiction cleared individual sidewalks after a snow storm. > > I know that’s often the case, but I’ve never lived anywhere where they didn’t. The concept of “this is city property, but it’s your responsibility to maintain it” sounds strangely contradictory to this here believer in social democracy. That is so interesting! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/17 "2026-02-01T19:05:05Z")
Here in Vancouver, which has excellent services as a rule, we’re responsible for the sidewalks in front of our property. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/18 "2026-02-01T19:05:27Z")
Of course, we’re at zero snow days this year, so it’s not much of a burden. ---
**Author:** ![wolfpup](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpup/32/10618_2.png) [@wolfpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfpup)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/19 "2026-02-01T19:12:46Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Here in Vancouver, which has excellent services as a rule, we’re responsible for the sidewalks in front of our property. > [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Of course, we’re at zero snow days this year, so it’s not much of a burden. Right. Back in the day, in my official capacity as a long-haired hippie, I spent about half a year in Vancouver, including some of the winter months. There’s virtually no snow, hence the city probably has very little in the way of snow-clearing equipment. There are other places, as @Spoons has pointed out elsewhere, that do get snow but don’t do a great job of clearing public thoroughfares. I’ve never lived in such places and find the whole concept alien to me. It sounds like a culture that’s gravitated to favouring lower property taxes over public services. ---
**Author:** ![Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mean_mr.mustard/32/3865_2.png) [@Mean\_Mr.Mustard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mean_Mr.Mustard)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273/20 "2026-02-01T19:14:33Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > > [@Ellecram](#): > > > > I’ve never lived anywhere where the jurisdiction cleared individual sidewalks after a snow storm. > > I know that’s often the case, but I’ve never lived anywhere where they didn’t. The concept of “this is city property, but it’s your responsibility to maintain it” sounds strangely contradictory to this here believer in social democracy. I also find this interesting. Are you in the U.S.? Everywhere I have lived it is absolutely the homeowners’ responsibility to maintain not only the sidewalk, but the grassy area between the sidewalk and the street. Not doing so can, theoretically, get you a citation and a fine. mmm [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mini-month-mini-rants-feb-2026/1027273.md?page=2)