# Putting snow on my lawn? Tabernac, that's a shotgun! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2008, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542 "2008-03-16T13:34:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2008, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/21 "2008-03-16T23:42:12Z")
Some YouTube videos: [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/t2Si2nh1K_Y/hqdefault.jpg "Montréal - snow removal / enlèvement de la neige") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2Si2nh1K_Y) [An Evil Little Sidewalk Tractor!](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bewAGJhcuM) [Another One](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5a244FKD7E&feature=related) A lot of people like to post videos of this! [![](https://img.youtube.com/vi/YgLOui4n6oA/hqdefault.jpg "Montreal Snow Clearing") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgLOui4n6oA) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/22 "2008-03-17T00:54:17Z")
It gets a lot colder in Calgary than Toronto (and Montreal, I think), but I’ll take cold over snow any day of the week. Snow just pisses me off. The thing about snow in Calgary is that we don’t get much, usually (“usually” being the operative word) - when we do get extra-special big dumps of snow, we have virtually no procedures in place for clearing it. People unlucky enough to live in the 'burbs just don’t get to drive out of their neighbourhoods until it melts. At this point in winter when we’re all sick to death of it, I’m surprised there aren’t more weather-rage related deaths. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/23 "2008-03-17T01:23:49Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] It gets a lot colder in Calgary than Toronto (and Montreal, I think), but I’ll take cold over snow any day of the week. Snow just pisses me off. [/QUOTE] Toronto doesn’t usually get a [lot of snow](http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_e.html?Province=ALL&StationName=Toronto&SearchType=BeginsWith&LocateBy=Province&Proximity=25&ProximityFrom=City&StationNumber=&IDType=MSC&CityName=&ParkName=&LatitudeDegrees=&LatitudeMinutes=&LongitudeDegrees=&LongitudeMinutes=&NormalsClass=A&SelNormals=&StnId=5051&); this year has been exceptional. Historically, Calgary gets 80% of the snow that Toronto does, but I’ll put up with that extra 20% of snow for the 5C average improvement in temperature! (By comparison, Montreal gets almost 40% more snow that Toronto, and is only slightly warmer on average than Calgary – it’s not for the weather that people love Montreal. :D) ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/24 "2008-03-17T04:53:32Z")
[QUOTE=featherlou] The thing about snow in Calgary is that we don’t get much, usually (“usually” being the operative word) - when we do get extra-special big dumps of snow, we have virtually no procedures in place for clearing it. [/QUOTE] Sure we do. “Let’s wait for the next chinook, so it melts.” Y’know, I hate to sound like a transplanted Torontonian, but at least in that city, they cleared snow and ice on all streets. Here, they just dump gravel on top of it, so you too can get a cracked windshield from flying rocks. And if you live on a residential street, forget it–you’re not seeing pavement for four or five months of the year. Come on Calgary; you say you’re better than Toronto, now prove it. Clear the @#$% snow and ice! ---
**Author:** ![GingerOfTheNorth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/cdc98d/32.png) [@GingerOfTheNorth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GingerOfTheNorth)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/25 "2008-03-17T14:27:25Z")
And the lovely thing about Southern Alberta in the winter: black ice. Usually studded with gravel. Melt and freeze and melt and freeze. There’s a hill between Fort Macleod and Lethbridge (which has finally been bypassed by the highway) that I lost three friends on, due to black ice. I bitch about the humidity and extreme heat in the summer here, and the humidity in the winter will give me a chill that lasts for days vs. the nice dry cold at home, but I’m glad to be shut of black ice. (And I’ve already planted broccoli.) ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/26 "2008-03-17T17:46:25Z")
What can I say? _Votre pays, c’est l’hiver._ ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/27 "2008-03-17T17:49:09Z")
Well at least it appears your sidewalk tanks actually use a real blade to move snow. When I was in Ann Arbor they had tractors they put big spinning brushes to move the snow away. In reality all it did was to polish ice on the entire sidewalk into a nice clear frictionless sheen, and get rid of any sand or gravel that might have accently made it on the ice and provided traction. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/28 "2008-03-17T18:58:21Z")
It never occurred to me that you’d need to plow sidewalks, and that they’d have a cute evil tiny tiny snow plow to do it with. ---
**Author:** ![Fir\_na\_tine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Fir\_na\_tine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fir_na_tine)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/29 "2008-03-17T19:53:43Z")
28 postings about snow and no one has mentioned frost heaves yet? For those of you outside the snow belt, picture a paved road. Now picture the paved road being shelled by artillery. Now picture those holes filled with water, which freezes and causes the remaining pavement to buckle at crazy angles. When driving, the question is “Is the wet spot in front of me a wet spot, or a 1 inch deep depression or a 2 foot deep pothole?” Guess wrong and it will rip the wheel off your car and stuff it into your face. And in another couple of weeks - mud season.!!! ---
**Author:** ![ThirdCultureKid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbce88/32.png) [@ThirdCultureKid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThirdCultureKid)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/30 "2008-03-17T19:54:21Z")
The winter was one of the reasons I chose Montreal, and even the fact that my four foot high windows are completely covered by snow doesn’t bug me much. However, those little tractor things are _evil_. In my mind they hum a sinister version of “Zippedy doo da” in a minor key while pretending to play GTA - extra points for hit pedestrians! I’m forever indebted to my aunt, who bought me the coolest winter accessory I have. They’re like snow-chains for your shoes, crafted out of the kind of rubber they make tires out of, with sharp metal studs on the bottom. I don’t give a damn that they look stupid, they’re the reason I’ve only wiped out twice this winter (and I live on the above-mentioned Montreal crossing with sheets of ice on the pavement). ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/31 "2008-03-17T20:35:38Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] 28 postings about snow and no one has mentioned frost heaves yet? For those of you outside the snow belt, picture a paved road. Now picture the paved road being shelled by artillery. Now picture those holes filled with water, which freezes and causes the remaining pavement to buckle at crazy angles. When driving, the question is “Is the wet spot in front of me a wet spot, or a 1 inch deep depression or a 2 foot deep pothole?” Guess wrong and it will rip the wheel off your car and stuff it into your face. And in another couple of weeks - mud season.!!! [/QUOTE] Oh, the potholes don’t scare us as much anymore. The real fear is the _collapsing bridges_. Seeing as how something like 245% of the island is underneath an overpass, a little broken axle or shock absorber to replace is nothing compared to what could fall from overhead! :smack: Actually it’s only -2C here at the moment, and in the direct sun, a few of the icicles on the staircase are melting. Though the weather predictions aren’t indicating that things will get much warmer in the next few days! Today I had to help an elderly woman over a snowbank, because the bus we were riding couldn’t be bothered to pull forward next to the (relatively) cleared driveway next to the stop. Nope, he stops such that we could either step out into a massive puddle, or onto a snowbank plateau formed by thousands of people stepping there, but without a safe way down. Montreal clears streets, but makes zero efforts to make bus stops accessible. I love this city. But I hate it’s winters (unless I’m out playing in the snow, but I don’t have much time to do that!) ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/32 "2008-03-17T20:58:57Z")
Those of you complaining about the sidewalk-clearing tanks: be glad that your city actually clears its own sidewalks. They don’t here, which makes being a pedestrian miserable. ---
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2008, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/33 "2008-03-17T21:40:49Z")
[QUOTE=mnemosyne] Evil Little Sidewalk Tractors [/QUOTE] Band name? ---
**Author:** ![detop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/bcef8e/32.png) [@detop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/detop)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/34 "2008-03-18T00:36:19Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] What can I say? _Votre pays, c’est l’hiver._ [/QUOTE] [Well, you asked for it](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnnYjb9hP3U) and these Evil Little Sidewalk Tractors (or ELSTs) have a name They’re called coquerelles (cockroaches) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 4:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/35 "2008-03-18T04:42:12Z")
[QUOTE=Fir na tine] 28 postings about snow and no one has mentioned frost heaves yet? \ [/QUOTE] Ah, the friggin’ frost heaves! I hate those friggers. Yeah, it was a nice, level, easy to drive on pavement. Too bad about that. We had a nice one on McKnight Boulevard that came back every winter - imagine a 70 kph road where everyone drives 100 kph, but they slow down for this frost heave, it’s so bad. I think it was almost bad enough to endanger your axles. ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2008, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542/36 "2008-03-18T08:29:02Z")
[QUOTE=PastAllReason] Some of you need to move to sunny western Canada. \*\* Northern Piper failed to mention that we’re pretty much past winter boot season here.\*\* When I look out my front window, I see an ever-growing patch of grass exposed by the melting snow, and streets that are mostly free of snow and ice. It’s above freezing again today, and when I went out earlier I saw about a half dozen people wearing t-shirts and jeans, but no jacket. Winter coats are going away, and I don’t think I noticed anyone wearing gloves. Let’s hope it lasts. [/QUOTE] And then thats when you get nailed with your last storm of the year, it always happens when someone says that. Declan [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/putting-snow-on-my-lawn-tabernac-thats-a-shotgun/441542.md?page=1)