Winter Etiquette

It is early February and we up here in the Northeast are mostly pretty sick of snow.  It's something that is not getting any better for at least 4 to 6 weeks but we can make an effort to be considerate of each other as we all deal with Mother Nature.

Clean the snow off the roof of your car. If you do not clean it off because you can not reach, keep in mind that they do sell snow brushes with extra long handles and extenders that can be added on to existing snow brushes. If you leave snow on the roof of your car, it can lead to several issues.
1) You could stop short and have the snow fall and block your windshield.
2) The snow could start to melt and slide down and block your rear window.
3) If it is windy, the snow could fly off and land on the windshield of the person behind you potentially causing them to have an accident or at the very least, get a bad scare.  In many places, you are legally liable if your failure to clean your car leads to an accident for someone else.

Make sure you can see out of your windows before pulling out. When you try to see out of the tiny clear circle you made, you endanger everyone. There is a reason your windshield is so big. Its' so you can see everyone around you.

Never push the snow from your driveway out into the street. The logic of it sounds solid. The plows are going to be along and push that snow out of there anyways, right?  Except how many times have you lamented the lack of a plow down your street? Or been driving and thought the plows did not do a very good job and should be back?  Plows don't come by nearly often enough. In the meantime, you have just added to the problem for everyone that drives by. Again, this action is also illegal in many places.

You may not be able to see the lines of the parking space.  Park as best you can. This time of year a lot of spaces tend to be lost to piles of snow. Do your best to be as straight and accurate as you can so your car is not blocking some of those limited spaces.

Try to keep your cars in your driveway when it is going to snow. Avoid parking on the street if at all possible so the snow plows can get as close as possible to the side of the road. If your car is parked there, they will have to do a wide circle around to avoid it and leave a large unplowed patch after you leave.

If you have an elderly neighbor, consider helping them clear off their steps or a path to get out. People have heart attacks every year from shoveling snow. Plus it's just neighborly.

Wipe your feet or stomp your boots before entering a building. Everyone is tired of mopping up puddles and salt by now.

Do your best to be considerate of others and maybe we can make this winter go by a little easier since we can't make it go faster. Here's hoping the rest of the winter will be more snow angels-and-hot chocolate than shoveling -and-slipping.