Snow Etiquette

Last week, Blacksburg, and many other places on the East coast, got hit with a winter storm that dumped 20 inches of snow. Tech closed Wednesday afternoon and remained closed until today (barring the weekend). I didn't leave my apartment until Friday, and didn't dig my car out until Saturday. 

It was rough.  This is what my complex looked like last Thursday:

The process of digging out was not fun in the least. Like almost everything else, there is a code of etiquette associated with shoveling snow, and after last week, I can confidently say that not many people around here followed it.

So that's what I'm doing today: sharing this snow etiquette so this never happens again.

Don't dump your shoveled snow onto your neighbor's car: I thought this would be common courtesy, but apparently I was wrong. After I cleared most of the snow off my car Thursday night, I went out again Friday morning to see that someone had replaced it for me and created a five-foot wall of snow around my poor car. Digging my car out twice was not something I wanted to do. Dump your shoveled snow off to the side where it won't get in anyone's way. There's room for it elsewhere that's not your neighbor's car.

And don't just shovel the snow back onto your neighbor's car. Don't be a jerk and start a neighbor's war over something like that.

Don't park in a spot you didn't shovel out yourself: I heard about this happening way too many times over the last few days. Again, common courtesy.  If you didn't put forth the work and effort to clear out a spot for your own car, don't take advantage of someone else's work and deprive them of a place to park. It's rude and lazy. If you want a spot, dig one out yourself.

I know, I know, the thought of digging your own parking spot makes you like:

But if you steal a spot that you didn't dig out yourself, it's just make the person who did clear it want to do this to you:

And no one wants that.

Don't do dumb things in your apartment's parking lot while other people are trying to dig out: Dig-out time is not the time to tie a sled to your truck's hitch and pull people around the icy lot like it's a dog sled (yes, I actually saw that done). It's dangerous, dumb, and no one thinks it's funny or wants to try. If you want to sled, do it right.

Be mindful of your neighbors who might need an extra hand: Got an extra shovel or scraper? See a neighbor trying to roll over a patch of snow/ice/slush and their front-wheel drive won't catch and pull forward?  Lend a hand.  You might get rewarded with hot chocolate/coffee and cookies.  

The snow isn't always fun; actually it's pretty much a large pain in the rear, literally, if you slip and fall as much as I do. But you can make it bearable and somewhat more pleasant by being mindful and courteous when shoveling and clearing out. It's appreciated by all involved.