The people at the Street Dept. must think I’m a nuisance… or maybe not. Well, probably.  I have their phone # in my contacts; that’s how often I’ve called them to make inquiries or complaints about different issues.

In the past I’ve complained about the mess that WM has left behind when they’ve carelessly collected the trash. They’ve left part of the trash scattered across the street in front of our house and haven’t even bothered to pick it up. They expect us to clean up their mess? No way! Even now, they still fail to take it all, but at least what’s left behind is still in the container. They’re lucky I haven’t complained about that… yet. That said…

Snowmaggedon hit last week with a snow and ice mix that had us housebound and hibernating for a good two and a half days. We had snow up the wazu. We cleared the driveway and sidewalks, but clearing space to gain access to the mailbox proved to be an impossible feat. Honestly, the Street Dept. can’t complain when I feel forced to call them and complain about the sorry a** job they did, leaving roughly 6 ft of snow (2 ft deep at some points) in front of our home (taking up street space). Poor mailman must have today’s toughest job in the city, and God forbid someone might want to come visit us… uh, sorry, no parking available.

Today I called in to complain. I was very annoyed to have to call, after all it’s been well over 4 days since the storm hit the city and by now anyone would expect all roads to be pretty well cleaned up. Not ours. So I called, and the man I spoke to was on the defensive the whole time and almost dismissive, like he was annoyed I was complaining. Who do you think was more annoyed when he, in the Street Dept.’s defense, told me they have to put excess snow somewhere, especially after an intersection (our house is the second down from a curve, which he called an intersection ??) AND that they try to do their best at removing the snow up to 10 inches from the curb?

I think at that point I wanted to reach into the phone and strangle him, but I contained myself and in my nicest voice {really, I was nice} I told him that whatever excess snow they had could be placed on the curve where there is no home to block access to (not my home) AND that I understood one couldn’t ask for snow removal beyond 10 inches from the curb, but we were swamped with snow extending 6 FEET from the curb. I think I heard his sigh of disbelief, and he said he’d come over and talk to me after he took a look at it.

Sure, he thought I was exaggerating.

I was surprised an hour later when he showed up at my front door, and said he looked at the issue and said that they’ll “try to do a better job next time and get it 10 in from the curb.” He also said something else, which honestly just made me want to slap him (LOL) though I contained myself, after I told him clearing access to the mailbox was impossible (the 6 ft of snow was about 2.5 ft deep of pure ice), “Well, the neighbors cleared their mailbox… but I don’t think we can do anything here since it’s probably ice now.”

DUH. Ice. But not my fault. It was ice to begin with!

I took a good look at him and kindly but [very] seriously requested he send a big ol’ snow plowing truck just to try to clean it all up. I said, “After all, we can’t lose anything in trying, right?”

He half-smiled. It looked pretty fake. He probably hated me, who knows. Oh, and no apologies from the Street Dept. 

Ten min after he left, low and behold a snow plowing truck came by and very quickly and easily cleaned up the street. Took nothing but 10 sec to clear the front of our house, and another min to clean up the rest of the street.

Apology accepted, thanks Street Dept.!

See? You just have to stick up for yourself and demand what’s right.