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So trying to walk anywhere is a task. The side walks do not have salt and its a nightmare trying to walk anywhere. Hello city have you ever heard of salting the ground? Makes it hard to get put and about. —ice is everywhere but no salt
This article appears in Feb 5-11, 2015.
25 Comments
Was downtown yesterday and the sidewalks were fucking abortions of icy slush. Stupidest thing the city ever did was to take responsibility for snow clearance. Business owners need to step up and take the initiative, clean their own sidewalks rather than waiting for the city to do it.
You must be careful and try not to slip and fall over. Alternatively, you can stay home and study philosophy.
Call your counsellor daily, asking for an update on the City’s progress. It won’t remove the snow, but it feels good.
I thought today was Monday – time for shady pines.
isn’t there something better than salt to put on sidewalks ( I don’t have sidewalks so I don’t know) something that isn’t caustic?
“get put” Is this a new euphemism for, well, you know…?
I get so sick of hearing about the poor snow removal every year. The same wankers complaining about the same shit but, refuse to do anything different themselves. Did you go buy SNOW BOOTS with an anti-slip, aggressive tread? Maybe some Yak-Tracks? Yup, didn’t think so. Just another winter full of pussies, whining and complaining to the government about what nature dumped on them. Fuck off!!!!!!!
Hmm.. Isn’t it law you have to clear the sidewalk of snow and ice in front of you’re home and/or business to the pavement or risk being ticketed by the city?
I have pretty good snow boots, Harper, but there’s only so much they can do when I’m dredging and tripping through 2 feet of snow because the sidewalks are STILL not done 2 days after the storm. D:
I finally said fuck it and walked on the side of the road. Thanks to the drivers that shared the road, and thanks to the people that took the time to shovel the sidewalks in front of their homes.
I don’t recall it ever taking so long to get things cleared before. But maybe I’m just out and about in the winter now that I used to be. Either way, snow removal is taking way too long and when they finally do get around to it, it’s a half assed job.
What a bunch of whinging wankers, moaning about the snow and ice. At certain temps, salt will not melt the ice. Prepare for the conditions, you siily twits. The city cannot work miracles so take it up with Ms. Mother Nature.
Don’t worry, they didn’t do a good job on the roads in Halifax (Dartmouth was much better) and they didn’t lay down any salt on them either.
Jesus…Four Dislikes on my last comment. I take it then, the answer to my question is no.
Salt works by lowering the freezing temperature of water. Typically it would lower it to around -5C or so. It works best on sunny days with thin layers of ice such that the ice melts and doesn’t refreeze due to the increased salinity. Conversely, if the temperature is lower than -5 or so, salt will not work as intended. It will simply sit on top of the ice. Also, if there is a thick layer of ice that has been laid by multiple storms, as we have seen lately, and the ice has been packed down by pedestrians into a thick layer, salt won’t be very useful because it would take an incredible amount of it to melt all the way through to the sidewalk surface. Bottom line: until property owners get out and chip away the ice better get used to walking on it. Keep your knees bent like you are skating and you will be fine.
Speaking of salt, if you need to chill beer or white wine in a hurry, put it in a bucket and fill to with water, a handful of salt and lots of ice cubes. The ice and salt will super cool the water and the water, being in contact with the container, will chill your beverage really quickly – 5 to 10 minutes.
^^^
Mythbusters!
^^^ Mythbusters verified that it does work the fastest:
http://mythbustersresults.com/episode29
” IN TERMS OF PRACTICALITY, THOUGH, ONE’S BEST BET IS TO USE ICY SALT WATER, WHICH COOLED THE BEER TO AN IDEAL TEMPERATURE IN 5 MINUTES. Barring that, normal ice water was next fastest at 15 minutes. The other methods tested (the freezer, ice only, and the refrigerator) did not cool the beer rapidly enough to warrant their use in a spur-of-the-moment event.)”
Let’s face it, we get three snowstorms in ten days with Arctic temperatures in between. Can’t expect perfection, we’re just not used to that kind of weather. Besides I’ve gotten put and about quite well during this time. nudge, nudge, wink, wink
^^^ a recent study has shown that since the invention of the qwerty keyboard, where the o is precariously close to the p, many more people have been able to get put and about.
I’ve been wondering . . . from WHERE do they get the salt?
Salt mines.
I think Halifax needs to watch the episode of The Simpsons where Homer runs the garbage collection service. We’d drive our city into bankruptcy just so every old lady can walk around after atypical weather conditions. It’s winter people, put on your boots and walk through that slush. The sidewalk bobcat miss one pile of snow? We don’t need a picture and a few tweets about how you had to step over a foot of snow while walking down you’re otherwise perfectly cleared sidewalk. These guys/girls probably put in 80+ hours of work last week, I’m sure they’re bound to make mistakes.
The City was short-sighted when accepting the job. It’s the Dunning–Kruger effect at work… #godluvourcitycounsellors
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpYVqZM4Nn…
So, if it’s too cold to use salt, why is the City crew out spreading it around right now on the Parade Square?
^^ because they are probably getting calls from people like the OB demanding salt on every surface of the city. Just like doctors get people who show up demanding antibiotics for colds or flu and refuse to accept that they are not only useless but their excess use has led to antibiotic resistant strains.
What’s a sidewalk ? ~;p
But seriously, couldn’t we get the work crews to come & clear the forest pathways ?
I don’t cross country ski or snow shoe, so going for a walk in the woods has become absolutely intolerable….. WHY SHOULD CITY DWELLERS GET THEIR PATHS PLOWED ! ! ! ! !
We pay taxes too ~:(
As an added bonus it would help the deer move around .