Dear Editor:
I think we all enjoyed watching the snow fall last Saturday, as we haven’t had a good snowstorm in a few years. Unfortunately, with that beautiful white stuff comes a whole array of problems, all of which affect the quality of our day to day activities.
The most important problem, for me, a mother who has to walk her preschool child to school, while pushing a younger sibling in a stroller, is the fact that many sidewalks have not been shoveled. I would like to thank all of the responsible property owners and business owners who took the time to properly clear the snow off their sidewalks. I truly appreciate being able to walk and push my stroller past your homes/stores.
My feelings towards those who did not shovel their sidewalks are less kind, and as I struggle to make my way across your snow-covered sidewalk, I hope that you might receive a fine from the city (but I’m sure you won’t.) If you are lucky, there are just a lot of people angry at you for being an irresponsible property owner. If you are not so lucky, perhaps you’ll have a law suit on your hands when some unfortunate person injures himself, slipping and falling, on your property. I realize that we don’t often have to deal with snow removal issues here in Hoboken, but I believe it is an issue that needs to be addressed. Walking is a major mode of transportation for all of us, and life become very difficult (even dangerous) when sidewalks are not cleared. There are many senior citizens, families with strollers, people walking their dogs, etc. who deserve to be able to walk on a clear sidewalk.
With all this said, I’d still choose my Hoboken lifestyle over a suburban one, and when the snow finally melts, I won’t be quite so bothered by unshoveled sidewalks. Until the next storm.
Amy Faucher