The snow grenade and the blame game

Canaan usually sports around 160 inches annually, and I think it is re-snowing its usual annual right here in front of me tonight. Really, I wouldn't be surprised if we booked 300 inches this year. Downtown Davis has piles of snow as large as small houses, and they're crammed between buildings. Rock and Laurel in Timberline has 3.5ft on the roof and I'm having to shovel away from windows and doors. Yesterday I spoke to the principal plower in chief for downtown Davis and he hasn't had 8 hours of sleep in weeks. He is wearing out his equipment, he is tense, and any pushback could prompt him to bust out that can of woopass. And I don't blame him.

People don't understand. And they don't want to understand either, because understanding will cost them money for no good reason other than: ma nature says so. Our snow plow contractors are presently banished to "snowblivion," doomed to plow the same driveways daily while enduring a peppering of phone calls from homeowners. Why is it more? Why aren't you here right now? This was a fixed price deal! Why is my bill so high?

I am fond of saying that misunderstandings are usually to the benefit of the misunderstander. Well, here we go. Bad news is here and the poor guy in the truck with a plow is here to bring to you.

People on the receiving end of snow inconvenience and damages will need to reset their expectations button.

Fixed price snow plow contractors are hating life -- many contracts in the Valley are fixed price -- one price for the season. Imagine the extra costs being incurred by the plow contractors as they try to keep hundreds of driveways clear. Ok, so last year they collected and scarcely had to show up...there was so little snow, but no one likes it when what goes around actually does come around. I gave my Timberline snow plow guy a pretty big tip today because his truck is dented, his face is drawn, and he isn't sleeping. Let's take care of these plow guys. They are busting hump and don't think for a minute that they're making out. Everyone at the table is taking a hit.