S/o -- is it awkward to use snow blower while neighbors have to shovel?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course you are not obligated. But why wouldn't you just be nice and do your neighbors on either side (assuming they have normal amounts of sidewalk/driveway)?

cost of doing it: 2-5 minutes of time
benefit of doing it: neighborly goodwill
cost of not doing it: lost opportunity to bank goodwill with neighbors
benefit of not doing it: additional 2-5 minutes of time to your day

+1

[Anonymous]

My dad does his entire block, including walkways to the houses. He's the only one in the area with a snowblower, and he's that kind of guy. I think he's awesome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think it's awkward because I think snowblowers are fucking terrible. Unless you're disabled or old, you have no excuse for using one. They are loud and they spew gasoline smell all over and they ruin what is typically a beautiful still wintry day. Your neighbors are inside drinking hot cocoa and reading the newspaper and they don't want to listen to that obnoxious thing all morning. Snow blowers are second only to leaf blowers which have now ruined the loveliest season.

Not from a real cold weather climate originally, are you? Unlike leaf blowers that go and go for hours and never seem to be done, it snows, someone snow blows it for twenty minutes max (more like five with the short walks and non-existent driveways here) and it's done. Leaves keep falling; snow does not. Plus you don't have your windows open like you do in the summer, so it's not nearly as loud.

Spend several months shoveling sometimes daily and you would thank you lucky stars for a snowblower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:These upper middle class suburban brawls are hilarious, lol.

No kidding. And some people are SO lazy, they don't even use a snow blower, never mind an actual shovel!

I have the flu. I have an excuse bucko. Watch who you're callin' lazy.

I think we all have neighbors and we all know the neighbors who never shovel. I usually do all six houses' sidewalks, but now that I'm pregnant I don't (all my neighbors are able-bodied, just some of them are lazy or don't understand homeowner liability).

[Anonymous]

But if your street has no sidewalks, why bother - it will melt in a few days anyway....

[Anonymous]

No. But ...

We have a shared driveway.

I do the whole thing (our neighbors are in their 70s but I'd do it anyway unless my neighbors were asses), plus their sidewalk and mine. I also do our elderly neighbor's sidewalk across the street and a path to the garage door (while her husband was alive and was driving another neighbor and I did their whole driveway & walks).

But no, I feel no "obligation" to either do others' or let them use my equipment. I know how it works, they may or may not.

It so happens that 3 of 5-6 houses around us have blowers so we help each other out.

BTW, for the haters I see so often, we're in Arlington (22207), that horrible place so many talk about, lol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:These upper middle class suburban brawls are hilarious, lol.

Oh my. I can't believe the vitriol over snowblowers. I *am* glad I don't live in a neighborhood with people who get angry like this and sharing close space with them.

[Anonymous]

My neighbors so lazy he has a ride on lawn mower.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My neighbors so lazy he has a ride on lawn mower.

opposed to paying a service?

[Anonymous]

Old people need to exercise and eat well look a jack lalanne pulling boats while 70.

[Anonymous]

I shovel. I don't have any experience w/snow blowers so I wouldn't know I should want it.

[Anonymous]

They can buy their own if they choose, can't they? Why feel guilty? If my neighbor has young kids or is elderly, I will do theirs.

[Anonymous]

I know an 80 year old man who used to do his entire block.

My DH shovels a widows driveway every time it snows. SHOVELS. The least you can do is run your blower...or let your neighbors borrow it.

[Anonymous]

I would not lend my snowblower to a neighbor. Too easy for them to get injured, especially if they are unfamiliar with the machine. They could get their fingers cut off, and then you'll have a liability issue.