Shoveling Etiquette

With winter almost over, huge sighs of relief are heaved knowing that for the next seven months we will not be forced to trudge over jagged patches of ice on our way to work, public transportation or dog walking excursions.  It is disheartening to witness the lack of concern that many of our neighbors feel for those of us who walk, run, deliver mail and generally refuse to let winter keep us inside.  Treacherous walking conditions make a long winter even longer.  Attempting to enlist the help of city government to enforce the 48 hour shoveling law yields no results. It is no surprise that the worst perpetrators are those with the largest, most expensive homes.  Are these people in Florida all winter? If so, certainly they can afford to hire a local teenager to clear their walks while they are away.  Ignoring one snowfall leads to months of unsafe walking conditions for commuters, joggers, moms with strollers and the elderly.  Evanston prides itself on being a green community; there is much rhetoric about walking and utilizing public transportation. Yet clearly many homeowners only concern themselves with shoveling a path to their car, leaving the remainder of their walks piled with snow, black ice and jagged icicles. Please - be a thoughtful neighbor. Take a walk out to the front of your property and put yourself in another's shoes.