You know the snow banks are high when... (3 photos)
Monday, February 25, 2013 by: SooToday.com Staff
Two loyal viewers sent in these photos of a mishap that occurred at the intersection of Cathcart and Huron on Friday at about 11 a.m.
We couldn't resist the irony of the idea that, in it's mad scramble to remove snow from our streets so drivers can navigate safely, the city inadvertently removed a traffic signal light.
While clearing the snow banks on the corner the grader appears to have backed into a light standard, knocking it down.
Traffic was slowed at the intersection in the early afternoon while city crews removed the damaged pole and replaced it with a temporary signal light.
Yes, this winter has been hard on all of us.
Even the traffic lights.
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JustMe1234567 2/25/2013 2:32:42 AM ReportHow de-"grading".
heh.
SooTodayer 2/25/2013 2:38:41 AM ReportNice inadvertently artsy shot with the 'Nikki' in the side mirror.
nitrocircus199 2/25/2013 2:49:36 AM ReportFunny how everyone was chirping Ron pigeon for making the mistake of hitting the power line ...... This goes to show , accidents happen
RLE 2/25/2013 4:40:27 AM ReportJustMe: May I also suggest that the driver will receive a low grade on his/her next performance review. Alternatively, the driver should not have " grade" expectations when it comes to a pay raise
Nanax5 2/25/2013 4:50:13 AM ReportSome people are so nasty. Snow banks should be cut down with a front end loader not a grader.
bino 2/25/2013 5:55:18 AM ReportI noticed a traffic signal pole down on the corner of Korah Road and Wallace Terrace last week.Perhaps this is a trend?
rcssm69 2/25/2013 6:22:47 AM Reportnitrocircus 199...
Didn't the story of Ron Pigeon say something to the effect of that incident not getting reported???
If so, it's two different things.
sammmys 2/25/2013 7:03:56 AM ReportIf the snowbanks had been removed earlier, before they became such a "huge" problem, this could have been avoided. I'll give the city the "grade" of C- in snow removal this year. If I get killed leaving my driveway or crossing a street while walking my dog, someone please down-grade them to an F for me.
methos 2/25/2013 7:13:43 AM ReportYou guys are just mean! Give the young Polish guy a break.
Prrrrrrr 2/25/2013 7:18:53 AM ReportI agree the snow removal has been very poor.
If you drive around town on any given morning you will find four guys in a truck or four guys in a truck watching one guy work.
Go watch the guys at the park...so slow they are in reverse!
Seriously!
sootodayreader 2/25/2013 8:05:12 AM ReportI can see a stop sign, but a stop light, wow. How do you miss that. This opertor should not be behind the wheel at all. Someone could get hurt.
coachkids4life 2/25/2013 8:11:32 AM ReportSeriously , this is an issue all through our city , most streets are down to barely one lane of traffic in each direction after the first snowfall , take notice that the banks are 4 to 5 feet from the curbs one side of a back street will have adusting at the end of thier driveways while the other side has 2 feet. This is not just inexperience this is bad management and poor supervision, if the operators don't know how to do the job train them before our taxes go up even more. shame on the city board of works.
hunti 2/25/2013 8:20:57 AM ReportMaybe the snowbanks should have been cleaned before they got this high,just something else the city tax payers will have to pay for....
Mr. Poster 2/25/2013 8:25:54 AM ReportQuite the pole dancer.
Sam C 2/25/2013 8:36:25 AM ReportC'mon, folks... really??
Our snow removal has been great! The problem has been the amount of snow we've received, and that it has fallen in just a few occasions.
Many people have very short memories for weather. This has been an unusual winter. Last year at this time, according to Environment Canada data, there was only 7cm of snow on the ground.
We've had snow, then 2 or 3 weeks of nothing, then rain, then more snow, then a couple of weeks of nothing, then snow... etc.
When I got home Friday at 9pm it was drizzling. I covered my windshield with a tarp, expecting freezing rain overnight. Instead, I woke to find another 20cm of snow had fallen.
Our works crews have been out almost every night, taking down banks or pushing them back. That they haven't got to all 500 km of City roadways speaks more to the amount of snow that has fallen, and to the amount of those snowfalls.
When we get just a few centimetres, it is easier for the regular patrol plows to attend to the freshly fallen snow, while the removal crews keep on with their job. When we get dumped on, it takes longer -- and often more equipment -- to get the roads plowed, and the banks have to wait.
btw... the greatest amount of snow on the ground, on this date, occured in 1971 -- 112 cm.
We've had worse winters than this, but this winter is certainly in the top 10, and in all those winters snow removal was a problem.
Sam C 2/25/2013 8:40:09 AM Report...and if I can also add, it's a bit sad that there are more comments here than following the story about the ARMED ROBBERY at Walmart.
I guess people having guns held to their heads is nothing compared to an inconvenient snowbank.
Mr. Poster 2/25/2013 8:57:30 AM ReportSam...I think you need to lighten up. People are making funny musings which are entertaining to many of us. THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS KNOW ITS A BAD WINTER .We understand you cannot move a mountain of snow overnight.
kenge888 2/25/2013 8:57:58 AM ReportWhy dont all you complainers just move down in the states where they do not get snow, but get hurricanes instead! Then you'll actually have something to complain about! Snow is a natural occurring thing in NORTHERN Ontario
JustMe1234567 2/25/2013 9:14:51 AM Report@SamC- here is my issue. We live in the Soo! The city board of works knows we live in the Soo (I hope lol) and are the last people that should be surprised by lots of snow! (again..I hope)
It is getting to be an issue of public safety, so many streets are down to one lane because the banks are so far out.
If a car is parked on the road, it becomes a game of chicken to see which car will stop to let the other around.
A show of hands to anyone who has had their banks removed. (my hand is down, last year at this time my front snow mountain had been removed twice by now)
Some of use don't have big front yards to put the snow, I happen to live in an older house that is 4 ft from the sidewalk, no front yard, there is no where else to put the snow at this point...but the road.
tooter 2/25/2013 9:16:19 AM ReportI do agree we have had alot more snow then is usual but I have gone by city worker more then once where you have a crew of guy's 4-6 and only one workin and the rest standing around watching, what is with that they get paid to stand around wish I could find a well paying job like that. I know the banks are high it is crazy the amount of snow we have so you just get the ones standing around to work and maybe they will get them cleared alittle faster but it is alittle hard when the snow doesnt let up long enough to get them cleared before the next snow fall. it is scarey driving on these roads when you have to get out into the middle of the road and hope noone hits you before you can see if anyone is coming.good luck to us all the snow removers and the drivers and the ones walking in this wonderful winter wonderland :-) the great white north.
flyfisher1 2/25/2013 9:22:45 AM Reports**t happens
bsa 2/25/2013 9:25:27 AM ReportThank you for the great comment Sam! At least some people still have some sense in this city. As human beings I’m sure we’ve ALL made mistakes a time or two whether it be at work or in our personal lives. No one was injured, the light was replaced. Why is this such a big deal? I’m troubled by the attention a “mistake” has drawn when the photo clearly shows a law being broken. Based on the position of the driver’s side view mirror in the picture, it appears that the person who took the photo on their cell phone was sitting in the driver’s seat and operating the motor vehicle… is this not against the law (using a PED while operating a motor vehicle) and much more dangerous to the public?
whateveryouwantittobe 2/25/2013 9:55:17 AM ReportI can't believe all the perfect people in SSM that have never made a mistake lol!!!! Give the guy a break!
Wicket 2/25/2013 10:09:48 AM ReportYa know, if you are physically fit you might consider helping the city out a bit at the end of your own driveway. We couldn't see any traffic driving on our street because the banks are so high, hubby took his own shovel (imagine that) and shaved the banks down by putting the snow into our yard, not on the street. Take some initiative people and quit depending on someone else to make your life easier.
joshua_r_b 2/25/2013 10:29:53 AM Reportwe're still not at average snow levels. If u don't like winter move to the desert.
seen_your 2/25/2013 10:34:44 AM ReportIf they had snow like us in Boston, there would be a state of emergency all winter long!
JustMe1234567 2/25/2013 11:20:14 AM Report@bsa- omg so petty of you to say that. The guy was probably stopped and snapped the pic...stopped because he didn't want the light to fall on his car!lol.
Just have a chuckle at the photos and move on, it made me giggle this morn, so I enjoyed it. There is nothing wrong with a good guffaw now and then.
mixerman55 2/25/2013 11:21:07 AM ReportWell at least they are working on getting them removes. As for the light pole I don't see no big deal as it looks like the wing of the grader caught it and that's a blind side of the grader because of that wing.There will be more damage as time goes on there are bell and cable boxes in those snow banks also fire hydrants too but the fire hydrants are usually marked with a rod if some kids haven't bent them down.Remember folks they cannot remove snow if they are out plowing it. Oh by the way the operator is human, He or she can make an error.Dose that surprise any of you. Don't forget they have break downs too, like maybe someone parked a shopping cart in the boulavard and it got covered up and gets caught in the blower,So I think the city are doing their job as best as they can. as for the guys running around in truck,some put out signs, some are filling potholes, ya they do have a cushy job at times even in the summer but that boils down to union,You cannot do someone else's job, If your a labor that is what you do if your an operator don't grab a shove or your in trouble. There are signal personal, some looking after signs,operator, Labors,truck drivers, lead hands They all have there own job to do.I think maybe they could put more trucks on but then your cutting into the budget for snow removal
sloppyfloppy 2/25/2013 11:21:52 AM Report@joshua_r_b
We are past the average annual snow rate, and it's not even March yet.
http://www.theweathernetwork.com/statistics/CAON0603
bigG47 2/25/2013 12:39:49 PM ReportMixerman55, please learn the proper way to say you're. You are is shortened to you're, not your . Why don't people proof-read anymore?
rcamp211 2/25/2013 1:59:04 PM ReportWhats grey and sleeps 5? ... city board of works truck!
rcamp211 2/25/2013 2:13:08 PM Report"@ Wicket" its nice that your hubby removed the snow bank.did you now that the property tax you pay covers the cost of this.hey maybe the city will be nice to cut you a check in return for your effort?
Ricatoni 2/25/2013 3:20:24 PM ReportAll you critics make me laugh.!!!!!!!! You all make rediculous comments but none of you seem to know what the issue actually is here.Its not the board of works or the employees at all... This all comes from one place city hall......they being city councillors... only recently like not even two weeks ago gave the approval to start the snow removal .they waited until the streets were a hazard.. snow banks way to high,..roads are all rutted...and now they want all the employees to work doubles in order to clean it up??? to me the 100 or so employees is simply not enough people to run a city of this size 75 thousand....your taxes are going up and up and up but your services are going down down and down....All of this stems from one place your city councillors ....so if you have an issue with the safety of your streets call your councillors and tell them!!!!!!! dont blame someone else for coucils inabilities..The blame belongs to those that created these issues...CITY COUNCILLORS...They need to do their jobs ........
missing33years 2/25/2013 4:11:02 PM ReportITS the City Manager and controler,someone may be claiming 200.000 spent for snow removal and infact a large chunk of it fell into one of their pockets MAYBE ???this combined with the fact that this is the ERA OF STUPID...
Wicket 2/25/2013 4:40:51 PM ReportNO rcamp, no need, it is called taking responsibility!!!!!!!
haveitall2 2/25/2013 8:36:49 PM Reportwonder if the worker has to pay for the damage - ??? just asking ??
Stugatzu 2/26/2013 10:17:06 AM ReportThat operator had his side wing extended too far out when taking the corner, and as a result he clipped the light standard. It's definitely not a result of the wing being on his "blind side". Simply turning his head to the right to visually verify where his wing was riding would have solved that problem. He wasn't paying attention to his positioning. It was 100% operator error. The only "blind spot" graders really have is directly behind them -- if you're close enough to something, you can't see it anymore. Hence the signs on all the machines "STAY BACK 25 METRES"
Kristel 2/27/2013 8:49:31 AM ReportGotta agree that the snow removal has been very slow going this winter. My street is horrendous! Try getting out of the driveway with 7' snowbanks, school buses transporting kids, vehicles parked on both sides of the streets on Sunday for church and the onslaught of students travelling the street to/from Algoma University. An accident is just waiting to happen. Someone's child is going to get hit, or someone's car is going to get smashed. I give the city a -C for their snow removal "service" this winter.
Note: Comments that appear on the site are not the opinion of SooToday.com. Keep discussions civil and on topic. Refrain from obscenity and don't post anything that your grandmother would be ashamed to read. Those who do not abide by these guidelines will have their membership revoked without notice. If you see an abusive post, please click the link beside the post to report it.
