The WTF News Files

[mariomike]

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/toronto-man-comes-home-from-trip-to-a-wall-of-snow-blocking-his-driveway-1.3738833

“If there is an emergency in the house, do you think an ambulance would be able to access the property?”

We carried shovels and always  shovelled our way in and out, if we had to.

But, it could lead to a Delay of Service by City paramedics. If it ever lead to an inquest...

On the way out, while trying to carry a patient over a metre of densely packed snow in front of the driveway, they could possibly drop a member of the homeowner's family.

The driveway appears to be shovelled and clear of cars.

"City snow plows left a heap of densely-packed snow in front of his driveway." 

"Despite calling 311 on Tuesday, xxxxx has yet to hear back."

Homeowner pays property taxes to the City of Toronto.

If the City Transportation Department is found to be liable for a Delay of Paramedic Service. Or, if they dropped a patient...

Sounds like a lawsuit against the City waiting to happen. If the City is indeed liable, I expect after reading this news report they will send a truck over pronto.

QUOTE

Between 2000 and 2013 in The City of Toronto,
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/10/11/toronto_paying_millions_in_lawsuit_claims.html

Almost one in four of the total tally — 773 — were related to road and sidewalk maintenance. Those settlements totaled $32,458,390.50.

The city’s response to inclement weather accounted for 640 lawsuits. On incident involving an icy driveway cost the city $439,345.74.

•Slipping and falling is more likely to land you a settlement than tripping and falling: slips have resulted in 140 settlements, costing the city $5,230,771.35; trips have resulted in 107 settlements worth $4,657,259.75.

In 2013, slip and fall claims cost Toronto $11.5 million, with an average claim coming out at $26,500.

END QUOTE

 

[jollyjacktar]

Incredible!  Just incredible having to put up with something like that. Imagine. 

The guy should move to a place where this never happens. I could suggest places like Quebec City, St-John's or Fredericton, and many others.

  :sarcasm:

I do sympathize with him, it would suck and piss me off too.  I wouldn't go crying to the press about it though.

 

[navice]

I honestly think that, as the population of Canada ages (and urbanizes) and includes more and more immigrants from warm countries, we are collectively becoming more and more stupid about living in a country where it snows, and has always snowed, in winter.

Have you ever lived in the city? That is not the normal light fluffy snow but DIRTAY SNOW ICE which is far HEAVIER to move. It's a 1-1.5 hour job just moving all that bit by the shovel this guy has - he'll probably need something better just to break into that. It's reasonable to expect the city to clear this with the sidewalk machine that makes it's rounds.

It has nothing to do with "immigrants from warm countries" or "old people who have difficulty shoveling snow". If you look at the rest of his driveway, it's properly shoveled as is reasonable. Living in the city has its benefits along with the much higher taxes. Public points like bus stops, Canada post boxes, walkways, etc all have to be clear of excess snow.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Actually, Navice, I was born in Montreal and lived there and Quebec City for a good deal of my life, spent three years in Sherbrooke while on one of my University course and lived in Halifax while in the Navy.

These four cities are, respectively the ninth, third, fourth and eighth snowiest cities in Canada, with Quebec City (I lived there for nine years) receiving an average of 3.2 meters of snow every year. I was also living in Montreal when we got the storm of the century in the 70's and received 1.3 meters of snow in 24 hours. Paralyzed the city for a week.

So, yeah, I know all about this type of stuff and if you live in a city in Canada, then too bad - that's part of life.

 

[navice]

Actually, Navice, I was born in Montreal and lived there and Quebec City for a good deal of my life, spent three years in Sherbrooke while on one of my University course and lived in Halifax while in the Navy.

These four cities are, respectively the ninth, third, fourth and eighth snowiest cities in Canada, with Quebec City (I lived there for nine years) receiving an average of 3.2 meters of snow every year. I was also living in Montreal when we got the storm of the century in the 70's and received 1.3 meters of snow in 24 hours. Paralyzed the city for a week.

So, yeah, I know all about this type of stuff and if you live in a city in Canada, then too bad - that's part of life.

Yeah I know what you mean and I don't mean to flame as we are all people on the internet, but I really don't think we are becoming "collectively stupider", as you said. It's unreasonable for the guy to work all day and come home to find out that all the nasty road ice from the neighborhood has collected on this guy's driveway entrance alone thereby blocking access until he toils away for a long time in the frigid cold to clear it. I would have liked to see some analysis from the news agency exploring why it's happening to his driveway alone.

 

[Jed]

Yeah I know what you mean and I don't mean to flame as we are all people on the internet, but I really don't think we are becoming "collectively stupider", as you said. It's unreasonable for the guy to work all day and come home to find out that all the nasty road ice from the neighborhood has collected on this guy's driveway entrance alone thereby blocking access until he toils away for a long time in the frigid cold to clear it. I would have liked to see some analysis from the news agency exploring why it's happening to his driveway alone.

I don't think we have become 'collectively stupider'. I think we have become 'collectively whinier or wimpier'.   

 

[mariomike]

I would have liked to see some analysis from the news agency exploring why it's happening to his driveway alone.

According to the homeowner, “Because it’s the corner house, it’s convenient for them to just dump the snow here.”

Satisfaction guaranteed, or double your snow / garbage back. 

I suspect the Ward Councillor contacted Toronto Transportation when the story was in the news.

It's an embarrassment and a potential financial liability to the City.

The property owner lives in Scarborough ( Scarberia ):

City of Toronto
Driveway - blocked by ploughed snow - windrow - snow clearing required
https://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/kb/docs/articles/transportation-services/district-transportation-services/road-operations/driveway-blocked-by-ploughed-snow-windrow-snow-clearing-required.html

Wards which receive driveway windrow clearing service:
Scarborough District (Wards: 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
Driveway windrows in these wards will be cleared on local roads within 1-2 hours after the road plough has passed. On main roads it may take up to 6 hours to complete.
(There are some wards where windrow clearing is not feasible on certain streets due to narrow lots and the absence of boulevard space. Typically, these locations are within new subdivisions).

"A snow windrow is the pile of snow that is left at the bottom of a driveway after the snow plow has cleared the road."

 

[PPCLI Guy]

It's unreasonable for the guy to work all day and come home to find out that all the nasty road ice from the neighborhood has collected on this guy's driveway entrance alone thereby blocking access until he toils away for a long time in the frigid cold to clear it. I would have liked to see some analysis from the news agency exploring why it's happening to his driveway alone.

I'll tell you what is unreasonable - using taxpayer funded resources to clear his driveway.  Buy a snow blower.  Pay a local kid.  Hire a snow cleaning service.  If all of that fails, buy a better shovel, man up, and clear your own freaking driveway.

 

[mariomike]

Lots of opinions.

These are the facts.

The City of Toronto policy on "windrow" clearing. ( Scarborough is part of the City of Toronto. )
https://www.toronto.ca/311/knowledgebase/kb/docs/articles/transportation-services/district-transportation-services/road-operations/driveway-blocked-by-ploughed-snow-windrow-snow-clearing-required.html

"Windrow": A snow windrow is the pile of snow at the end of your driveway that is left after snow plows clear the road.

"Wards which receive driveway windrow clearing service: Scarborough District:
Driveway windrows in these wards will be cleared on local roads within 1-2 hours after the road plough has passed."

"Windrows
Where applicable, residential driveway windrows will be opened after a side street is plowed. Please note that our intent is to only plough a sufficient amount of snow from the windrow to permit a vehicle to easily drive across."

"A service request to report a residential driveway outside of the City core that has been blocked by a ploughed snowbank (windrow) can be submitted online at: http://www.toronto.ca/311/ , or call 311."

"Toronto’s government not only plows the roads and sidewalks in the inner suburban areas, but also provides “windrow clearing” — plowing out the ends of people’s driveways so they can get their cars out."

That includes the homeowner in Reply #696.

 

[PMedMoe]

I'll tell you what is unreasonable - using taxpayer funded resources to clear his driveway.  Buy a snow blower.  Pay a local kid.  Hire a snow cleaning service.  If all of that fails, buy a better shovel, man up, and clear your own freaking driveway.

:goodpost:

 

[navice]

Thanks for the facts, mariomike. Interesting.

I'll tell you what is unreasonable - using taxpayer funded resources to clear his driveway.  Buy a snow blower.  Pay a local kid.  Hire a snow cleaning service.  If all of that fails, buy a better shovel, man up, and clear your own freaking driveway.

You should run for office.

 

[mariomike]

Thanks for the facts, mariomike.

Facts are sometimes less popular than opinions.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

I'll tell you what is unreasonable - using taxpayer funded resources to clear his driveway.  Buy a snow blower.  Pay a local kid.  Hire a snow cleaning service.  If all of that fails, buy a better shovel, man up, and clear your own freaking driveway.

In Whistler, the guy who ran the snowplows, also ran the tow trucks, so it was in his interests to block driveways and then his towtrucks drove around the freshly plowed roads offering to pull peoples cars out for a fee of course. Things got better when he lost the plowing contract.

 

[FJAG]

Russian soldier is given a serious tongue-lashing from furious officer after accidentally destroying an armoured vehicle by trying to heat up his rations and setting it on fire

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5262279/Soldier-destroys-armoured-vehicle-trying-cook-rations.html

:cheers:

 

[CBH99]

Well, maybe the threat from Russian armour isn't what we thought it was.

Numbers?  Sure.  But if cooking a ration causes the vehicle to literally melt in flames, hate to see what a Javelin or 105mm round does. 

On the other hand, I feel pretty bad for that kid!!  Like really bad for that kid...must be living a hell right now.  :tsktsk:

 

[Colin Parkinson]

Some soldiers can be given a rock and they will break it, lose it or set it on fire.

 

[Eaglelord17]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/swiss-ban-boiling-lobster-alive-1.4484642

 

[Journeyman]

Some soldiers can be given a rock and they will break it, lose it, or set it on fire.

....or paint it -- blue, gold, black.


[Come on, you knew someone was going to say it    ]

 

[QV]

It’s royal blue, amber, and black.

 

[Journeyman]

It’s royal blue, amber, and black.

Clearly my fault, which couldn't be passed.  :cheers: