Snow Snow plow drivers can bite my [censored]!!

caj4isu · Jan 8, 2004

That snow plow driver won't get the best of me anymore.

It never failed - I would clear the snow from the drive, get ready for work, get in my car, drive down the lane to find that the county snow plow driver had just gone by and left me a 3-4 foot pile of snow - blocking me in! So it was back to the house, call the boss about being late, grab a shovel and scoop my way out for the next hour, back in the shower, get dressed, then drive to work.

NOW THINGS HAVE CHANGED: I have a BX22.

I always imagined that dirty [censored] laughing as he blocked me in. I imagined the look of horror on his face the other morning as he saw my little orange machine take 3 or 4 passes with the FEL to totally clear a path through my drive entrance. 5 minutes and I was through!

Chalk one up for the little guy!!

Deerlope · Jan 8, 2004

Don't be hard on those plow drivers, they are just doing a job. No one wants to see a bus load of kids stranded on the highway cause the road wasn't plowed. Have fun with your BX22& FEL. I won't snow here so I don't have any snow to remove.

PhilNH5 · Jan 8, 2004

Chuck,
I feel the same way about them. And in my town you are breaking the law if you push it back into the street.
I have a retaining wall about two feet high and forty feet long fronting on the road. This sits back 8 feet off of the road. When the plow driver comes buy he doesn't plow the road line. He plows up to the retaining wall. Of course the snow gets squished against the retaining wall with no where to go but up. So instead of a low 2 foot plow pile I get a 4 to 5 foot mountain. If it freezes before I get to it even the BX2200 has trouble.

Phil

KubotaSteve · Jan 8, 2004

I had a similar experience with a couple of guys doing plow work on the side. We had 30" on snow and they were using a dump truck and full size pickup with plows. I only had about 12 inches of snow on my drive as I kept it plowed the night before before I broke a piece on the tractor. I tried getting out in the Explorer and it walked right through the 12" of snow. Backed it back down the drive to get dressed to get part. The guys yelled down the drive and asked if I wanted it plowed. Of course the answer was no because they were charging way too much. Come back outside and there is a 4 foot bank of packed snow in front of my driveway. Trying to chip away at that with a shovel was not fun to get out and get the part. To keep the state trucks from blocking me in, I plow the road a little ways.

lamarbur · Jan 8, 2004

I've done years and years of plowing town roads. no one likes to "plow in" people and their driveways. At least most that I know. I am sure there are guys and possibly girls, that think this is funny. I'll tell you all this, keep swearing while we are awake and moving 22 -28 hours, not able to get coffee (small town-no stores) can't stop,e tc, so you can get to wrok/school or whatever. While your in a warm house counting your "Z"s. were still out here catching the hammers of [censored] between "seeing through a storm, rough riding trucks, etc, etc.. I take the driveway peoples complaints more seriously that your statement *&%^ plow drivers...

PhilNH5 · Jan 8, 2004

Lamarbur,
2 points. I didn't call the plow guy a [censored] or anything. I have tried to rectify this through proper channels. But the town says a different driver may do my road each snow based on day or time of the plowing. I don't know if the driver feels he is doing me a favor by plowing that extra 8 foot strip but it is a continuing problem for me. I wasn't whining about the two foot plow pile in the drive I was complaining about the 4- 5 foot compacted pile against my retaining wall.

Secondly - I can appreciate the job of the plow driver. But mind you it is a job and they and you get/got paid to do it. All of us have jobs with their own associated stresses. That's why they call it work instead of play. Hearing how tough a plow drivers job is does not evoke any sympathy from me. I am sure we can all tell tales of woe concerning our jobs.

Phil

NY_Yankees_Fan · Jan 8, 2004

Phil,

It maybe too late this year but have you tried marking the edge of the road with some 1/2 " rebar by 4' spaced say 8-10 feet apart. Perhaps paint them a nice orange color?

Bird · Jan 8, 2004

Being from the south, I've never had snow plows running down our streets, but I've read so many complaints about the snow plows throwing the snow from the street into driveways and blocking them like this that it makes me wonder about something. What should the snow plow driver do? How can he/she clear the streets without doing that? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif In other words, what's the solution?

RonR · Jan 8, 2004

Bird, the solution our former city used when the snow was very deep: Following the snowplow(s) was a front end loader, like a case 580, and he removed the piles across the driveways. The last big snow we had was almost 20 inches. We were blocked in for several days. Prior to the city's FEL, we had a WIDE 4 ft high pile across our drive.

Best wishes,
ron

JerryG · Jan 8, 2004

What should the snow plow driver do? How can he/she clear the streets without doing that? In other words, what's the solution? 
Being from the South also, I was thinking the same think while I read this thread. We Southerners may learn something this morning.

lamarbur · Jan 8, 2004

I've heard this same complaint a hundred times. Now, I'm talking in Holland Ma and nowhere else.. People and their retaining walls. If you have a 104" like we did last year, where do you expect to put snow? It will continually compact against whatever is along the road. In Holland, EVERY SINGLE INSTANCE, the flower beds, retaining walls, newly planted trees, parked vehicles or whatever, ALL were placed on the town road take and not on the real or actual property line. So, all of them lose. It is a major, major problem because in every single instance, it is someone new or fairly new that moved in from a major city. For some reason these new move in's think they can build on the road take. Our avg take is 60 ft wide with actual use of 32 ft, to give you an idea. Now I am not saying your wall is placed illegally. Either there is no room to m0ove snow over or the driver is going through to fast, which in itself, will compact snow so a D9 could have a hard problem. I would ask your highway supervisor to have any of the assigned drivers go through at 10-15 mph and no more.. This makes a big difference. As far as whining, No, I'm not on the highway any more but yes, I was up to my eyeballs with new people move ins that think they can do what they want. A public use, town owned, or county owned road has right of way because of public safety. People tend to forget this. In Mass, if a private road and more that three homes or at least one child attending school, the rule applies also.. Is that 8 ft widened because of drainage problems at or down the street from your driveway? There can be some legitimate reasons. I suggest again, call the hwy supervisor and MEET him at your drive.. Then go over whatever the problem is.. BTW, a 10ft wide plow leaves a windrow of 4 ft wide. And, it goes up from there..

DK35vince · Jan 8, 2004

( Being from the south, I've never had snow plows running down our streets, but I've read so many complaints about the snow plows throwing the snow from the street into driveways and blocking them like this that it makes me wonder about something. What should the snow plow driver do? How can he/she clear the streets without doing that? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif )

There is Nothing they can do about it.

Egon · Jan 8, 2004

Bird:

He can reduce the angle on his blade just prior to the driveway and carry more snow to the other side. If he is using a wing that can be raised.

But no way can he not leave some in the driveway without backing up. Time constraints will make this an option in only a few cases, mostly rural. In rural areas a kindly word with the operator and perhaps the exchange of some type of liquid commodity may work wonders. Some rural areas will also plough your drive for a minimal fee.

In urban centers such options are usually not available. Here, in our town, I've spent well over an hour clearing the two driveway entrances with the B7100. The biggest problem is where to put the snow as it can't be placed back on the road.

There have been cases of urban driveway rage in which plough operators have come under physical abuse.

Egon

PhilNH5 · Jan 8, 2004

Lamarbur,
I appreciate that reply. Lots of useful info. I never thought to ask for a live person to come out and look at the situation. I am not one who has many dealings with the city. I don't expect much. I did call and was told they really couldn't prevent it.

I understand that citys standoff for the road way. And again I realize there will be snow in the end of the driveway. But the plow follows the edge of the road until it gets to my place. Then you can see where it swerves in off of the road and uses my retaining wall as a guide. I have no immediate neighbors to the right. But to the left the plow does not do this to any of the houses preceeding me. As I mentioned above the drivers may think they are doing me a favor. This would be a non-issue except my mailbox is there. If I don't dig it out I get no mail.

I will contact the city again as you suggest and may request a live meeting if need be.

One last note. I did not accuse you of whining about you job. In my prior post the word "whining" was in reference to me.

Thanks
Phil

caj4isu · Jan 8, 2004

Hey guys - I was just trying to inject a little fun humor here by sharing my warped thoughts about that 'evil' snowplow driver that used to block me in. I didn't intend to get anybody all worked up or anything.

I totally understand that he has a job to do and he can't worry about everybody's drive as he does his job. If he did, I'm sure taxes would be going up to pay for his OT.

My main reason for the post was to share my joy of owning one of these great tractors - that's all.

Chuck

caj4isu · Jan 8, 2004

I also learned that you can't use an @ followed by a couple dollar signs or put the letters S and O and B together in a post or you get a nasty-gram from some guy named Muhammed. I'll try to keep it cleaner in the future - one of my new year's resolutions to cut down on the expletives.

Chuck

TresCrows · Jan 8, 2004

"Hey guys - I was just trying to inject a little fun humor here by sharing my warped thoughts about that 'evil' snowplow driver that used to block me in. I didn't intend to get anybody all worked up or anything."
I thought it was funny and realized that you were just using your "warped" sense of humor /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif. You will catch no grief from me. Please don't get all in a huff and leave /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif. J

lamarbur · Jan 8, 2004

no problem,
I went through this almost daily, even in summer months there were similar problems with rain/snow melt off and other problems. Best approach is to meet at the driveway. You tell what you think is going on, then ask the hwy boss, what is going on.. There may be a hidden reason that you're not aware of, then again, simply the drivers "think" they are doing you a favor.Holland is very hilly and rock ledge. There is hundreds of under ground water springs. We know where each is, at least all the problem ones and these springs create bigger problems 100 yards away. You may be in this type predicament or again, jsut a driver thinking he is helping.. Meet with the head guy, at your drive them ddiscuss it..

LarryG · Jan 8, 2004

I myself have plowed snow with my truck doing driveways for over 20 years. I have stopped plowing as it is getting rediculous with permits, insurance, and so forth and I now do my own driveway with my BX2200 and loader. I plan on getting a 3 piont rear blower in the future to have the best of both worlds with snow removal.

Granted the complaint here is mainly street plows but what about the guy plowing driveways? I have been stopped by people to plow their driveway and AFTER telling them a price and THEM agreeing to it, you do the job and they have the nerve to come over to you and tell you that they don't feel it was worth that much and tell you that they will only pay what they feel it is worth!!!!! I have started to plow the snow back into the drive after telling them to keep their money and then they willingly pay what you had told them orginally and usually a little more to get rid of you. It is not worth the battle to call the cops and file theft of service charges as it will cost you more than it is worth. Try telling someone that you are paying insurance, wear and tear on your truck, repairs, general upkeep, permits, etc. They don't care about you.

I orginally bought my plow for my own use only, then this one or that one stops and says as long as you are plowing could you do mine? Next thing you know, you have a line up of people wanting you to plow them every time it snows 1/4 inch. Then there is the guy who plows the neighbors driveway into your yard, or across the street (which is illeagl and $1000.00 fine if caught), or whatever. I'm not really complaining but just thought that I would put in my 2 cents worth to try and educate people on what is involved at times.

Yes it is true that a few bad plow operators ruin it for others but there is alot of things to consider also.

As has already been mentioned, "It's a dirty job but somebody has to do it."

lamarbur · Jan 8, 2004

this winter season will finish 33 years of plowing. I've worked highway dep't and done large/small roads, I've had my own plow right up till last year, and now have a plow on the front of my tractor for my own driveway. This year I am still running another guys JD 710 and doing the local schools with it. You are right, insurance/fuel/upkeep are hard enough to make, never mind a small profit.. Young guys are trying to start out, they charge next to nothing, jsut to get known and started, and all will learn as we have as we continue and age.. Plowing snow, regardless who you are doing it for is a darned of you do, darned if you don't situtation. I had to leave the town as I couldn't continue arguing with city people moving in. It's a different way of life and of doing things. ALL of them scream because we don't use excessive calcium like they are use to.. We can't, the town is laced with huge ponds that ultimately feed into Boston's Quabbin reservoir.. We are running 20% salt-sand mix, which in itself is border line, why do it? So it creates a nasty atmosphere between all involved other than the area born and those who have been here 25 or more years.