We at The Citizen are truly sympathetic to the no-win situation faced by snow removal operators in Prince George face.
It's the ultimate unappreciated job - if your work is noticed it means you've left too much material behind; if not, it's because you're doing your job well... and how many will thank you for something they haven't noticed?
That being said, the question has to be asked: when will the massive piles of snow adorning city streets and centre lanes be cleared?
Every year, windrows cause serious hazards, fender-benders and pedestrian safety concerns.
The snow piles can reach 20 feet or higher, resulting in blocked sightlines for drivers or pedestrians wanting to cross intersections. Many have resorted to nosing into oncoming lanes to see, only to be hit by oncoming traffic.
The dilemma has become so predictable that police will often suggest that those involved in such accidents contact the city.
In one reported incident, a city staffer was so used to hearing the same complaint, she barely had to hear the caller out before expressing sympathy and providing the name and number of the man in charge of that very problem.
Calls to the city were not returned by press time, but the questions remain:
The rampancy of the situation leads one to wonder how many times the city's been dragged into ICBC claims where defendants blame windrows as impeding their sightlines?
Can the city be held liable or is there a legal loophole?
And either way, why hasn't the city come up with a safer solution?
They seem to be ignoring their own bylaws - or at least the spirit of the bylaws - governing traffic safety.
Most cities across North America have rules in place ensuring clear traffic sightlines, like parking far enough away from a street corner to allow drivers crossing the intersection to see oncoming vehicles.
Prince George has several bylaws referring to snow clearing but, strangely, they're all directed towards citizens attempting to clear their own snow off driveways and sidewalks. Such rules include not pushing snow onto the street where it may impede traffic, block drainage and create more work for snow clearing operators.
Fair enough. But where are the rules governing the city's responsibilities to remove snow piles impeding sightlines?
Now that the unrelenting snow has finally subsided, attention should turn to the massive hills of dense, crusty material piled on the city's street corners and medians.
It's a matter of safety.
