NYC Snow Report

[broadway]

        Just figured I'd give you guys an on the ground report of my white hell.  My job (Outdoor Parking Lot supervisor A.K.A- Family Whipping Boy:) requires me to clean 4 parking lots and a flea market like a good shave, and be open for business ASAP otherwise I gotta hear it.  So, for the past going on 15 years this is just one of the task I have to accomplish (not complaining-it's a job, right?), but man-o-man is it back- breaking work.  I feel for guys that make a career out of it cause I have a good friend who is a mover (relocates people's things) that helps from time to time, and he says this is crazy man's work.  Hats off to you snow dogs!
       I don't know the official tally, but w got some where around ten inches from my measurements not including drifts.  I had it cleaned with the assistance of a pick up with a plow, my blower, another blower, and two shovelers all in a record time for me of 5 hours flat (4am-9am).  The flea market has to be done by blowers and shovelers cause it has poles through out it's 88'x 40', and the snow has to be thrown to the curb.  The lots have those racks (elevated lifts) to increase capacity in each lot that have to all be done by shovels due to the structural slats that the blower will catch and bend.  Also, if you figure a pick up with plow to be 17' or so long than you realize the blowers and shovelers have to push 17' of snow (the whole width of each lot-any where from 40' to 200' because the truck can't rive up on the racks.  If the plow goes forward and pushes the snow back onto the racks we won't be able to use the racks at this rate until about June  After the plow is done the shovelers have to scrape the sidewalk down to bare concrete... then throw salt to seal the deal.  When this is done I am usually fried, but today wasn't all that back breaking.
        The fun part is that every thing happens for a reason, and maybe we had that last crippling storm to make all others ahead of it look like wimps.  Don't get me wrong I was tired from not sleeping...never can when we're getting a snow storm.  I always worry that I won't have the blowers working, plow truck operational and a sober driver (don't laugh it happened twice), or the trains shut down so the man power can't get in.  Tonight I shall sleep like a baby.  My back hurts more from playing with my niece and nephew  in the snow when I got home from work for an hour than the 5 hours of shoveling and blowering.  On a regular day I feel I have the best job in the world, albeit, I started on the VERY bottom to work my way through the ranks (you know how family businesses work) , but I miss summer for more than fishing and short skirts on days like this.  So, to end this long-winded rant I wish sunny skies, warm weather, and frozen drinks to you all.
Dom

[Norcal Pescador]

Makes me appreciate the work that gets done so the rest of us can have an easy or easier go at things. Sorry, Dom, but as much as I hate the 105+^o days of summer, I wouldn't trade for digging out that white stuff! Thanks for the report. Take care, bro!
Rob

[MysticParts]

We really lucked out down here in South Jersey this time around. It mostly rained here rather than snowed. And even with the rain and the freezing temps that night, with all the salt on the roads, it wasn't bad the next day. I do have to hand it to the plow guys this time, they did the job well ( as opposed to the Christmas storm where I wasn't plowed out for 3 days ).

[Ellis Feibush]

Dom,
Here in north Jersey we were saved. They predicted 12 - 18". but that's if you believe The Weather Channel. We only ended up with about 3 - 5". We were very lucky. They said a change in the wind sent most of the snow to Conn. But, that first snow storm, that was a doozy. We ended up with about a foot of the white stuff. Tough fishing in this weather. Think I'll wait till at gets a little warmer than 25 degrees!

[Bryan Young]

I feel for you.  I love being in the snow, but not to work in the snow.  As a kid, the thought of driving a plow and pushing a snow blower was fun, but now that I'm older, I realize that it's work.

[alantani]

i read that it costs a million dollars a foot to remove snow in new york city!

[Keta]

i read that it costs a million dollars a foot to remove snow in new york city!

At $1,000,000 per foot I'd be rich but in the mountains of SE Oregon they don't pay nearly as well for snow removal.

I hope everyone that lives where the snow was heavy, and those in the south that don't get to see much snow, are staying warm and safe.

[alantani]

i just realized something.  dude, you run a flea market.  and you only have 30 fishing reels?  wassup witdat?

[Fishermans Paradise]

come a little farther north Dom, right above you in ct we got 30" ! ! ! and just for future reference, I missed your post earlier, but I am not that far from you and service all spinning reels !

[Norcal Pescador]

i just realized something.  dude, you run a flea market.  and you only have 30 fishing reels?  wassup witdat?

   LOL   

That's good, Alan!   Cold, but good.

[broadway]

      I feel for all of you guys in Ct. and Mass. cause you guys got clobbered!  As for the flea market, it's not really a flea market more of a small,high end outdoor mall.  It's in the heart of Soho, where most people wouldn't know what a fishing reel was if it hit him in the head.  They sell semi-precious jewelry and other high priced items, but definitely a good question.  Who said I own 30 reels?  I own about 80 (about 45+ are senators;) I have heard the million dollars a foot theory, but I've also heard one million per inch, and if I had to guess it would be closer to the latter than the former figure.  They pay these sanitation guys $50+ overtime an hour to plow, salt, fuel, sand, supervisors, machine maintenance, accidental damages, etc.
     Fisherman's Paradise, good luck with your white mess, and it's good to know someone works on spinners close to home.  

     Bryan,  anytime you wanna come east, and give a hand with this crap let me know... I'll pay for the ticket:)

     Ellis and Ryan, glad you guys didn't get the wrath of the storm, and you're this ain't fishin' weather!

     Rob, enjoy that 105 degrees for me would ya!

Stay safe this winter gentleman, and don't let this white stuff get ya down... we'll be cuttin' filets in no time!

Dom

[Bryan Young]

Dom,

You gotta post that collection of your.  Wow, 80 reels.

Bryan

[Roger]

I feel for ya'll up north. I spent 2 winters up in Wyoming working at 7,000' and was out in it when it was -45. Now, that's as cold as i've ever been. I live in south Louisiana and we very seldom see it below freezing, they raise a lot of citrus down here. It does get miserable in the summer with the heat and humidity but I always thought you could put enough clothes on to stay warm. After the first winter up there, I realized you can't put enough clothes on to stay warm. It is impossible............

[broadway]

  Roger,
      There ain't no comfort at -45 below...coldest I've seen is -20 below with the wind chill, fishing on a frozen Lake Michigan... only last 2 hours, but caught some monster perch.

Dom

[Dominick]

Hey Dom:  Years ago when I was in my twenties and we had big snow storms in NY we would shape up at the NY Sanitation Department for snow removal.  If you were lucky you got to drive one of the special snow plows, called Moliens.  It was a one seat vehicle with a snow plow on it.  Great fun to drive.  If you were not lucky you were given one of those big garbage trucks with a 10' plow on the front.  You want to talk about damage...  Can you imagine driving one of those old garbage trucks down Thompson Street pushing a mound of snow in front?  During your 20s everything was fun.  Dominick