• What it does for everyone, including us runners •
[1½ MIN READ]
Shoveling the sidewalk after a big snow puts one’s mind to the hassle of cleaning up after the snowplow. It’s a problem when it goes by after a shoveler has cleared out the driveway apron. It’s also a problem when the plow goes by before the shoveler has cleared it. Then there’s the hassle of shoveling off the sidewalk.
The question comes to mind of why the plow can’t just do its job by staying further from the curb? It would mean less work to clear the sidewalk. The answer becomes readily apparent when one then drives down snow-narrowed streets yielding to oncoming traffic to get around cars already parallel parked partway into the travel lanes on both sides. The issue is one of compromise. Road standards exist for conditions when snow isn’t around. When it is, drivers and pedestrians must compromise.
Sometimes GGR is taking place after snow has fallen too soon for people to clear their sidewalks. One option under that circumstance is to run the Submarine Route just east of Jenkintown borough, instead of the usual Sunset 5K Route that runs within it (iCandybyWangC.com). Its appeal is that the roads are wider and the amount of traffic less. The compromise there is that the lighting is also less and we have to cross 2 busy roads. Then there’s Murder Hill on Pepper Rd. between Rydal Rd. and Washington Ln. Thankfully, that’s at least short.
The takeaway is that life is full of compromise and one has to be able to accommodate it, whether negotiating as sidewalk shoveler, vehicle driver, or route runner. Happy winter.
–CtCloser (Calvinthe), “Negative split or positive splat” #dothedue
FINE PRINT ¶Likeness used with permission. ¶Text and photos (unless otherwise stated): Calvin Wang (Wäng), CC BY-NC-SA 4.0. ¶Cross-posted: (1) Facebook JRC Growlers Group Run (2026’01’28’W Run Message), (2) GGR email list, (3) Cerebruns by CtCloser. ¶This website posting: Cerebrun with added caption and enumeration.
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