Return to Sender: Slush

Dear Philadelphia:

About a year ago, I was walking through my (now-former) West Philadelphia neighborhood. It had snowed a few days before, and the sidewalks were clear enough, I guess, for a careful pedestrian, and the streets were definitely passable for automobiles. That's because all of the snow from the sidewalks and streets had been piled at the corners of the intersections. You know, where there's a little gentle incline so that, I don't know, things with wheels can make the transition from street to sidewalk or vice-versa? This is usually pretty annoying for pedestrians, but this particular day, there was one gentleman, across the street from me, who was probably especially annoyed. Because he was in a wheelchair. And he was stuck between the slush on the street and the icy snow on the sidewalk. I watched him as I got closer: he literally couldn't turn his wheels. Fortunately, an uncharacteristically nice Penn student helped him get up on the sidewalk before long.

So I've got to ask, Philadelphia, why you're so determined to screw over the handicapped when the weather's icky. I'm pretty sure it must violate the ADA in one way or another. The guy in the wheelchair got help at one corner, but what's going to happen at every subsequent corner after that? I mean, assuming that most people in wheelchairs need to do more than circle the block, that is.

Is it really that hard to push the snow an additional two feet out of the way?

No really, I'm curious.

Since this week's snowfall, I will admit that I've not seen any stranded wheelchair users. That doesn't mean that nobody's gotten stranded this week. It just means that I've done my best to stay indoors, or at least subterranean (the South Broad Concourse ends less than a hundred feet from my front door), and so I haven't been at many intersections since midday Tuesday.

Or at least, I hadn't until last night. Last night, I found myself lucky enough to have to walk from 16th and JFK to 22nd and South, and, a few hours later, from 22nd and South to Broad and Spruce. I nearly fell on my ass a few dozen times on unshoveled sidewalks, but I can't fault you, Philly, for those: most sidewalks get shovelled by the residents who live who live on them. But what I can fault you for is the fact that every time I crossed the street, no matter which street, I had to walk through dirty snow, slush, or thick black ice. I'd understand if it was the occasional side street, but Broad Street? Seriously?

This isn't even me being indignant about the plight of the disabled anymore. This is me being indignant about how damn cold my feet are. And how wet my socks got. And the fact that I have to get my pants dry cleaned. I know that it's hard to turn a corner with a snow plow, but why do you hate the users of your sidewalks?

It doesn't seem so brotherly or loving to me.

Photo of the injustice of it all, via the author's camera phone.