I took the Snow bike to work today because they said we'd be getting SNOW ,, they lied :-| ......................P.S. sorry I did'nt drop in to Ideal's when you were there , I told Rick I was heading to work...
Well if it snows stay home. Seeing every driver will have forgotten how to drive in it since it last snowed it would be safer. After a few of the dumber ones are killed off it will be safer to ride.
I use to get really incensed at the amount of salt poured onto the streets because of the damage it does to the environment. I'm still uncomfortable with the environmental damage. But after shattering my ankle during the ice storms we had two christmases ago, 3 days in hospital, surgery to put in a plate and six screws, 3.5 months non-weight bearing (and of course that winter it had to snow buckets in Toronto, didn't it), 6 months of physiotherapy, 4 months of chiropractic work to try and repair the damage to the hip of the non-broken leg caused by having to bear all my weight during the recovery period and then a second surgery to remove the hardware in my ankle, well, I'm somewhat more sympathetic to the judicious use of salt to prevent icy conditions. The x-rays from my break are amazing. My bones are offset by almost a centimetre.
I already have a solid residue of salt on the lower half of my bike, and on my riding shoes and pants. I need to change my tires once it really starts to snow but I barely have clearance for 25c tires on my bike. We'll have to see how I fare because that shattered ankle doesn't sound fun.
First off, I am very sorry for your injury, not trying to be callous. I appreciate your comment greatly.
I just see SO MUCH overuse of road salt out there. It boggles the mind. If people put on their snow tires, cleared their sidewalk in a timely fashion, were perhaps less lazy, used less toxic options, reduced their overall use of road salt we'd all be better off. I used a rock salt substitute ONCE on the sidewalk in front of my house last year, that's it. I just cleaned up and let the sun do the rest of the work. Just fine. Anyways, I despise getting into work with my lips burning and my skin itching like crazy. Also, having my bicycle next to ruined because of corrosion ... the list goes on.
I think the issue is this: The stuff is toxic and causes great damage so when we see a snowflake on the ground in this town we get lazy and dump a ton of rock salt on it. It's reckless and stupid.
Its all liability though. Its cheaper to pour a bag of salt on the sidewalk every night than deal with a lawsuit. Thats at least how all businesses view it. They're just being lazy and doing it in a very wasteful, polluting way. Because its easier.
PS. I'm worried about corrosion too, and my lungs. Inhaling salt particles is gross and dangerous.
No offense taken Martino. I'm not a fan of salt use either. Many years before my bone break episode, I had a dog. It was hell trying to find a place to walk her in the winter that didn't destroy her paws.
I'm with you on clearing the walkways with that old fashion invention called the shovel (who DID invent the shovel?) and letting the sun do the rest. I don't even have any rock salt on hand right now. If we had an ice storm tonight I'd have to resort to throwing down birdseed for traction 'cause that's all I have on hand.
When I fell, I actually slipped on the road. It was one of those thaw/re-refreeze situations. Sunny day melted the snowbank, cold night refroze the snow/puddles of water. Thankfully I slipped crossing a side street and not Bathurst Street itself, or I would have had even more injuries to content with.
Shovel/plow and use the salt/salt substitutes/sand judisciously.
9 comments:
I took the Snow bike to work today because they said we'd be getting SNOW ,, they lied :-| ......................P.S. sorry I did'nt drop in to Ideal's when you were there , I told Rick I was heading to work...
Well if it snows stay home. Seeing every driver will have forgotten how to drive in it since it last snowed it would be safer. After a few of the dumber ones are killed off it will be safer to ride.
I use to get really incensed at the amount of salt poured onto the streets because of the damage it does to the environment. I'm still uncomfortable with the environmental damage. But after shattering my ankle during the ice storms we had two christmases ago, 3 days in hospital, surgery to put in a plate and six screws, 3.5 months non-weight bearing (and of course that winter it had to snow buckets in Toronto, didn't it), 6 months of physiotherapy, 4 months of chiropractic work to try and repair the damage to the hip of the non-broken leg caused by having to bear all my weight during the recovery period and then a second surgery to remove the hardware in my ankle, well, I'm somewhat more sympathetic to the judicious use of salt to prevent icy conditions. The x-rays from my break are amazing. My bones are offset by almost a centimetre.
Safe riding and look out for that ice!
I already have a solid residue of salt on the lower half of my bike, and on my riding shoes and pants. I need to change my tires once it really starts to snow but I barely have clearance for 25c tires on my bike. We'll have to see how I fare because that shattered ankle doesn't sound fun.
First off, I am very sorry for your
injury, not trying to be callous.
I appreciate your comment greatly.
I just see SO MUCH overuse of road salt out there. It boggles the mind. If people put on their snow tires, cleared their sidewalk in a timely fashion, were perhaps less lazy, used less toxic options, reduced their overall use of road salt we'd all be better off. I used
a rock salt substitute ONCE on the
sidewalk in front of my house last year, that's it. I just cleaned up and let the sun do the rest of the work. Just fine.
Anyways, I despise getting into work with my lips burning and my skin itching like crazy. Also, having my bicycle next to ruined
because of corrosion ... the list goes on.
I think the issue is this: The stuff is toxic and causes great damage so when we see a snowflake
on the ground in this town we get lazy and dump a ton of rock salt on it. It's reckless and stupid.
Its all liability though. Its cheaper to pour a bag of salt on the sidewalk every night than deal with a lawsuit. Thats at least how all businesses view it. They're just being lazy and doing it in a very wasteful, polluting way. Because its easier.
PS. I'm worried about corrosion too, and my lungs. Inhaling salt particles is gross and dangerous.
Sand works good. Pretty safe. Not so good for bikes.
No offense taken Martino. I'm not a fan of salt use either. Many years before my bone break episode, I had a dog. It was hell trying to find a place to walk her in the winter that didn't destroy her paws.
I'm with you on clearing the walkways with that old fashion invention called the shovel (who DID invent the shovel?) and letting the sun do the rest. I don't even have any rock salt on hand right now. If we had an ice storm tonight I'd have to resort to throwing down birdseed for traction 'cause that's all I have on hand.
When I fell, I actually slipped on the road. It was one of those thaw/re-refreeze situations. Sunny day melted the snowbank, cold night refroze the snow/puddles of water. Thankfully I slipped crossing a side street and not Bathurst Street itself, or I would have had even more injuries to content with.
Shovel/plow and use the salt/salt substitutes/sand judisciously.
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