Friday, December 26, 2008

The City is an Ice Rink

Female Falls Down at Devon & Broadway


If you've been out, you know. It's slick. Real slick. I've even wiped out in this stuff. Twice! (I'm blaming Cota for one of the falls. She's a leach tugger.) Tell us your slip-n-slide story.

13 comments:

The North Coast said...

I took a little spill in front of my apt building when I arrived home last night. Landed on my well-padded arse, fortunately.

This morning it's worse. I jumped on the bldg manager to get some salt out there because you can't walk on it.

CTA needs to de-ice those train platforms ASAP because of the terrible danger of a passenger slipping off the platform in front of an incoming train, or hitting the third rail.

Craig Gernhardt said...

It was so bad at one point the CTA buses stopped operating.

Man On The Street said...

Almost slipped and fell this morning while walking to the train station (after waiting for the 147 for what seemed like an eternity). Even in my advancing age my reflexes and agility are pretty good.

Suzanne said...

Oh, Craig, I don’t even need ice.

I ran out of a committee hearing room in Springfield last year to file appearance slips with the clerk. The committee room is carpeted, the hallway is marble, and I was wearing heals (never again).

When I hit the hallway, I went airborne, becoming a human luge. I puttered to a stop at the feet of a bewildered legislator whose vote I had been told, I would not win.

Maybe I was persuasive during testimony or maybe it was a mercy vote---I'll never know---but I won his vote and our bill passed out of committee.

AvondaleLoganSquareCrimeBlotter said...

Craig and TNC, you guys are okay from your falls, right? I hope so. I also hope the lady who fell in the photos is okay.

North Coast, I agree that CTA needs to de-ice those train platforms, now. You wouldn't want somebody to get killed (god forbid) if they slip and fall on the platform.

As for me, I have no stories about slips and falls because I haven't been out in a couple of days.

newgarder said...

As a pedestrian I smack in the irony of avoiding meandering city trucks brimming with salt as I attempt to stay balanced by walking along the side of main thoroughfares instead of those ice coated sidewalks.

The North Coast said...

I can see why the buses stopped, for that soft, wet, warm ice makes for the worst driving conditions possible. You can't stop the thing. You can't pull away. You slide backwards on uphill grades. You have no control. Trucker's insurance won't cover them on such conditions- they have to get off the road.

You can drive on really hard, cold ice, like at 5 degrees F or something, but you can't move without sliding on this really soft, wet, shiny ice. I drove commercially back in the 70s and early 80s, and couldn't even get out of the vehicle to salt around the back wheels. The most hellish driving I ever did.

Clark St. said...

As a pedestrian, I'm fed up that the city will not go after the businesses that won't shovel & salt the sidewalks in front of their businesses, even though it's a condition of getting a business license that they clear a five foot minimum width on the walk.
And then there are all the businesses that plow their parking lot snow onto the sidewalk which is flat out illegal, but I call 311 & give the address, but nothing gets done.
But then, no one clears the snow on the east side of Clark, just north of Devon, along Anthony Wayne Park. I guess the city thinks the park district is supposed to do it & the PD thinks the city is supposed to do it.
It's a park, maybe the smallest in the city, so it's the park district's job to clear the snow.
The city also doesn't usually clear the snow on the Schreiber or Ravenswood sides of the Streets & San garage there.
Nice going guys, that's where the plows & salt are stored!
Plus two ward offices are there, but not the 40th Ward office, even though the property is in the 40th!

Bathtub Mary said...

I really don't understand why the city doesn't enforce the fining of businesses and homeowners who do not clear ice and snow from their sidewalks. I mean, Chicago uses every other possible opportunity to lift cash from our pockets, so why not this one? Think of the cash they would generate from enforcement of the ordinance!

Hillari said...

I spent Christmas at the home of the pastor of my church and his wife. Unfortunately, he couldn't give me a ride home because his car would not move out of its spot. "I'll have to wait for the weather to warm up before I can move it," he told me.

I ended up walking home, as I didn't want to impose on him and his wife to put me up for the night. There were some long stretches where the sidewalks were clear. Bless those folks for clearing the walks! But there were also long stretches of ice. I nearly slipped several times, as I walked gingerly.

Anonymous said...

That is nothing. My friend Romeo slipped because of the ice and he had a concussion. I hope he is doing okay. the ice is very dangerous. and nobody wants to put any salt

Razldazlrr said...

I agree - people are supposed to clear off their sidewalks and especially businesses! (didn't you see Joe Moore's email that addressed the issue? too bad he didn't take it a step further and actually do something about it!) We need to continue to call and turn them in - it certainly can't hurt!

CNB said...

Why, yes, this is me (on the left) helping her up. Thank me very much, you're welcome. (The other blogger present chose to photograph the scene rather than lend a hand.)

'Broken Heart' Past Blogs