New Year's Eve Snowstorm

I went down the snowy ramp, and played around on the sidewalk in front of the building. I put my wheelchair on fast speed (#3!), accelerated to full speed, and then slammed on electronic brakes, to see if I could get some good (i.e., fun but safe) skidding action.

I was able to skid a little bit, and then I remembered Dorothy Hamill, with her glasses on, tracing exquisitely controlled lines on the ice long ago in the Olympics. So I made a sort of sine wave by driving my wheelchair in a controlled wobble.

No snow emergency yet, but I moved the van anyway.

Snow-Trapped: Day Two

Photo: Vanessa Roman

Pictured is the Fenway crosswalk near the Fire Alarm Center. Uncleared and inaccessible. DCR responsibility. Two days left uncleared.

Tried to go outside today, could make it down aways going south on the Fenway, past a bunch of Northeastern buildings, whose sidewalks were scattered with ice. Could not go right, could not find any space in the service road to drop the lift of my van. Had to cancel lunch appointment.

Department Of Conservation & Recreation fails to clear its sidewalks in the Fenway.

More photographs at Flickr.

-- John B. Kelly

Snow-Blocked Sidewalks and Curb Cuts

I put up some new photographs at Flickr, which show the usual problems with sidewalks in The Fenway. I am trapped in my apartment, as happens every year. We can only assume that thousands of other people are similarly trapped, or are out risking life and limb.

Here is one picture, showing the southwest corner of the intersection of Westland Avenue and Hemenway Street in the Fenway. The car coming from the right of the picture is actually on The Fenway, coming down from Boylston Street. Photo Nathaniel Hamilton.

-- John B. Kelly