Food For Thought As We Close Out 2009

FOOD FOR THOUGHT AS WE CLOSE OUT 2009 Sometimes a single anecdote can put a lot into perspective about the service you provide. by John Allin. December 30, 2009. Snow Magazine. Recently, I was reading about a snowfall that happened in central China. Over a foot of snow fell as a result of some cloud seeding done in an effort to force some moisture onto areas of extreme drought. It snowed in Beijing and then moved inland. Several deaths occurred from collapsed buildings as the wet and heavy snow tested the structural integrity of the homes in this area. The construction standards in many parts of China are not near what we have in the United States, when it comes to housing structures. I spent a lot of time in China between 2005 and 2008. It is a wonderful country with wonderful people. However they have a different perspective on some things, as compared to North America. In many parts of China, when it snows cities shut down so the populace can go out and broom sweep streets of snow. Primitive by our standards, but effective nonetheless. Everybody gets involved in snow removal in these remote areas of that country. It is almost like a community event and everyone participates. Business, schools, infrastructure closes down for the time required to clear the streets. I’ve not witnessed this myself, but have been told about it by many when I was working with governmental entities on snow removal. So the next time it is snowing and our customers are whining and complaining about you being 10 minutes late in completing their sidewalks or parking lot plowing – just remind yourself that you are supplying a necessary service in a time frame that is quite speedy as compared to using long handled brooms to clear the streets. ABOUT THE AUTHOR John Allin, CSP, CLP, a full time snow professional consultant, is the author of Managing Snow & Ice. John has 30+ years experience in the snow industry and has worked with snow professionals in 36 countries around the world. In addition, he's a regular contributor and columnist for Snow Magazine. John Allin can be reached at 814-452-3919 or via email at john@johnallin.com.