BERMED: Rules run one way

Thursday morning, I was up early to clear my driveway from the overnight accumulation of snow. I had a couple of early appointments and wanted it clear before driving over it.

After finishing the driveway, I picked up the paper and took a look at the front page while finishing my coffee. I read the article “Relentless snowfall has plowers, shovelers at odds.” Finished my coffee and started to leave, opened the garage door and there it was! The dreaded “berm” across my clean driveway. Cranked up the blower and cleaned it again.

The frustration of having a berm this year had prompted me to call Lakes Highway District a week or so ago. I asked if they were ever going to get plows with “gates,” such as Coeur d’Alene has for some areas. I was basically told “no.” They would not be getting equipment with gates due to the cost, plus they have more than 600 miles of road to clean and cannot slow down to use equipment with gates.

So after reading the above article, I can’t help but wonder why it is “illegal” to move snow from your property across a road, but it is OK for the highway department to push the snow from a public roadway onto private property blocking the driveway. I’m still able to clean my entrance so that I can get out, but there are many seniors who will find this a hardship.

ROBERT SILVA

Coeur d’Alene