[WhoisAlanGreenspan?]

In Detroit itself many, most, side streets don't get plowed. Ever! At least for the past number of years. But this has been an issue this year. There was a deep and fluffy snow fall first then later some heavy wet snow followed by rain that all sat there frozen in the streets. I drive a truck with some clearance underneath, lower vehicles must drag there way through solid packed ice.

So I'm moving my truck out of the way for a semi truck delivery today. How many of them we've had stuck this year is another story. I'm going around the block back to my parking lot and holy-moly! It's a City of Detroit plow truck dumper with a load of salt just in front of me.

He's cruising along with the dump tilted up and the whirlie spreader going but no salt is being fed to it. Some is spilling from the dumper gate, at a rate of about one quart per house or less.

Ah Detroit. This year it's a good place to be selling rock salt. Did I mention the shortage of bagged ice melters and that we've finally been re-supplied?

What a way to make a living.

[Squawk 8888]

Did I mention the shortage of bagged ice melters and that we've finally been re-supplied? Ironic, given Detroit's proximity to one of the biggest salt mines in the world.

[TurboZamboni]

When I lived in St.Paul years ago, we could let go of the steering wheel and the ice ruts would guide you all the way home, rubbing your oilpan on the hump all the way.

Third world plowing for G8 prices.

[stayathomemom]

I grew up in Detroit. Our street was never plowed. If you wanted it cleared you shoveled it yourself. Driveways were not that long and seriously, it wouldn't be much more work than many in the suburbs do to clear longer and wider driveways.
My sister told me a story of one bad snowfall. My dad had died the year before so he wasn't able to help. My sister had to get to work at 6 AM at her job at U Hospital in Ann Arbor. Our house was 13 houses from the corner of Grand River Ave. If she could make it to the corner, she could make it to work. So, she and my 60 something year old mom shoveled a path all the way down the block so her VW Rabbit wouldn't get hung up in the deep snow. They made it to the corner just as a snowplow plowed them in with a 4 foot pile of snow. I think she started crying but they got busy and did more shoveling. She did make it to work.