Snow plow drivers deserve room and a little respect

You think this has been a long winter? Imagine for a moment how the snow plow drivers feel. Plow drivers have been kept busy trying to clear our streets of all this snow. And it hasn’t been easy. Mother Nature has dumped near record amounts of snow on the La Crosse area this month, and our plow crews have been working hard to clear our lanes of traffic. It is largely a thankless job. People complain and take to social media to criticize those trying to keep up what winter has left behind. They seemingly expect their streets to be cleared as soon as the snow stops. But there are 250 miles of streets to clear in the city of La Crosse, and even with more than 30 trucks, they can’t be everywhere at once. Even when they think they have a plan, more snow changes those plans. La Crosse crews were scheduled to start removing snow from the downtown area at the start of the week, but those plans had to be put on hold when we got several inches of new snow that needed to be plowed. Plow drivers are often called to duty at a moment’s notice, working long hours, often in the middle of the night. Their work is often unappreciated, with some drivers telling me they often get flipped off when they plow past, leaving cars and driveways plowed in. And we have seen cases of plow drivers being put at risk by inattentive or reckless drivers who don’t give them work to do their jobs. So be sure to give the plows plenty of room when you are driving. And it wouldn’t hurt to give the plow drivers a little respect. This winter, they certainly deserve it.