I don't know how many people here live in locations that get a lot of snow in the winter months, but I live where winters can sometimes pile up that fluffy, fun, though often times debilitating powder quite high.

Inevitably it can create some large snow banks on the side of the roads where the snow plows have come through. At first, snow might be a pain to drive in, but not many can argue that it does make otherwise bleaker city locales look bright and rather nice. Though come a few days and sometimes even weeks, the temperatures stay just about freezing, and the snow banks stay put. Not only are they a real pain to pedestrian traffic, but they pick up all manner of dirt and mud tossed up by passing cars, and get brown and just plain filthy looking.

My idea is that in cities and towns where this is an issue, a company paid by the city, or even some sort of city beautification committee, occasionally has small trucks and perhaps other vehicles do quick load ups of the filthy snow, exposing the still white and attractive snow beneath. The expense would not be too much since it would only be a small layer every few days that the snow banks don't melt, and could also be justified by the fact that it does indeed help clear the sidewalks for pedestrians.
-- NeverDie, Mar 10 2003

Get rid of it all, I say. I can't stand looking at it anymore.
-- waugsqueke, Mar 10 2003


I was thinking the same thing. Enjoy a tasty croissant for beating me to it. (+)
-- goober, Mar 10 2003


babe's first snow?
-- po, Mar 10 2003


I don't know. How are you going to have only the tops of snowbanks removed? Scythes? Vacuum cleaners?

As long as these crews are going around removing snow, why don't they just get rid of all of it, as waugsqueke suggests? My suggestion for doing that is to have trucks with banks of flame throwers mounted on the sides going around melting the snow.
-- snarfyguy, Mar 10 2003


Instead of scraping off the thin layer of dirtiness, they could whitewash the snow.
-- pottedstu, Mar 10 2003


With Snowcem.
-- my face your, Mar 10 2003


Paint it green, and pretend it's summertime.
-- Amos Kito, Mar 11 2003


[Amos]: Artificial grassy knolls?
-- Cedar Park, Mar 11 2003


In response to the flamethrower idea, I think it would be quite interesting. There is only one problem, and this is the pedestrians passing by. I'm sure an old lady would love to have her grey hair cleansed from her head in a bath of flaming napalm. Just my thoughts, and thanks for your time.
-- Bwaa-ah, Mar 11 2003


Attractive though the flamethrower option is, it would only melt the snow which would then re-freeze into dirty ice instead. Not a good idea.
-- DrBob, Mar 11 2003


You could paint them gloss white, which would also insulate them and make them last longer, or make a huge pile in a parking lot, paint it white and invite the local crack, er, artists to paint it up with cool retro gang stuff.
-- Arcanus, Jun 02 2009


//You could paint them gloss white//
Whitewash.
-- FlyingToaster, Jun 02 2009



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