# Thank you thank you and a great big thank you.



## alleyyooper (Sep 12, 2015)

When you clean some ones drive with out being asked to do so and you didn't even get a thank you read the title of this thread.
I am paying the thank you's ahead so you don't feel slighted by not getting one from the person living in the home with the drive you cleared.

I went and cleaned my mother in laws drive way yesterday of about 5 inches of snow. While I was at it I went next door and did the drive for the elderly couple that lives there. I didn't do it for a thank you or expecting to be paid or looking for a gift for doing it.
I did it because it needed done and I love my snow blower and like to work it. The predator Hardly uses any fuel both drives are maybe 250 feet long with turn arounds and I think last time I filled up right after doing the job I put a pint in the tank. 

So for those of you who clean others drives with out being asked Thank you ever so much.

 Al


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## HCBPH (Mar 8, 2011)

I agree. I have several widowed and divorced women in the neighborhood. I also have a handicapped couple. When I get the blower out I typically blow the sidewalks or drives for them (off the alley). Do I expect a thanks - no. I do it as a 'pay it forward' thing rather than expect something in return. I feel good for doing and the cost is horrendous - probably costs another nickel or dime in gas (big cost). If more people helped each other, we'd all be better for it.

My 2 cents.


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## 88racing (Jan 20, 2016)

I do the same for a few elderly people on my street....just for the enjoyment working with my snowblower plus keeps me out of the house.


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## bcjm (May 29, 2015)

You should thank them to let you play with your snowblower on their drive way.  Just kidding.

My snowblower was not running right last time it snowed. I feel guilty not to clean my neighbors drives.


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## LET-UT (Jan 5, 2016)

Along with one of my neighbors, we were busily clearing the neighborhood walks and driveways of several elderly/widows. As I was working my way back to my home clearing the sidewalk on the opposite side of the street I ran out of gas. I started to push the unit home but one of the fellows whose drive we cleared practically sprinted out with his gas can and filled my unit for me. We both felt better, and the Turbine-Powered Drift-Crusher 4000 continued on its assigned duties. . .


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## chrisexv6 (Feb 4, 2014)

Same here....our neighbor when we moved in was a 92 year old man. Probably in better shape than me! But I would always do his sidewalk and driveway. 

He passed away, but I continued to do the sidewalk and driveway for the people that bought his house since they didnt have a snowblower. Now they do but I still do the sidewalk anyway because its easy.

Another woman 2 houses away lost her husband a couple years ago....I do my sidewalk along with my neighbors sidewalk to get to her house, then her sidewalk and driveway. Sometimes other people get out before me and do it for her too.

I dont expect any repayment. My neighbors are always nice enough to say thanks, though I dont really need them to. The widow gives us tomatoes and cucumbers from her garden during the summer as thanks, those are always handy but its not why I help out.


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## zork52 (Feb 8, 2016)

I do my neighbor's abutting sidewalk as he's helped me many times and will forever be indebted to him for the things he's done.

I also cross the street and do my 78 year old neighbors driveway. Other than marriage, shoveling heavy snow is the next deadly thing for men.


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## detdrbuzzard (Jan 20, 2012)

not only does it help a neighbor but seeing that I live in the city it helps the mailman. I also clear the snow at in the street in front of my house and my neighbors so the ups and fedex guys can make it to my house


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## GAR (Nov 7, 2014)

I normally knock out a bunch driveways when it snows and once in a wile I get a thank you, elderly lady down the street thanked me and asked if i was hungry...Well I had been out blowing snow for a couple hours and I was. So i said yes, she handed me a plate with Meatlof, mash potatoes and green beans....I ate it standing in her garage....Now that's a thank you....LOL


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## LET-UT (Jan 5, 2016)

GAR said:


> I normally knock out a bunch driveways when it snows and once in a wile I get a thank you, elderly lady down the street thanked me and asked if i was hungry...Well I had been out blowing snow for a couple hours and I was. So i said yes, she handed me a plate with Meatlof, mash potatoes and green beans....I ate it standing in her garage....Now that's a thank you....LOL


Yeah, I think I'd do just about anything for a good plate of meatloaf and mashed potatoes!


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## Zedhead (Jan 1, 2016)

I've got a coupla neighbors that I help out. 

But we have new neighbors next door, they haven't cleared their driveway at all this season (600' Gravel drive) I do go down the road and clear the EOD so that they don't leave their garbage cans in the road. 

I think they're from the City. They have no idea of what a mess their driveway is going to be once the big thaw hits. I'd help them out more, except they're the type that wont even wave when passing on the road, chat at the mailbox, ect.


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## shallowwatersailor (Feb 19, 2013)

I usually clear four neighbors and my own driveway. But this last storm with 35" I wasn't able to get to one. It is also a new neighbor that moved in this past year! Luckily they are young and he whittled away at it over the five days we were snowed before the county plowed the road.

Another thing to do is the path to your fuel tank if you have one. I cut a path the first day across the lawn (Spring repair!) to aid the poor delivery driver. As luck would have it, the snow is just about gone and he showed up yesterday.


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## Sid (Jan 31, 2014)

I always did at least two beside my own, sometimes 3, or 4, mostly widows, etc.
Sid


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## mikeinri (Mar 16, 2015)

I'm literally the only house on my street who clears the sidewalk.

What bothers me isn't just the lack of thanks, but the lack of effort to work together. We're all roughly the same age.

At my last house, there were three of us in a row who helped one another. We wouldn't have survived our first winter without them, as we always got dumped upon and only had shovels. I like to pay it forward, but it loses its lustre when it's taken for granted.

Mike


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## alleyyooper (Sep 12, 2015)

I just don't get it. If your expecting thanks and don't get them then stop doing it.

I as I said do it because I like playing with my snow removal equipment immensely. I just don't expect any thanks nor want them. 
So much satisfaction I have from 47 to 62 year old equipment that works so well and is a pleasure to use.

1964 Simplicity landlord with original engine B/S 23D.



1954 Massey Harris pacer.



And the new kid in the shop 69/2015 MTD



I use every excuse to play with my toys I can get. I do not care who's sand box it is either.

 Al


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## GtWtNorth (Feb 5, 2014)

Bless you all for your good deeds. Kindness is it's own reward and you never know what ripples your small act start. Too many people don't understand that you don't expect anything in return, but a simple thanks goes a long way.

Cheers


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## Zedhead (Jan 1, 2016)

One of my Neighbors hits me up on FB with a thanks. Not needed, but at least he say's thanks.


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## liftoff1967 (Jan 15, 2014)

detdrbuzzard said:


> not only does it help a neighbor but seeing that I live in the city it helps the mailman. I also clear the snow at in the street in front of my house and my neighbors so the ups and fedex guys can make it to my house



Same here but I also blow out the fire hydrant. No one else in my neighborhood does that. 

Just baffles me!:banghead:


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## snowhog (Nov 24, 2013)

From a guy who retired after 37 years as a full-time firefighter, I say Thank You for clearing the fire hydrant. Nothing is worse than fighting snowy roads to arrive at a burning structure that has the nearest hydrant buried by snow from the snowplow or someone who thought that it was a good place to pile their snow. Precious minutes and property are lost while trying to dig them out and chipping off the ice around the valve and caps. The hydrant by my house (250' from my house) always gets some TLC from either my blower or Bobcat after it snows.


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## Zedhead (Jan 1, 2016)

When I lived in town, I didn't have, or really have a need for a Blower. (was much younger then) But there was a little old lady that used to use the bus stop kitty corner from our lot. For about half the winter I never really noticed, but she was standing practically on the street. The snow bank was piled so high on the sidewalk. I went over and spent 10 mins to clear the sidewalk enough for a safe place to wait. I continued that for the rest of the time we lived in town. 

I could not, for the life of me, figure out why the home owner on the corner would not keep their sidewalk clear. I asked him one summer day, and he just shrugged his shoulders and walked away.


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## mikeinri (Mar 16, 2015)

The fire hydrant thing is the worst. 

My last house had a hydrant out front, one of my best friends, a (now retired) fireman, told me that it was my legal responsibility to keep it clear. I'd never heard that before, but took care of it for the three years we lived there.

Fast forward to this house, not only does the neighbor with the closest hydrant (to me) not clear it, he piles all the snow from his driveway on top of it. One year, he had a pile at least 10-15 feet high over it (don't ask me how he got out of his driveway, BTW). 

Anyway, one day my next-door-neighbor (who is directly across from the hydrant) is out there with an axe trying to chop down the pile. I asked what he was doing, he said digging out the mailboxes and hydrant. I told him to get out of the way, and used my tractor blower to clear it.

Now I keep an eye on that too. Their attitude is that because we pay taxes, the town should clear the hydrants. To their credit, the FD did come around last year (when we got 9 feet of snow over about 5-6 weeks), but that wasn't their priority, and as noted above, the last thing you want during a fire is the FD having to waste time finding and clearing your hydrant.

Mike


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## bearman49709 (Apr 27, 2015)

What I want to know is what are all these fire hydrants and sidewalks you are talking about?

Wait I think I saw them when I went to the big city of 5000 in the county next to mine. You walk on sidewalks right, what do you do with fire hydrants is that how you start them gas grills?


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