I drive a snow plow for a metropolitan city. I know many of you hate me, but feel free to AMA

I love you ... the man who makes life possible...

Don't get it twisted! If I couldn't make almost a $500/24hr shift I wouldn't be so enticed! But I do live in a neighborhood where plows make it possible for me to get to work, so I do feel some connection :)

Who plows the plowmen?

I wish it would be a pile of hot babes but that only happens in my dreams or on redtube.

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I just said that because every time I go out people yell at me for putting snow in front of their recently shoveled driveways. There is nowhere else I can put it though :/

Some people suck. If they can't do whatever they want whenever they want they have a fit. I like plow drivers. You keep the roads clear.

Thank you. Unfortunately, some plow guys ARE indeed lazy and give the rest of us bad names. Hence why there are so many positive comments and such low karma in this thread. I don't care if I get negative karma as I just love posting here, but I do use it to gauge peoples' opinions. Obviously, a lot of people hate plow drivers. I wish they'd post though so I could respond to their anger.

You're probably not going to get anything meaningful out of silent downvoters anyway.

I know. It's the thought that counts though, so thanks guys!

I have lived in warm climates all my life and have never seen a snow plow in action. I came here to find out why people might hate the drivers. What I've gathered so far is that people get mad because when the roads are plowed, the snow lands in their driveways. I don't get that. Where else is it supposed to go?

Other than that, why would people hate snow plow drivers?

Some people don't like them because they like to drive as fast a usual when there is snow on the road. Plows go slow and are hard to overtake.

Why would you want to overtake a goddamn snow plow if they're clearing the road in front of them? I live in Atlanta so I wouldn't understand.

This last snow a few people passed me as I was plowing their neighborhoods and going about 15mph. The road ahead of me obviously was unplowed still so they both ended up getting stuck. It was sweet joy to back up and go down a different street and leave them there.

No, some plows suck. I live on a corner so instead of pushing all that snow maybe in between Fucking houses it goes RIGHT in front of my driveway, all thousands of pounds of it.

I grew up on a corner house. The plows used to pile snow fifteen feet high on my corner and then I'd have to cut through that to clear the sidewalk, so I always make sure to take extra care of corner houses. We are all kin ;)

Do you ever wish you could just melt the snow with lasers from your eyeballs?

That would be much quicker than the thirty+ hours it currently takes me... haha

As a person who lives in the south, I would like to know what it is like to live in a mystical land of snow and ice where the precipitation requires the intervention of this mysterious 'plow'.

I assume this is the result of evil genies; have you ever met one of these genies, and if so what sort of price did he want in order to return your land to a normal winter of rain and slight coolness?

It sucks for about two days, then the streets are plowed and salt is laid down so the streets are normal again.

Genius aren't real. I deal with sprites and they are hard to bargain with :(

My mom told me I was a genius. Are you saying that she was lying?

Everything your mom says is true

I live in Canada, I love you!

I live in an area where I need to park in the street so I love plows too :)

Hey. A couple questions!

-Does anybody ask you to drive up their driveways (and have you ever done it)? -Have YOU ever gotten stuck in the snow? -What's the inside of the cab look like in one of those things? I've always wondered what controls the plow/salt. Pics please! :)

Tractors, tandems (dump trucks) and pickups ALL get stuck. They are just regular cabs on the inside. The whole deal is controlled with a little joystick for up/down and left/right. Very simple. The v-blades have a couple buttons around the joystick for moving the different sides independently but it's still simple. Tractors use the implement connections they use for all farm equip and are a lot different and I've never driven one.

I'v now lived in two citys with different opinions when it comes to snow. Seattle, and Chicago.

I disliked you in Seattle, because once all what 7 of you guys get your plowing done, school was back in session. Nothing against you really, I was just having too much fun.

But in Chicago, you guys are some of the most amazing and efficient mother fuckers I have ever seen. And you do a good job.

SO A BOW TO YOU GUYS.

Also, is this just a winter job? Or a kind of on call thing? What do you do when you are not needed to clear the snow?

It can go pretty efficiently but that depends on the people in charge and the budget in each city!

I work full-time and part-time at two other jobs that I'm able to leave for a few days when it snows!

Sweden here, thank you, without guys like you there would be total chaos. That being said, I do find it annoying when you put up a wall outside my driveway, but I understand why and won't get mad.

I find it annoying too, we just have to deal with it! :)

How dangerous are potholes/cracks in the road/big stuff hidden in the snow? Seems like a plow hitting a pothole would do some serious damage.

Something these other guys haven't mentioned is that hitting something like that can jar a truck and kick the front/rear to the side and hit a parked car if you're close enough. That's why the pickups need to go slower through packed streets.

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It's not nearly as fun being Mr.Plow in real life

I have witnessed my brothers hatred towards your fellow snow plow drivers. At the time he lived in MA. There was a huge snow storm. He goes out and spends close to 4 hours clearing the driveway. Comes inside and is warming up to some warm soup Looks out the window sees you guys coming runs outside and then y'all push back about a foot and a half of snow back into his drive way. He threw his snow shovel at the truck and cursed for a good minute at your peers as you drove away.

I understand his frustration but with that much snow there's nowhere else to put it :/ You COULD clean every driveway off, but that'd take FOREVER.

how hard is it to navigate through the city in one of those things?

Not hard, I do the same roads every time it snows.

Just as I was about to write this, the snowplow came by - must mean I'm supposed to write a comment!

In rural areas, snowplows just push the snow off the side of the road, but in a city you can't always do that, and that's why in some cities they have to bucket load them into dump trucks and cart it off somewhere (they used to push it into the river, but I guess that's illegal now). As you can imagine, snow removal when you have to load it into a dump truck and cart it takes a LOT longer and more resources than just pushing it off to the side.

At least in a rural/suburb area, one class of victims of snowplows are the mailboxes. If you're in Omaha, or whatever city, maybe that's not a city problem, but anywhere else - I've had more than one mailbox taken out. That said, I'm always impressed by how close a snowplow can shave close to a mailbox or guardrail and not actually take it out. Thanks for the AMA!

Oh downtown Omaha has to haul a lot of snow out otherwise nobody could park or walk. When you drive enough, you get comfortable enough with the blade to know exactly where it'll hit without a second glance, much like driving a regular car where you know where you are in a lane without triple checking. Plus most blades have long sticks coming up from the corners to show you where the blade is while you lean back :p

How tempting is it to cover cars in snow of people you hate?

Not at all because I know nobody in the neighborhoods I plow. It is, however, tempting to pile up extra snow in front of driveways of people who cuss me out for leaving snow in front of their drive even though there's nowhere else it can go. I want to plow out everybody's driveway, but I only have time to help old people I see out trying to class their drivew ays with a shovel.

What do you think of NYC's snowplow tracker?

Brilliant. It helps residents know what to expect on their drive to work and also keeps drivers accountable. Working 20-30-40 hr shifts, it's tempting to take a break, but in such an important role and being paid such a high amount (up to $50/hr if you own said truck) it's necessary to keep moving.

$50 an hour is not much if you only work for a few months each year. What do you do in the warmer months?

I make $20/hr. Most trucks contacted out by the city are owned by people with large landscaping companies. I don't feel comfortable listing my full time position, but know I get plenty of snow days ;)

Where I live, lots of snow plow drivers get drunk on the job- middle of the night, roads are empty, etc etc (still bad to drive drunk though). This guy i went to high school with crashed his plow into a house one time while drunk (no visible damage so he drove away) Have you ever imbibed alcohol while operating a snow plow?

No way in Hell, it's hard enough being awake 30 hours straight, that's "fucked up" enough for me haha

How do you know the precise moment when I've finnished shoveling out the end of my driveway?

GPS with satellite imagery provided by NASA.

When I was younger the guys that plowed my neighborhood would always ask where we wanted the 15 foot pile of snow. It was alway put in my front yard. Epic fort building then commenced!

haha, I cleared a cul-de-sac out and this little girl was climbing on a pile of snow so i made it about ten feet taller after her mom gave me the ok. Usually the city wants all the snow pulled out of the cul-de-sacs but I made an exception when I got the request. I rarely see kids out though :(

Can you share any of the criteria used to decide what streets get plowed first?

On my little backroad, it sometimes takes 2 days or more before they run a plow by.

The city has them marked by importance. Generally the streets that go a long ways through neighborhoods get done first so that way you only have to go a block at most down unplowed roads until we can clear the side streets.

How common is it in your area to crash the plow truck into things like curbs just to get a break? My uncle works for our city as a heavy truck mechanic and he said that sort of thing happens all the time here.

Never seen that but I know there have been times I thought about having the serpentine belt "go missing" so I could go home haha... But, you gotta stay strong!!!

Have you ever accidently messed up a car with your plow?

No but I come so close every time my butthole puckers up.

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The only way to plow streets is to start in the middle and push it to the sides. As far as directions, I have maps of streets I need to clear and make up my own routes. I work with 3-4 other guys going from area to area and we communicate with each other frequently to decide how to move.

What is the absolute best/most fun part about your job?

driving with the window down blaring rap or country music enjoying fresh air.

Whats what the wildest thing you've ever plowed?

She was about 400 pounds and had hair on her upper lip

Assuming it doesn't snow all year, What do you do in summer?

I have a full time career that allows for snow days. I use them to my advantage!

Ever have any collisions in the truck?

Not yet! Only things I've hit are manholes that stick up out of the road and that kind of thing, thankfully.

Dc Comics or Marvel?

Matt Groening

Is there ever a time when you enjoy burying cars parked on the side of the road?

EDIT Legitimate question, not hostility.

No. I parked in the street for years and know how much it sucks so I only do it out of necessity and try to avoid it when I can.

Omaha passed a law last year where you have to park on the side of the street with even numbered addresses on even numbered days when it snows and vice versa but only half of the people follow it, so I try to help out the abiders more than everybody else. I never intentionally plow anybody's car in though because I believe in karma.

But what if you are supposed to be the karma enforcer? Maybe your supposed to bury the guys car that's not following the rules?

That's probably the guy that parks on the wrong side of the street or in the street at all when his driveway is empty :)

Do you use a gps to navigate the city?

Nope. The city gives me maps of all the neighborhoods I need to do and they are all next to each other and I've done them all several times.

So I go out to my wife's car at 4AM. I clean all the snow off, shovel the snow from her tires so she can easily leave for work. "You" come up the street, and toss snow back up against her car.

I am now pissed, as "You" saw me clearing her car out. So I dig the car out again.

Now "You" drive back up the street and curse at me for throwing the snow back in the street.

I guess I have no question, just using you as a whipping boy. Thanks for the clean streets :)

So many people don't realize that with anything more than an inch or two, there's only one place for the snow to go: the side of the road/around cars. That being said, I try to help out people I see shoveling. Sometimes it's unavoidable though. I never cuss out people for putting snow in the street as the city doesn't care enough to make me clear that piddly shit back to the side of the road. I just leave that up to your neighbors for pushing your snow into a freshly plowed street :)