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Related: Culture Forums, Support ForumsBoston Snow Plow Driver Fired after Deliberately Burying Cars and Blocking Driveways (2013)
Fun from last year. This guy is needed now.
In_The_Wind
(72,300 posts)benld74
(9,909 posts)jakeXT
(10,575 posts)After another 16 inches of snow fell on the Boston area this weekend, bringing the citys total snowfall for the past month up over seven feet, the beset city is turning to prison labor for help digging out.
A mixture of unionized city workers and state prison inmates worked to clear commuter rail tracks of snow on Monday in hopes of having trains running again when businesses reopen Tuesday after the Presidents Day holiday. With air temperatures down in the single digits and wind chill values running below zero fahrenheit, the crews shoveled snow off of tracks and above-ground platforms at the Braintree station outside the city, a key outlying stop on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authoritys (MBTA) red line.
Details of the prison labor system remain unclear as state corrections officials have not yet responded to requests for information. An MBTA spokesman confirmed to ThinkProgress that prisoners are assisting union workers but referred further questions to the state Department of Corrections.
The state has deployed inmates to shovel before, according to city Inspectional Services Department commissioner William Christopher, who said that two four-prisoner crews were sent out around the city earlier this month to clear paths to fire hydrants and shovel snow off handicapped access infrastructure. The amount of snow that we got is record-setting and weve pulled out every resource from every possible way to clean this situation up, Christopher said at the time. Further west, inmates in a community service program at a minimum-security prison have helped clear snow from other storms this winter, and as far back as 2011.
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2015/02/16/3623407/boston-uses-prisoners-to-shovel-snow/
cwydro
(51,308 posts)but I would welcome any chance for outside exercise. But then again, I enjoy hard work outdoors.
Taitertots
(7,745 posts)Brought to you by ALEC.
Grammy23
(5,813 posts)My niece told me that the snowplow driver drove into their cul de sac, made a sweep around it and then dumped the load at the end of their driveway! Their cars were parked inside their garage and there was plenty of space next to the driveway to push the snow, but the driver chose to block their driveway. My niece's husband had to go try to open the driveway so they could get out. He and his 70 + year old neighbor worked together to get it cleared. Her husband is 75.
I think they should report this to whoever is responsible for plowing services in Cary. This happened today.