COLUMN: DO YOU FEEL PICKED ON BY YOUR CITY OR TOWN'S SNOWPLOW OPERATORS?

Do you ever get the feeling your municipal snowplow driver is trying to kill you?

If you do, you are probably not alone.

How many times have we exerted ourselves to keep our driveways clear after a nasty winter storm only to discover the plow has gone by a half hour later and filled the end of it in?

The answer is too many times.

The added strain brought on by such unneeded work is a recipe that could lead to an unfortunate outcome.

A study released in 2017 by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests that shoveling snow after a storm is a good way to end up in a hospital with a heart attack.

One can only imagine how the odds of this are increased when the snowplow and a wall of wet, dirty snow at the end of your driveway is factored in.

The U.S.-based National Safety Council reports that snow shoveling is responsible for thousands of injuries and as many as 100 deaths each year.

That’s shocking but not surprising.

The picture associated with this column was taken in early December, a short time after spending considerable time removing heaps of slushy, heavy, water-filled snow.?

I nearly keeled over when I looked outside later that day and saw my work was anything but over.

Each shovel during the second cleanup was super heavy. It was like moving boulders.

Fortunately, I am still around to talk about it.

Unfortunately, January is described by the Weather Network as being Canada’s snowiest month. One can only assume the worst is yet to come.

The National Safety Council, quoting the American Heart Association, says shoveling snow is not just another household chore.

“Sudden exertion, like moving hundreds of pounds of snow after being sedentary for several months, can put a big strain on the heart,” notes the association’s website. “Pushing a heavy snow blower also can cause injury.”

According to the council, cold weather adds to the overall danger as it increases heart rate and blood pressure causing blood to clot more easily. It can also constrict arteries, which decreases blood supply.?

“This is true even in healthy people. Individuals over the age of 40 or who are relatively inactive should be particularly careful.”

The threat of something terrible happening because of all this extra work is as real as it is frightening.

Am I being unfair to snowplow drivers? Possibly!

I get it. Like everyone else, they have a job to do.

You could say that plugging the ends of driveways with snow is unavoidable collateral damage from a task that simply must be done.

We need streets and roads plowed. It’s as simple as that.

But is there a better way of doing this?

More municipalities could outfit plows with snow gates, hydraulic devices that give the driver the option of temporarily interrupting the flow of snow to avoid filling driveways or intersections.?

Other options include hiring a company to clean you out after the plow has inflicted its misery. Money, of course, is needed and not everyone has the cash for that.?

Regardless of the frustration associated with being forced to do the same work repeatedly, there is an element of humour in all of this.?

On occasions when I have been outside as the plow goes by, I can’t help chuckling while watching the operator look at me with a combination of pity and amusement, knowing full well he or she has created another 15-30 minutes of work for me.

My only hope is that I don’t die laughing while doing it.