I engaged in a little civil protest on my morning walk to the coffee shop. An ice storm 10 days ago has left broken tree limbs everywhere. I found the sidewalk blocked by them--impassable to someone in a wheelchair or walker. I've seen a local walking his dog with a walker, I'd guess he has cerebral palsy.

The roadway was totally clear of impediments. Coming from a long line of walkers, that pissed me off. So I pulled all the limbs out into the middle of the road. Why does the city spend money only on roads, never on sidewalks?

Half a block further on my walk, I repented and thought that I should have thrown all the limbs over the back fence of the adjoining home owner. After all, he owns the land to the middle of the street. The limbs were his responsibility.

Another block along, I repented of that idea. The limbs needed to be in the middle of the road. That will provoke one of two actions. Either a cop will visit the home owner ordering him to pick up the downed limbs, with a warning that there'll be an infraction and penalty next time. Or, the drivers will complain to the city, and all homeowners will be levied with sufficient taxes to keep walkways clear for all us gummers and gimps.