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Kid's View of Snowplowing <br />By Tom Patterson, December 1993 Minnesota Cities <br />Page 2 <br /> <br />Our presenter asks the kids for four volunteers, who stand behind the truck in a group. <br />The teacher inside the truck is asked if she/he can see any of them. Of course, the answer <br />is no. A few more kids are asked to stand behind the truck. Again the question and <br />answer is no. This goes on until all of the students (between 60 and 70) and other <br />teachers are behind the truck. Even with that many people, the teacher in the truck still <br />can't see any of them in either mirror. The whole group then moves slowly and carefully <br />away from the truck until the teacher in the truck can see some of the students. The <br />students learn something that stays with them and in many cases teachers are very <br />surprised at the distance behind the truck the students get before they can be seen. <br /> <br />After the demonstrations of the functions by the operators and the visibility <br />demonstration, the equipment is shut down with all plow attachments resting on the <br />ground and all hydraulic pressures relieved. When the operators are sure that nothing <br />will move on the equipment, the students are allowed to walk around and get a closer <br />look. With the operators help and supervision, the students can sit in the driver's seat and <br />see what it is like. They can turn the steering wheel or move the levers, and of course, <br />pull the cord for the air horns. <br /> <br />During both the classroom discussion and the outside demonstrations, we always <br />encourage the kids to ask questions. The quality of some of the questions asked is <br />amazing. Questions generally cover everything - who, what, where, when, and why plus <br />maybe a why not or a what if. Almost invariably one of the students will ask one of the <br />operators "Is it fun plowing snow?" This usually brings a slight smile from the operator <br />who says "Yes, it is," forgetting for the moment the early morning phone calls, adverse <br />conditions, long hours, and fatigue. <br /> <br />This year, the street maintenance department developed and sent to each residence an <br />informational brochure about our snow/ice control procedures. This brochure will also be <br />used at the school presentations as a handout to be taken home. By involving young <br />people in our community and asking them to help with our snow and ice control program, <br />we are taking a positive step toward making the entire program safer and more efficient. <br /> <br /> <br />