It Takes A Storm To Make Our Community More Peaceful

Imagine that the streets are quiet and peaceful – cars aren't speeding and hoodlums aren't hanging around the recesses of the community waiting to shoot or fight with someone because of a years-old dispute. Imagine people outside helping each other out of a jam and offering to provide assistance instead of leaving someone stranded in the middle of the street.

Of course, to achieve this imaginary “scene,” you'd have to add several feet of snow and blizzard-like conditions to the equation. You'd have to picture residents not being able to leave their homes and cars being buried so deep in the snow that speeding down any block is nearly impossible since the driver's not even getting in their vehicle!

Snowstorm Jonas visits Canarsie Pier

Last Saturday was the first snowstorm of 2016 – a blizzard most city folks hoped would miss us. When we saw the weather forecast earlier in the week, we didn't believe the media hype that the city would be on high alert and that mass transit would shut down as a safety precaution due to rough winds and snowdrifts.

If anyone in the community knows me, they know how adventurous I am and how I don't let challenges stop me from achieving my goals. As a result, I took to the streets Saturday morning in the midst of the blizzard and, I have to be honest, it was more enjoyable than walking local streets on any given day.

Yes, I suited up with two pairs of pants, my clunky waterproof boots and North Face jacket that's made for all-terrain excursions, just to experience the blizzard (and I couldn't go for a morning run, so nothing says “hey legs get moving” like trudging through snow and challenging the cardiovascular system!)

I almost wanted to head back home when I saw that the only place to walk was in the streets. It was too early for homeowners to come out and shovel the walkways. However, there were no cars on the street and the few drivers that came down the block went at a slow and safe pace even though the Sanitation Department plowed some of the major roads.

Rockaway Parkway and Seaview Avenue was deserted...Can you say beautiful???

Some guys were walking along residential streets and two offered to help a woman dig her car out of a huge mound of snow. They were going to charge her $25 – and they were more than happy to go down the rest of the block asking others if they needed help digging out of the tundra too. Can you say courteous? (Even if they're motivated by money – do you see young men in our community offering to help others for a nominal fee at ANY other time?)

Greetings from the blizzard of 2016!

Drivers were extra careful and mindful of city vehicles that had to pass – and they stopped way before the red lights, not taking a chance and speeding past the yellow traffic light. Can you say safer than ever?

It took a snowstorm to bring out the best in people – to make them more cautious and courteous. The community looked so much more beautiful - with winds whipping in every direction and snow blanketing our streets - than it ever looked at 4 p.m. on any clear and warm weekday afternoon with people traveling and causing trouble.

I managed to trek to Canarsie Pier – and it was quite a workout to have to march my legs over what seemed like a foot of snow. I'd never seen the pier look more eerie, dangerous and peaceful at the same time. It was obviously deserted, but that was the BEST part. No one was blasting music in their car, and no one was talking so loud that the residents in Starrett City could hear them (yes, there are some people who make the pier an annoying place to relax!).

Let's get real! There are too many people in our community – drivers, pedestrians and rowdy kids – who ruin a nice, sunny day! It takes a snowstorm to keep everyone inside or stop them from being a danger or annoyance to someone else. Yes, we had kids throwing snowballs and making a bit of a mess – but isn't that better than them getting a hand on a firearm? Sure, even slow-moving cars skidded out of control on the streets in the snow and it didn't stop accidents – but most people were taking it easy - being mindful that they had no control over how their wheels moved.

There was a certain beautiful quality about the community during the snowstorm that sadly doesn't exist when conditions are “normal.” While summer is my favorite season – and it's also the season when the most crime takes place and our quality of life is nearly destroyed – I've found a new reason to say,‘let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...’