Honestly, you’re spot on—sometimes the best thing you can do is just clear the surface stuff and leave the rest to the city. I’ve seen folks try to “fix” things and end up making a bigger mess, too. It’s tempting to poke around, but you’re right, it’s not worth the risk. Reporting it is underrated, even if it feels slow. Better safe than sorry, especially when water’s involved.
Yeah, I get where you’re coming from. Last year, my neighbor tried to pull a huge branch out of a storm drain and ended up snapping it off inside—made things worse and the whole street was a mess for days. I just stick to clearing leaves off the surface when I can, but anything more, I report it. It’s frustrating waiting on the city sometimes, but at least you know you’re not risking injury or making the flooding worse.
I just stick to clearing leaves off the surface when I can, but anything more, I report it. It’s frustrating waiting on the city sometimes, but at least you know you’re not risking injury or making the flooding worse.
That’s pretty much my approach too. I used to think I could save a few bucks by handling stuff myself, but after seeing a guy down the block twist his ankle trying to yank debris out of a drain, I’m not taking that risk. The city’s slow, yeah, but medical bills are worse. Clearing what you can and letting the pros handle the rest just makes sense, even if it’s annoying to wait.
Yeah, I’m with you both on this. I used to be all about “do it yourself and save a few bucks,” but after seeing how nasty those drains can get (and hearing stories like that twisted ankle), I’m not so sure it’s worth it. Plus, some of the junk down there is just gross—like, who’s tossing fast food wrappers into the street anyway?
I’ll clear off what I can reach without getting into the mess, but anything deeper or heavier, I just file the report and hope for the best. It does bug me when the city takes forever though. Sometimes I wonder if calling a few neighbors to report at the same time would bump us up on their list? Not sure if that actually works or just makes me feel like I’m doing something.
Honestly, after seeing how quickly medical bills add up (my cousin slipped on wet leaves last fall and had to get stitches), I’d rather deal with a little flooding than risk hospital time. Just wish there was a faster way to get stuff cleared out…
Honestly, I’ve learned the hard way that trying to clear out those drains yourself is a recipe for trouble—especially if you’re dealing with anything heavier than a few leaves. I once tried to fish out a chunk of concrete (don’t ask me how it got there), and nearly threw my back out. These days, I just do a quick sweep for surface stuff and leave the rest to the city.
If you want to speed things up, I’ve noticed that when a few neighbors all file reports on the same issue, it does seem to get more attention. Maybe it’s just coincidence, but worth a shot. Still, nothing’s faster than a good rainstorm to remind the city they need to get moving...
