On a recent trip to Chicago, I turned in amidst heavy snowfall. I awoke to find the sidewalks completely clear and thought that the City of Chicago had indeed done a fine job. While walking around town, however, I realized that the city’s contribution had only extended to the streets. Although it was Sunday, all across the city, shop keeps, restaurant and bar owners, doormen, and even construction workers from idle worksites had come out of the woodwork to clear the sidewalks in front of their establishments. The doormen even went as far as to give the crosswalks a second look and cleared the heavy low walls piled up between the street and crosswalk by the street plows.
Thanks to the overlapping individual actions of thousands of people there was nary a snow and ice covered sidewalk in all of downtown Chicago. Why did all these people go to so much trouble? I would venture because the owners of apartments buildings and businesses saw benefit in clearing their sidewalk for their customers. Thus, thousands of self-interested actions cleared the paths of downtown Chicago.
Despite this concerted effort a single stubborn piece of sidewalk remained uncleared. Let’s just say I would recommend avoiding the pavement edging the post office.
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