There has been heavy snowfall over the last few days all across New England. I was aware that it is mandatory for each resident/landlord to shovel and clean up the sidewalk in front of their property, but hadn’t realised the practical and cultural implications of that. The sight of residents shovelling throughout the day and in the middle of the night, and of city council employees working around the clock throughout the city, is quite a common one at winter. This is not just a physically demanding and time-consuming activity that requires a lot of energy and planning. It is also an interesting cultural phenomenon that tests the boundaries between public and private space. Shovelling becomes a way of acquiring and projecting social status.