The Blizzard of 1978, February 1978, by Benny Chan

From MemoryArchive

Who: Benny Chan
What: Blizzard of 1978
When: February, 1978
Where: Boston, Massachusetts, United States

The blizzard of 1978 was a memorable one because it brought out the kindness and ugliness of human nature which we do not normally see or run into in our daily life.

During the blizzard, there was nothing to see or do. The street was empty and the strong wind was pounding the windows with snow. I stayed in my apartment on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston and did not come out until the blizzard was over.

The first step that I walked out from my apartment was a shocker. Commonwealth Avenue was completely covered with snow. Cars which parked on both sides of the street could not be identified by models or colors. The city was 'paralyzed' with mountain of snow and it took almost a full week before the city started to get back in a manageable state of normalization.

During the week after the blizzard, I saw people helping each other. Neighbors helped neighbors to clear the side-walk. Car owners helped each other to shovel the snow off the cars. Snowplow drivers were phrased for their hard work in snow removal. Stranded drivers were rescued along Route 128. Senior citizens were helped to cross the street. Friends talked and shared their blizzard experiences.

On the other hand, I also saw neighbors shout at neighbors because snow was pushed to their property. Car owners proclaimed and forbade others to park at the space that they previously dug out. Snowplow drivers were harassed because they were pushing snow back to the driveways and parked cars. Stranded drivers were left with break-ins, dented cars and fees to pay. Senior citizens were left on top of the snow-bank after they fell. Friends yelled at each other because they got no help and support during hardship.

As you can see, human behavior is a fascinated thing to observe. The blizzard of 1978 reminds us how different and unpredictable that human nature could be.