On the front line with Binghamton’s Snow Soldiers.
Many of us have been there: It’s way too early in the morning and you’re trying to avoid any human contact as you close the distance between yourself and your bed. There’s snow on the ground and you’re wondering when you’ll be able to walk to class without fear of taking an embarrassing spill for all to see. Then you see it: a whirling mechanical nightmare with high beams for eyes abruptly interrupts your walk of shame. But don’t despair, this is not some possessed machine coming to dismember you. No, it is but one of many snow plow operators that work to make sure you don’t fall on the way to lecture and become entertainment for you peers.
Steve Gowe, the grounds service manager, is one of the 30 or so Binghamton employees who venture out every snowstorm.
‘We have 24-hour shifts, so we’re always plowing,’ Gowe said. ‘The roads are usually done first; then when it stops snowing we start the parking lots.’
Gowe is responsible for more than snow removal ‘ being the grounds service manager gives him many responsibilities.
‘I got a lot of jobs,’ Gowe said. ‘Some are great and some are tough; winter jobs are one of the tough ones.’
With hours that cover the entire day and a job that covers every area of campus, there is ample opportunity for memorable moments.
‘Kids in snowbanks throwing snowballs at me,’ said Gowe on the craziest thing he has seen while working. ‘I got hit in the face once with a snowball.’
Austin Lindow is a snow plow operator, and has also seen his fair share of unexpected moments.
‘One time I saw two kids coming down a hill on dinner trays,’ Lindow said. ‘They came across a road with traffic.’
During instances of severe winter weather, most jobs allow employees stay indoors instead of heading to work. Of course, snow plow drivers don’t enjoy that luxury, and with the long hours and uncomfortable conditions, snow plowing is a job that, at best, can be hard to enjoy.
‘When the storms are big I don’t enjoy it,’ said Lindow. ‘When you’re sitting in it for 10 to 15 hours you get kinda tired.’
With the winter season almost at a close and the spring thaw approaching, many at Binghamton are ready to welcome summer, and Gowe and Lindow are no exception.
‘Snow removal is the hardest part of my job,’ said Gowe. ‘During summer you can sort of pick and choose your hours. During winter you have to work around the weather.’