In D.C., a blizzard of snow stories

Regarding the Feb. 7 front-page story "A historic mess":

It seems adversity brings out the best, and worst, in people. As children shrieked happily while sledding in Montrose Park, their parents helped a middle-aged woman who had never sledded in her life. People stepped aside on snowy sidewalks to let others pass. Yet there were the self-absorbed, chattering away on cellphones, oblivious to the path being only a shovel's-width wide, nearly knocking you down while gossiping.

Where I live, in Georgetown, it was particularly disheartening to see people well-off enough to pay to have their driveways cleared yet inconsiderate enough to ignore their sidewalks, leaving snow rising above the knee. Between the southwest corner of N and 30th streets and nearly midway to M Street, for instance, one is forced to navigate down the middle of the road, facing oncoming traffic.

Two feet of snow can turn a frenetic city into a serene and surreal wonderland, its unsightliness hidden by an abundance of white fluff. But there are facets of human nature that no amount of snow can hide.

Catherine A. Ballinger, Washington

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Another snowstorm, another poorly coordinated snow-removal effort by the city. We live on upper 16th Street. On Sunday and Monday, we watched wave after wave of plows scrape 16th Street, which was already clear to the pavement, while important side streets had yet to be plowed at all. Our city services must do better.

By the way, we live one block from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty, who did not have to shovel his street.

Edward Jewell and Clara Register,