Montreal snowplow driver suspended for burying car
Vehicle's owner had been in argument over parking space
Last Updated: Monday, February 2, 2009 | 11:29 AM ET
CBC News
A Montreal couple found their car covered with snow after an argument with a plow driver over the weekend near McGill University. (Kristy Rich/CBC) A Montreal snowplow driver has been suspended for dumping a whopping pile of snow onto a car after a dispute over a parking space.
Now the couple who found their car looking more like an igloo than a sedan want an apology from the driver.
"I think [he] should be sorry for what he did. He caused a lot of trouble for a lot of people," Roy Dudley, the owner of the car, told CBC News.
On Friday night, Dudley parked his Volkswagen Jetta on Lorne Crescent near his home east of McGill University. A private snow-removal crew contracted by the city was clearing snow off one side of the street, so Dudley chose a spot on the other side.
'It was amazing how much snow there was on it. Obviously, it was deliberately done.' —Car owner Roy Dudley
Dudley said one of the drivers ordered him to move his car because it could get in the way of their efforts to clear the narrow roadway.
However, Dudley refused, saying there were no signs prohibiting him from parking there.
The plow driver's boss arrived on the scene and suggested a truce: He offered to clear out a space for Dudley's car on a street nearby.
Satisfied, Dudley moved his car to the new space and returned home. But he awoke Saturday to a frosty surprise.
The entire street was clear except for two mountains of hard-packed, dirty snow covering his car.
"It was amazing how much snow there was on it. Obviously, it was deliberately done," said Dudley.
Roy Dudley found his car snowed-in on Lorne Crescent in Montreal. (Kristy Rich/CBC) His wife, Margaret Thompson, was dumbfounded. She said it would have been impossible for the couple to shovel out their car because the snow was so hard and compact.
"Why would they do that?" she asked.
"I realize their job is stressful and everyone is on their case about clearing the snow. But … where else are we supposed to park? Parking down here is really hard in the winter."
City orders contractor to dislodge car
The couple called police and the city, and by Saturday evening a city supervisor arrived on the scene. The supervisor ordered the contractor to clear the snow off the car.
The crew returned Sunday and used a front-end loader and a tow truck to free the car from its snowy tomb.
'That is a rare problem, but it could happen. We have a very large operation.'—Yves Girard, Montreal's director of snow removal
"I was happy that in front of my eyes, less than 24 hours later, the problem was being taken care of," said Dudley.
Montreal's director of snow removal, Yves Girard, described the incident as an isolated one.
"That is a rare problem, but it could happen. We have a very large operation," said Girard.
"We have 3,000 employees, many pieces of equipment working on sidewalks and streets, and sometimes there are complaints because people don't want to move their cars."
Entreprise Michaudville, a private snow-removal company, employed the driver.
Gilles Gauthier, the driver's supervisor, told CBC News he'd never before seen a situation like this involving one of his employees.
He said the company is taking responsibility for the incident and has suspended the driver for the rest of the season.
Montreal has received near-record levels of snowfall this winter.
