Days of danger

Spotted and photographed by Ardo

During this winter the area around Helsinki had the most snowfall in Finland and it´s piling up all over town. Snow mountains in every corner and surreal white fields on deserted and buried construction sites. Beautiful to look at and hardly dangerous when on ground level, that white stuff proved to be lethal coming from roof tops. A thing I dreaded might happen already for some time. Yesterday an old man got hit on his head by falling snow and ice in Hakaniemi, Helsinki. That poor oldtimer died right there. Pictures are not related to the accident but they shall illustrate the pure force of nature that is lurking above us at the moment.

If that´s your car be happy it´s not your head.

A statutory provision enforced only a couple of years ago says that the snow has to be removed from the roofs on a regular basis. If the house is owned by the town it´s the city who takes care of it. When the buildung has a private owner he or she has to contract a company. And although these companies are currently popping up like mushrooms on fertile ground it doesn´t seem possible to prevent an accident like this. Temperatures have risen to slightly over zero lately, everything is melting. There is plenty to melt and that makes it so dangerous. In these days of danger you´re well-advised to have one eye on the street and one on the sky.

SONG FOR THE DAY:

Jello Biafra & NoMeansNo - The Sky Is Falling And I Want My Mommy