Strangeways, here we come

Another thing I find sorta strange out here is that people go out and break up the chunks of ice on their streets. The City of Calgary doesn't plow side streets, so the snow gets compressed into this hard rock like substance. The locals go out and break this stuff up with shovels, I'm guessing to help it melt faster. ?

Not plowing side streets is probably an issue after really heavy snow, but it means you can park on the street all night without worrying about the parking nazi's coming by and giving you a ticket. In some downtown areas it seems like everyone parks on the street.

They also have alleys here. As in you don't have a front driveway, you park behind your house in this alley. Some brand new homes seem to have driveways, but this appears to be in higher income areas. The roads are also very wide here, even in residential neighborhoods. Downtown also has alot of one way streets making for an interesting drive when you don't know where you are going.