I would like to take the time to bring up a very serious matter that deeply affects me, and all others in this city. In my senior year of high school I had to decide which college I would attend. It was a very important decision that required me to look for serious pros and cons. When I finally made my decision it was based on the City of Boston Municipal Code, Chapter XVI, “Prohibitions, Penalties and Permits 16-12.15” Throwing or Shooting on Streets Ordinance, which states “No person shall, in any street, play ball, throw stones, snow balls, or other missiles, or shoot with or use a bow and arrow or sling” (CBC 1975 Ord. T14 299).

I hate snow, and much more I hate snow balls. Much to my dismay I found that this law is not obeyed and much worse, not enforced. I was shocked, and also horrified, when the first snow of my first year at Northeastern University came, and people were throwing snow balls left and right, and at other people. What an awful sight it was. A snow ball fight! Boys, girls, men, and women, were compressing snow into tightly packed spheres and throwing them at each other.

I believe that I am a law abiding citizen. Occasionally I play the fiddle, which is also unlawful in the city of Boston, but that is it. But come on, throwing snowballs is just taking it way to far. People can get hurt that way, and the snow is filled with germs and bacteria from lying on the street. And although Boston has laws against dogs excreting on the street, those are broken sometimes as well, leaving one to wonder why the snow is yellow? Who wants to get hit in the head with a yellow, germ ridden snowball? I certainly do not. And when those balls come flying I fear that they may come close to my mouth, and I will eat snow.

If I were to walk down the street on my way to class, or to the library, I would be quite perplexed if I were to encounter a snow ball fight. Should I call the cops? Should I run in the opposite direction? Should I lie down and make a snow angel, (risking the consequences of lying down in the snow) seeing if that would bring peace between the law breaking snow ball throwing hooligans? Should I tell them that snow balls are not a toy? Should I inform them that it is against the law although common sense would merit one to assume that the heinous act of throwing snow at others would be illegal?

If Boston Police would just fine these hooligans the $10 fine, per ball thrown, which adds up in a snow ball fight, maybe these shenanigans would stop. It has been winter for less than a month and already I have seen too many snow balls flying through the air. If this problem is not resolved I don’t know how I will be able to survive this turmoil once again next winter.

For a city that enforces other laws so strictly I cannot believe that snow ball fights just happen all the time, even now as I write this, I look out my window and I see people throwing snow balls. This area is very heavily patrolled by police, yet they just drive by. Maybe it is because they break this law too? Maybe they have kids that just can’t resist the urge to throw snow balls, and they are scared that one day when the stop to arrest these snow ball throwers, they will catch their children red handed (literally red handed from the cold ice they had been holding and molding into a ball)? And in which case the $10 fine per ball will come out of their own pockets?

I think this must be stopped. Police must no longer fear disgracing their family name, nor should they be ignorant to the danger of snow balls. This is a serious crime, a horrifyingly recurrent disgrace to the citizens, and law enforcement of the city of Boston.

– Christina Nadler is a freshman undecided major.