Ice has always been a word I associate with tea, but after spending two years in Evanston, the meaning has been transformed entirely. Now that I live off campus, ice has become my newest enemy, making my daily walk a slow and treacherous waltz with a deadly partner ready to knock me down at any moment.

After 8 inches of snow blanketed the Chicago area last week, I foolishly expected sidewalks to be cleared off by Tuesday. But on Thursday, 100 feet from my apartment building, I made a graceful swan dive into the grass when I slid over a large patch of ice.

Although the city of Evanston is responsible for plowing and salting the streets, sidewalks have always been left to the discretion of the property owners.

City law gives owners and landlords a 24-hour period to clear or salt the sidewalks in front of their buildings after more than 4 inches of snowfall, according to Zeltee Edwards, department head for streets and sanitation for the City of Evanston.

But city officials only inspect sidewalks and ticket owners after receiving a complaint.

Evanston resident and Information Technology program assistant Danielle Pickard said she complained to the city after observing unshoveled sidewalks on her way to work. She noticed a slight improvement after inspectors were sent to investigate the situation.

“I don’t think it’s the city’s responsibility but the individual owners,” Pickard said. “We all have to shovel the sidewalks. It’s a total lack of regard not to.”

But the law still has a loophole — if owners “attempt” to clear sidewalks, they are exempt from civil litigation and possible citation.

“I made a joke once that I wanted to trip and fall and sue so they would have to clear (the sidewalk),” said Shinie Shaw, a McCormick senior.

Shaw, who lives on the 1000 block of Dempster Street, said that last week she found it easier to walk on the street than on the sidewalks.

“It just seems that no one ever cares whether the sidewalks are clear or not,” Shaw said.

Clearing up sidewalks is more than a nice thing to do — it’s a civic responsibility. Barry Bernsen, who manages Willard Apartments, 1901-07 Sherman Ave., said he would rather spend the time shoveling snow than have someone fall down and hurt themselves around his property.

“It’s part of being a landlord,” Bernsen said. “If it snows, it snows. Owning property comes with responsibility — you just don’t take the money and run.”

Bernsen added that penalties against landlords and property owners are hard to enforce because there is gray area in the ordinance. And because there is often no room to put the extra snow and ice, it piles up on the streets and corners.

Although the burden on owners and landlords is considerable, the city has trusted homeowners and landlords to contribute to society by clearing up no more than the sidewalk area in front of their property. But experience has shown that some property owners are either too lazy or too irresponsible to do their part in this democratic experiment.

This is where the city should step up and bare its teeth: Rewrite the ordinance to include stiffer penalties and enforce the law by patrolling the streets after a heavy snowfall.

But until then all landlords, homeowners and storeowners have to make the joint effort to keep the sidewalks clear, either by doing it themselves or by hiring someone to do the job. Our safety depends on it.

As for me, I’m going to wear my sturdy boots and long for the days when ice was my summertime companion.

Not this winter nightmare.

Deputy City Editor Malavika Jagannathan is a Medill junior. She can be reached at [email protected].