A sheet of ice has been covering our front steps since last week. Thanks to years of living in New York and London, we became used to *other people* taking care of these problems.
We paid maintenance fees each year that often mystified us, because the bill was never clear about where exactly our money went. So during the rare times when it did snow, we were pleased to see our money at work.
But here in Atlanta, we just stepped gingerly over our frozen steps, and hoped the ice would melt eventually. It didn’t.
So, with a babysitter on her way, we decided it was time to make the steps safe, lest she fall and sue us. We went to Home Depot, and encountered the same friendly gentleman who helped us select a grill over the summer (how times — and temperatures! have changed).
He told us we wouldn’t find any salt, or grit, in Atlanta. He directed me to a prominent display (clearly, we were hardly the first customers to ask for melting agents over the frosty weekend) of DampRid, which appeared to be a product that eliminates damp from one’s closet. It would melt the snow and ice just like salt would, he assured me.
I was skeptical. But we were getting desperate, as the babysitter’s arrival time was almost upon us.
So we cut open the packs of moisture remover. It seemed a shame — they were individually packed in little bags attached to hangers. Clearly, we were using them for a purpose for which they were not intended. We scattered the granules over the steps. And we were pleased to note that the moisture remover had a similar texture to salt/grit.
And in a few hours, it worked! The ice melted. Not in time for the babysitter’s arrival, but luckily, she didn’t slip. Those Home Depot folks sure are enterprising…
Reverse Culture Shock 