A Newfoundland man who often drives his riding snowblower across the street to clear neighbours' driveways has no plans to stop -- even though he faces a hefty fine if he's caught. Corner 
Brook, N.L. municipal police recently charged Pat Hickey after they observed him perched atop his John Deere snowblower crossing the roadway from his own home to his neighbour's property just a few metres away.Hickey purchased his riding snowblower earlier this winter and has been voluntarily clearing snow from many of his neighbours' driveways, most of whom are seniors."I thought it would be nice to help them out but the city didn't see it that way," Hickey told Canada AM via telephone from Corner Brook on Thursday.
Last week, the city Hickey slapped with a ticket, charging him of operating a recreational vehicle on a city street which is in violation of a municipal by-law. The city claimed Hickey was causing traffic disruptions. Hickey said he minds the traffic and he's received no complaints from the public. He said he plows about 10 driveways in the morning and in the evening after a major snowfall. "My driveway is pretty small, so I didn't buy it just for my driveway. I'd be pretty lazy otherwise," Hickey said. The City of Corner Brook has gone on damage control since the media latched on to this Good Samaritan story. The city insists Hickey can still clear the driveways along the street as long as he pushes, pulls, tows or carries the heavy-duty piece of equipment across the road. Hickey said a kill switch prevents him from walking the blower across. "It's kind of like a safety device, you've got to be sitting on it or else it won't run," he said. Hickey said the warning won't keep him from driving his snowblower from house-to-house in the event of another snowfall. "I did yesterday," he said. Hickey said he has received an "amazing" amount of encouragement from the wider community. "People are phoning, people are coming by my house, driving by, saying 'Keep up the good work."
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