A person who would rather not shovel and get a fine solely because if someone should injure themselves in front of his property, then he won’t be able to be sued, in my view, such a person has bad middos.
And of course people are unjustifiably upset due to personal reasons
I don’t think it’s unjustifiable. Whether or not a person is required to shovel, and generating some reaction because you are upset may be wrong, but it’s certainly understandable in some circumstances to be upset.
is anyone ever really upset because of the ‘principle of the matter’ ?!
I don’t think anyone would be upset because of the principal of the matter in such a case. People are upset because they slipped or fell, or are scared they will.