apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

We also do this here in Boston, I never thought I'd "be one of those people," but after an hour or two shoveling, I want to keep my space! Generally people seem to respect the chairs, but still sometime move them and park. On my street, it's chairs, traffic cones, and this morning I saw a cooler!

That's just weird and selfish

This made me smile...I remember those days! Although at the time it made me mad when I saw "reserved" street spaces on the street--especially in the depths of winter when piles of snow already reduced the number of available spots. You can't claim something as yours when it clearly isn't!

well, I'm in baltimore and people do it here as well though we rarely get enough snow for it to be seen often. I know growing up we lived by the (old) baseball stadium and it was more common for people (my parents included) living on the surrounding streets to save spots during games.

oh I love this. I see it all the time and it's perfectly acceptable!!!

I hate this practice. Everyone has to dig out their car, so why should one person get to take their spot "off the market" while they're not there? It's un-neighborly and selfish in the extreme.

I't's definitely not just the midwest. I've seen it in Chicago, but also in Boston. And I think it happens a fair amount in some of the outer boroughs of NYC. I definitely understand how one might feel entitled to claim dominion over a spot after having spent an hour or more of back-wrenching work to dig it out of a couple feet of snow and ice. But when I've actually seen the people staking a claim with furniture, I've noticed they tend toward the, er, less neighborly end of the spectrum. In some cases, it seems to be the same guys who feel they have proprietary interests in the spots in front of their houses during the summer months too.

I've never seen this in NYC - in any of the boroughs. The closest approximate is having a friend try to save a spot by standing in the space while you go retrieve the car and try to make it back in time before someone else tries to park on them.

Hey, if I take the time to dig out the space in the first place, you better be damn sure I'm gonna put something out there to save the spot. If someone needs to park their car, they can dig out their own parking space.

If everyone shoveled their cars out, then the street would be clear and you could park anywhere. But most of our neighbors don't bother, so I don't have a problem with plunking down two folding chairs in my nice cleared spot while I run to the Jewel.

my husband and I were just talking about this on our walk last night... the whole fact that it's a "public street" pretty much says that if someone wants to they can chuck those ridiculous pieces of furniture, stakes, etc. and park there as needed. Leaving those things there all day while you're at work and expecting no one to be able to park there is selfish, immature and pretty ridiculous!

In Philadelphia it is common practice all year round. I don't mind it because it is Philly and some jerk will take your spot but also because I don't drive a car :)

This has got to be one of my biggest pet peeves. I've also noticed that it's generally the folks who are less neighborly in general who are selfish enough to feel that they're entitled to something that doesn't belong to them. It makes me even crazier to see someone with an SUV that's perfectly capable of navigating through the snow do this. What was the point of that gas-guzzler if you're just going to throw a chair in the spot anyway?

It's a "snowy city with no winter parking regulations" practice. I've lived in cities where alternate side parking was in effect all winter long. This, in theory, lets plows get in and have the streets cleared to the curbs within 2 days.

I've also lived in a city (Minneapolis) that only implements alternate side parking after a snow emergency has been declared. This doesn't work quite as well as the winter-long alternate side parking rule, as inevitably there will be cars that don't follow the rules. Although some cars are towed, it would be impossible to tow every single one, so they get plowed around.

If I need a parking space, THAT parking space, I'm taking it as well as the chair.

I lived on Ohio State Campus for years where parking was at a premium. Yes, I hated digging my car out. And yes, I hated coming back to find there was no space for me. But saving spaces with furniture? Ha! Around these parts you might get your car tipped over just for being in someone's way. No one would pay any attention to furniture in the road!

I'm in Chicago and obviously see this all the time! But this morning I saw a spot that was sectioned off w/ 4 orange cones and some string! The most elaborate spot saver ever!

This definitely isn't limited to the Midwest! It's practically a cultural thing in South Boston. About five years ago (as what was historically a close-knit, family neighborhood saw an influx of yuppies), things came to a head, with Mayor Menino putting a 48-hour limit on reserved spaces after a storm. He even went so far as to send out trash trucks to collect items from the street once the deadline passed! There were a ton of articles in the local media, on local blogs, and even among the national press. It turned into a big turf war with some ugly consequences (although that happened in East Boston).

that's one thing I don't miss.

I dig out my car too but if you want a personal parking space, pay for it. Although I don't see that in my neighbor, I would love to shatter those ugly plastic chairs into pieces with my 98 Nissan.

Its total silliness. Just because you cleared it, doesn't make it yours. This is not street 'homesteading' where you can just lay claim to it. Ridiculous. Clear out enough to get your car out like the rest of us and just deal. Winter parking sucks. I get it. But if you need a spot in your congested neighborhood when you get home at 10pm? Its called RENT A SPOT IN A GARAGE.

I live in Boston, and there are news stories every winter about someone in Southie coming to blows with somebody over their parking spot that had been marked with traffic cones or folding chairs.

I live in a different neighborhood (Allston), where people aren't quite so territorial. I don't think I've ever seen the furniture save here, but a lot of parking is also two-hour in my immediate area.

Haha my thoughts exactly, thepictures. It is definitely common practice at any time of the year in Philadelphia. My boyfriend, who's from Texas, tends to say "Oh, Philly..." in that mocking tone when he sees this.

The lady next door shoveled out TWO spots in front of her house, but she didn't save them. Both were filled when she got home last night. Sorry, but I think that's un-neighborly.

speaking for parking spots in toronto, where we surely get as much snow as midwesterners... i have never seen this.

it was the 10th anniversary of the mayor calling in the army to assist with snow removal and overall clearing of paths and from back then to now i have never seen anyone "reserve" a spot with an item. we probably even lose about 1/4 of the spots to poorly plowed streets and bad parking but never ever have i seen this.

Granted snow isn't an issue much, but here in Seattle this would never fly. Firstly, nothing short of a car holds a parking spot (including people - I've seen cars mow people down who are "saving" a spot by standing in it, while their friends drive around the block to come back to it). And second, anything placed on the sidewalk or further is fair game for the taking (especially now, in the Craig's List era). Kiss your cooler goodbye! I honestly can't even fathom people respecting a chair that's holding a parking spot on the street, shoveled or not. But that's just not what we're used to here... It's a cruel, cruel world! ; /

Chicago southsider here!!! Da BEARS! no really...

where we used to live in englewood i saw this all the time, but now i have moved to a residential "family" block. we haven't seen this practice in the 2 winters that we have been here. actually sunday we were all out shoveling out spaces together. now with all this snow i feel it wasn't worth it.

I've never seen it in Calgary, or Halifax. It is interesting

Wow. I'm in Texas so I NEVER have to deal with this (thank God), and I had never even considered this stuff happening. I can understand both arguments and it pretty much sucks either way. I usually hate our warm winter weather, but thank you for giving me something to be thankful about. Good luck to all of you who do have to deal with parking this winter!!

We have this in Boston. I haven't seen it on my street, for the most part. I don't have a car and glad of it too. One of the big problems is that they restrict parking on the main roads during a big snowstorm, so all those cars need to find a new spot.

If I had to dig a car out, I'd have no expectations of being able to retain it, lawn chairs or no. I'd be upset, but then I'm accustomed to taking public transportation, it's close by, and think there are very few places one might need to get to only by car.

I realize some people take jobs in these remote places, but that's the kind of thing that can be avoided. It's convenient if you want to get a lot of shopping done, but there's something to be said for only getting as much as you can carry. You might want to get away, go visit someone in another state, for example, but that's why I have a zipcar account.

The #1 reason I choose not to have a car is exactly this situation called "winter". I'm not socially equipped with the nards to put out a placeholder for my parking spot and not be furious when someone doesn't "respect" it, or not feel like a total douchebag for expecting anyone to orbit the block for another place to park while I wasn't there.

I used to see this occasionally when I lived in DC. Though I've had to shovel snow to get my car out (on-street parking) the thought never occured to me that I should "save" the space with garbage cans or chairs. To me, it comes off as trashy and boorish behavior.

Also, my furniture is waaay to nice.

Definitely a Boston thing. I grew up with the designated snow chair in the front hall way. Not long ago, after someone had taken my chair and thrown it to the side, I found a spot without one. Unfortunately, the spot-claimer still felt it was theirs - they slashed 3 of my tires!

Oddly enough, we just had this happen for the first ime in Vancouver this winter. We finally had enogh snow to justify it (2 ft in a few days)
To give you some perpsective, this is the first time in a MONTH that I have been able to drive in my neighbourhood b/c the snowplows don't do anything except main drags. (We are gorssly unprepared for snow here-we mostly get dustings throughout the winter). There is no way my economy car was getting on my street. So, I say placing a marker on a spot you've spent hours clearing out is totally fair. Mostly, between neighbours this isn't a problem. We all know who's shovelled out and who hasn't. The problem occurs when someone who has to abandon their vehicle b/c they can't drive in the snow uses the spot. (Literally, hundreds on the main drag just off my side street).
I would never park in a spot that was obviously cleared by someone else. Common courtesy.

Call it selfish, but don't knock it until you've shoveled out a space in a wind chill of minus x degrees. In Chicago. And although the city's known for its friendly Midwestern hospitality, I'm certainly not going to chance it by parking in someone's space and risk having my windows smashed.

Funny that this thread was posted, because my fiance told me yesterday that he wanted to rig up a giant styrofoam ball with spikes and use that as his space saver. I certainly don't doubt that he will.

I have to say in all the time that I lived in Dupont Circle and Capitol Hill (in Washington, DC) I never saw the use of furniture (or other items) to save parking spots. I did see lots of bent fenders and bumpers, mine included! Street parking is no fun, especially during snow season!

Tabitha
http://www.fromsingletomarried.com

I lived in Jersey City, NJ, opposite Lower Manhattan, for 18 years. Chairs, boxes, garbage cans, broomsticks, anything cheap and replacable are commonly used to "protect" parking spots. The practice however, only arises after a huge snowstorm as small snow accumulations usually don't require a lot of shoveling. Jersey City also has alternate side of the street parking but only for street cleaning, a heavy snow fall suspends the practice until the snow melts.

its purely based on morals of entitlement which is why I disagree with it. No one person can claim a public stake of land of which we all pay taxes for.

I do not park in these spots for fear that someone would want to key my car. But, I would love to just take their chairs away!

I think it sucks when you shovel out your car and someone parks in front of your house without moving for days- it happens a lot in Philly. I live in an area of Philadelphia with lots of restaurants and shopping and some people stay in front of my house without moving for weeks. The elderly couple next door saves a spot in front of their house with a cone all year round. Sometimes people move the cone and the husband can barely walk even with his cane. I don't have a car anymore because I couldn't stand having to walk blocks to get back to my house with groceries. Now I use Philly Car Share and just block the narrow street to unload (yes, that's rude but so are the jerks who won't just park in the parking lot though its free and take all the parking from my neighbors and me. It also stops people from going 50mph through my street when there are so many kids there and the speed limit is 20mph).

I'm on board with the sentiment that this is selfish, immature, unneighborly behavior. I file these people under the same tab as "people who drive Hummers" and "people who park in handicap spots".

In general, it's just not a well-bred attitude and a very telling litmus test of character.

I'm from NJ too, and this was done all the time in my neighborhood. I understand the impulse on the day of the first big dig, but people take it way too far and try save spots for a week!

As a Chicagoan, I shovel plenty of snow and I see plenty of other people attempting this.

It's just tacky and childish.

As the 110 lb girl who not only shoveled her spot , but another half a spot before going to work (I am talking about the real shoveling, taking the snow to the side of my house, not the middle of the road like some of my neighboors did, or on the sidewalk), I can honestly say that it sucks when people who you know just drive away leaving a mess behind because they are not waking up at 6AM and therefore are running late take your spot. Not only that, sometimes they took two spots, I guess if you don't clear them it doesn't matter. People would put up furniture, garbage cans, and the such. I wouldn't do that because I felt that people could use the spot during the day, specially college students who had their campus nearby. So what worked for me was to call somebody when I left work and have that person reserve a spot for me or shovel one out in exchange for some sort of food. I mean if my upstairs neighboor put the garbage can and left it there for 20 minutes is not as bad as for the whole day.

I wish neighboors had common courtesy, but they don't. One time one lady lectured me on how you are supposed to put the snow in the middle of the road so the plow takes it. This is after I caught her shoveling the snow from her spot onto my car.

Woah, I've never seen that in Montreal, and I'd dare say we probably get more snow than all of you. Besides, we'd never respect a silly chair anyways... I've even moved the city's emergency "no parking" signs half way down a block to let my friend take a spot (I don't drive)

Heh.. I live in Mexico City, and this is the norm.

But it mostly happens in the daytime, shops tend to "reserve" parking spaces for employees or customers.

You see a lot of old chair, wooden crates and frequently wooden spools (for wire and cable) holding the parking spaces.

Since I don't have a car, I find it mildly amusing, but other people get outraged, understandably so.

i went to pilsen to visit the textile discount outlet the other day and it took forever to find a spot. i'd say an average of 5 or 6 spots were "reserved" on each block within a three block radius.

if i tried to swing this in hyde park, i'd probably fail. never seen it here. not sure why some neighborhoods make such a big practice of it and others don't, and i'm not sure why some neighborhoods even get away with it.

aaahh the joys of not having a car

I love seeing this. I'm a Chicagoan, so I see this all the time.
I definitely think it's fair, as many times my parents have had to shovel a spot, coming home from work, in the snowy and super wind chilled snow. Everyone seems to respect the chair holding the space.

New Orleans Jazzfest.

The concept of leaving a chair to reserve a spot on top of the concept that the space to park in front of your house being used by someone else is ok is bizarre to me. Just seems odd. But it never snows here either, so who knows.

Interesting that all the Canadians posting, including myself, have never seen this happen - even though we are the ultimate land of ice and snow. Perhaps we're really as polite as everyone thinks we are.

South Philly. West Philly.

It is officially illegal to do.

It is common in all cities where it snows and there is no alternate side of the street parking or other snow removal snow laws. The thing that gets me is if you move the stuff that someone left in the street, you know they're going to key your car or something.

It does suck to shovel out a place and then have someone take it. It also sucks to not be able to find a place because people have put buckets of cement/traffic cones in all available places. Whatcha gonna do?

Then again, I don't have a car.

One of my other favorite snow things: people who clear off their car windows but not the top of the car and then spend 10 minutes on the highway whiting out the people behind them.

I think it's dumb. If you live in a snowy city then you have to deal with some inconveniences like shoveling your car out. I do have one suggestion, we have a 97 Cadillac DeVillen and that baby just plows right out of this spots - never have to shovel.

Nikita..and I don't want to pick on you....but your habit, not shoveling your spot the right way...that makes it hard for other people to use such spot and hence become territorial about the spots they shovel.

Sciencegeek...I hear you about those people that only clear their windows. They upset me as well. The worst part is when they stop short and all the snow falls in front of their windshield, and they have to get out of the car and clear it off...and you...the person behind them...misses the green light.

This is my second winter in Chicago, and I've never seen this. I can't believe people would expect to be able to hold a spot like this.

As a Chicagoan (and a frequent digger-outer of my car), I find the practice of leaving furniture to save you space as tacky and rude. The streets are public space. Digging out your car and then later having to park in a lumpy, snow-filled space is just one of the facts of having to park on the street. I don't understand how people feel entitled to a space just because they spend 30 minutes digging out their car. You should just consider it a public service if you're cleaning out the spot. Seriously.

It's difficult enough to find parking in the city, add to that the space that snow takes up and all of the bad parking jobs and parking spaces are at even more of a premium and then you go and block one off for a whole day while you're gone?

I don't find this to be a "funny quirk" or a "fun tradition" of cold-weather towns, I find it embarrassing, tacky and rude.

Tequila red writes:
The lady next door shoveled out TWO spots in front of her house, but she didn't save them. Both were filled when she got home last night. Sorry, but I think that's un-neighborly.


You're right; all sorts of posters here writing that it's unneighbourly to stake a claim, but not examining the fact that it's equally unneighbourly to claim a spot that's been neatly shovelled for you than shovel your own spot.

haven't seen furniture, but have seen cones and boxes and all sorts. But only in areas that have problems with parking; where people from other areas of town come to park their vehicles so they can go for dinner etc but leave the people living there out in the cold (literally!)

Not an issue in the town I live in now, because you'll get fined and towed if you park on the street at night.

Wow, I am shocked that so many people think this practice is OK. It seems to me that the only way you can lay claim to a parking space is to have your car in it. The fact that sometimes you have to shovel around it to get it out doesn't mean anything. It's the next parker's good fortune to come upon a prime space that's been nicely shoveled. It's no different than you leaving in the summer and finding someone in "your" favorite spot upon your return. The shoveling you had to do was to allow YOU to get out of the spot in the first place. Anyway, there's a good chance that you in turn have taken your car to someone else's neighborhood, where you are perpetuating the cycle of taking a space someone else thinks is theirs.

This is the way of Boston, as I said. It's even referred to in the city ordinances, Spacesavers is a registered trademark (?!) and are to be respected, but there are rules one must adhere to, according to our mayor.

Any spacesavers® left in on-street parking spaces that have been shoveled out must be removed 48 hours after a snow emergency has ended.

Do not throw snow back into the street. “Throwbacks” force the city to remove snow from the same street twice.

This and the fact that property owners are responsible for the clearing and de-icing of sidewalks - my landlord is phenominally on top of this. Not so, the local firehouse, convenience store, and just generally a lot of houses on my block, or near the hospital, getting anywhere even on foot is a hassle. But you can save a space, the mayor says it's ok up to a point, and you're not supposed to throw snow into the street. They ask regular citizens to shovel out spots in front of fire hydrants nearby their own car. Etc.

This is illegal in germany.
Unauthorized assumption of authority. You might go to jail for up to two years for doing that.

I've been documenting this practice for 4 years now.
I find it completely fascinating.

Here are a few of my photographs.
http://flickr.com/photos/donguss/sets/72157594548368917/

I live in Chicago and park on the street. And, sorry, no, this is not acceptable. People who do this are a-holes.

It is a public street. You can't create your own, private, reserved parking space. I shovel the sidewalk in front of my building, too. I guess I can cordon that off as well.

I've been a Chicagoan all my life and I happen to hate this and have never done it, but now I understand it fully because of this winter and the specific situation on my block. My neighbor and I spent hours shoveling out 4 spots and a hydrant. The neighbors across the street are mean, older folks that key a car parked in front of their house. They don't shovel, and the second someone leaves for work who did shovel, they take the spot, and then reserve the one in front of their house as well. And they leave their car there for days.
I have a newborn baby that my wife takes to daycare everyday and I pick her up. Why should we have to march down the block with my baby in tow to a spot when I spent the time and effort to dig out 4 spots in front of my house?
If the old people want help digging their spot out, ask me when I'm shoveling and I'll help. I'm already dressed and ready for it then. But don't take a spot someone else spent the time digging out and make them do the work all over again!
Trouble is, jerks exist, and the most practical way of preventing them from being a jerk is to save the spot.

If everyone resolved never to park on a residential street after a snowstorm in a space you didn't shovel, there would be no need for the chairs. Probably won't happen. Those who hate space savers are often the ones who create the need for them. It's not a territorial issue. It's a labor issue. Some have no problem with getting something for free.

i8kermit--This is the reason people with young kids move to the suburbs. Have you thought about asking the people across the street directly whether they would like help? They probably think you are "mean" too--and they then feel justified taking advantage of your hard work once you leave the neighborhood.

Sadly, this is a simple case of supply and demand. As long as the demand for parking is greater than the supply, you should continue to expect the worst out of people.

I also think there is a difference. There are no businesses, restaurants or anything of the such in my block. So the people taking the spot you shovel are your neighboors or their guest (I mean during non-business hours, college students usually take them up from 8ish to 4ish). It's really upsetting with repeat offender neighboors that literally lurk for your spot and steal it. I can name 5 people on my block that never clear off their cars, never shovel their spots or the sidewalk. Yet the minute they find a better spot they just pull into it regardless of whose back still hurts from shoveling. As I said before, I tend to be the one to calls home and has someone clear off another spot for me because I feel bad for the college students that could use the spot. I used to be one at one point. But I did end up buying a parking decal eventually to use the parking facilities on campus because it was safer and it was only like forty dollars. I know some people can't afford that and get frustrated to see a cone, or chair. But you are parking in a residential area, there are no businesses there and you are three blocks away from the outskirts of campus. I think under these circumstance it is acceptable to save a spot. The people who are unable to park there for a couple of hours are just casualties of in neighborhood quarrels.

If there are businesses or offices in that block, I can be convinced that it would be not acceptable to save a spot.

I have an old, dirty plastic lawn chair that I keep solely for this purpose. I used to think it was selfish until I moved into my home. One particular day I sat looking out the window at a few of my neighbors outside shoveling snow from their cars. I went out and shoveled with the best of them. All the while, listening to wise cracks from married men about being single sucks at times such as these. The next day when I came home from work, one of my neighbors (who watched me shovel struggle to shovel my car out) had parked in my space. Not very neighborly. Been using that chair ever since.

I swear this made me go bonkers every winter. I feel the same way as redjet, never thought I'd be the person to complain. But I even went as far as leaving notes on peoples cars like a crazy lady one year. Thankfully now I have a driveway. I think this was even a joke in a commercial here in Boston for some news station.

madsarah-
I've only been in the house 6 months, but I asked my neighbor about the people across the street. They just brush him off and say it's a free country, or something of the sort. Yet I was warned by 4 other neighbors that they indeed will key a car if yo park in front of their house, all year round. They say they are too old to shovel, and their teenage sons are too busy. They don't mention the droves of people knocking on doors asking to shovel for $10, and somehow their walk gets cleared.
They know I'm not mean, I helped push the old man's car out of the spot in front of my house when his compact got stuck in the snow! They just don't care. Most of the time people "reserve" spots, they have reason.

madsarah - I witnessed this situation during/after one of our recent snowstorms. Of course, this was right before Christmas, when people are nice. A young man got out of his jeep, took the shovel out of his trunk, and offered to help a young lady dig her car out, almost inevitably in an effort to "share the spot" after she left. She told him she wasn't leaving the spot, she was just shoveling to be able to get out on Monday. So they shared a few pleasantries, but he ultimately left in search of a place to park his car.

Again, this is due to parking restrictions on major roadways during a snow emergency, and the same amount of cars have to find side street parking, overtaking the capacity of people who actually live on that street.

I have read all these comments, and I don't think there's a terrific answer here. In a typical situation, you do all the work and then you have no place to park. Too many cars, not enough spaces. What kind of "system" are people expected to come up with in this situation? Less reliance on cars? It's probably to some degree why this seems not to be the case in New York City. From what I understand, the public transportation, while no means perfect, is well more competent than it is in Boston, and from what I imagine, provides more coverage than a sprawling Chicago. While I know parking can be tight in NYC, I think fewer people own cars. All points in between probably have their own driveway.

It's street vigilantism. If one had to survive in this cultural atmosphere, it's hard to say one wouldn't act accordingly. Punishing the person who parked in your spot with vandalism is an outrageously unacceptable reaction to the offense. As bad as the T is, it absolves me of having to find out firsthand how belonging to the car shovelers'/street parkers' culture would affect my nature. By most accounts, I'm neither exceptionally warm nor patient, but I can see this isn't an optimal way to get along with neighbors and not end up in jail.

When I lived in Chicago's Ukrainian Village, the elderly couple that lived in the next building used to save their space with a walker. I always thought that was brilliant. I mean, what kind of a person is going to move a walker to take a parking space?

There is no saving the spot. It's selfish and uncalled for.

It's a public street and that's that.

I've seen this done only in certain neighborhoods, such as Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, but overall it's UNACCEPTABLE.

i8kermit and KTG,

I am not disputing the reality or hassle of the situation at all. I lived in Chicago for years and had various awful commutes--the worst being from the north side to Deerfield, which was a nightmare and could only be accomplished in a car. I know the idea of moving to the suburbs is anathema to a lot of people--it was for me.

The situation you describe IS street vigilantism. I would suggest doing what one of my friends had to do when she became the target of a neighbor who thought she and her husband were "devil-worshippers." (The neighbor would pour acid on their lawn and shrubs when they were at work.) Park in one of the low-life neighbors' spots and just dare them to key your car. Have a video camera prominently displayed in your window (either your apartment or your car, wherever they'll see it). If they key the car, call the police and hand over the evidence.

Good luck!

Yeah, this NEVER happens in Hyde Park, it just wouldn't fly. Not as much in Edgewater but a few people try it.

But the best comment about it had to be Ashley of the LP Trixie Society. Her take, when asked which chairs were acceptable to put out to save the space? None, because it means you couldn't afford a parking space (meaning an indoor garage space).

This happens in Chicago every winter. I think it's ridiculous and some of the things that people lay out on the street to hold "their" spaces are hideous.

Man, I live in Seattle now (used to be MI) and I my whole commute on the day of our first big storm telling people to wipe off thier tail lights (sticky wet snow) and turn on thier headlights. I even had one guy I flagged down that hadn't noticed his flashers were on becuase he was "so scared to be driving, i've never seen snow before". Headdesk... all I could think was, park your car and go back inside your home!

This happens in the beach communities of San Diego - especially in the summer. Housing is dense, and street parking is limited and in demand, esp. on high beach traffic days (Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Labor Day weekends especially). I most frequently see city provided trash bins lined up to reserve spaces, especially in OB on 4th of July. I've never actually moved someone's trash bins to park, out of worry that they will damage my car, but I was close to it a few times. Fortunately, I found another space nearby.

And, there is no issue of 'having shoveled the snow out of the space' here, so I think it is just rude. It is street parking! on a public street! I also don't believe the parking spot in front of your house belongs to you, but that is never an issue in these neighborhoods. Housing and parking is so dense; every space, and several made up ones, are filled with cars, so there isn't much opportunity to complain about people parked in front of your house.

This also happened in a big way in our old neighborhood of Brighton at the edge of Boston. I was really surprised the first time I saw the chairs, garbage cans, 5-gallon buckets, etc in the street. I grew up in and around Buffalo, NY, where there is plenty of snow to go around, but this NEVER happened. Everyone digs themselves out before the plow comes to take the snow away, so there are few "lost" spaces.

Being unaware of the practice, one day my bf and I parked the car in a freshly dug-out space (to our credit, we had also dug ourselves out of a different space earlier that morning), we didn't see the white 5-gallon bucket holding the space, and my bf got a large, deep key scratch along every body panel on the driver's side. It's still there 4 years later, a proud reminder of one of the reasons why we moved to the Bay Area, where it never snows.

I live in NY and park my car on the street. In the best of weather, finding a space is difficult because there are primarily apartments in the area. After a major snowfall, most people will dig out their cars only if they plan on using them, otherwise they stay covered in snow until melted by the sun or alternate side parking is back on. In this neighborhood, you don't expect to get the same space no matter what the weather.

When we lived in Boston (Southie, specifically) this was a major deal. People would vandalize your car if you messed with their tattered lawn chair, paint bucket, or whatever they left to mark their spot. Not something I miss.

You shovel, I shovel, and some people don't shovel. A is old, B has a baby, C has a bad back, D has a bum leg, E is just lazy. Whatever.

It's called living in a city and parking on the street. Deal with it, people. And if you can't deal with it, take public transpo, rent a dedicated space, take a cab, or move. Only jerks put their trash on the street and call it "my space".

It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. You see a spot saved, it's off limits. The sooner you understand this philosophy of urban living, the better off you will be. Someone takes the time to shovel out their space and they place household item out there.. I'm not about to risk getting my tires slashed because it's a public street.

You want your own spot. Move to the burbs.

You people live in cities where they plow the residential streets?

*whimper*

Such a lucky thing doesn't happen in Edmonton, where I live. You should see the intersections near my house--the ruts are several inches deep. I have to be careful not to trip in them when I cross the street.

Mlle Kate, they don't plow residential areas here in Vancouver either! What's really annoying is when people "save" their spaces even when it's not winter. It always seems to be the house with the double-garage in the back, too!

I completely agree with TequilaRed. I recently moved to Chicago this summer and have never experienced "reserved" parking spaces before. But you know what? If that's the game the neighbors want to play, you play the game too and beat them at it. This is why "my" space is right in front of my building. If EVERYONE shoveled out their space it wouldnt be a big deal, but they don't. Some people don't even move their car for the whole winter! And I know some people have suggested renting parking, but there is no parking to rent near my building.

I share my space with my next door neighbor. When I'm at work he parks in it.

I would like everyone to know that I do not put crappy furniture out, I don't have any. Instead I use 4 milk crates. I see some people putting their children's toys out on the street!

And as for the comments about moving people's chairs and parking, beware of smashed windows, keyed cars, and slashed tires. I don't want to have anything to do with that.

But overall I agree it's silly. But I'm not going to bust my butt all over the street every time I park.

You see a spot saved, it's off limits.

You want your own spot. Move to the burbs.

You see the contradiction here... right?

California here and I think this is so hilarious.. but I understand the territorial attitude if you've taken the time to shovel the snow. Still, do they expect people to not just run the chairs over or move them and do people actually comply?

I had never seen this practice until this morning! Strange how that happens. I was lamenting the fact that I have to walk a puppy a mile to go to day care and how much faster it would be if I could drive her there. Then I saw how much people have to go through to get their cars out of feet of snow, the fact that the available parking spaces is cut in half with all the piles of snow in between each spot, and general driving around on it. Then not getting the spot that you had to spend all morning digging out once you get home.

The mile walk at 7:30 in sub-zero windchills doesn't seem so bad afterall. :)

I think some peole are judging very different situations with blanket "rules," and that just doesn't work. I can understand if you think it's public property and that's that, which makes a lot of sense in a more heavily populated street (apartment buildings). I live on a street of all single family homes, many with driveways. In the summer, you are almost always guaranteed at least one spot in front of your house. Everyone parks in front of their house and that's that. But in the winter, those who don't feel like shoveling are "opportunistic" and wait until responsible people shovel in front of their house and take the spot! It's much more rude when the status quo is parking in front of one's own house, and then doing that differently in the winter because you don't want to shovel.

i8kermit--that IS annoying. When I read your earlier posts I didn't pick up on the idea that you lived on a block of single family homes. That makes the "mean" people even more obnoxious. What's worse, they're probably laughing every time they "score" a nicely cleared space.

I don't have quite the same problem, but I do have next-door neighbors who have a driveway but prefer to park on the street. They have a whole stretch of street in front of their own property that no one else uses for parking, but sometimes their vehicles end up in front of mine. It's not so bad when it's their newer Prius, but when their old conversion van sits for days in front of my house, blocking my otherwise pretty view, it's irritating.

You know what else, i8kermit (cute name!)- people who "steal" parking spaces had to have come from somewhere, where they likely shoveled out of themselves. Part of the problem, as I mentioned was parking restrictions on main thoroughfares during snow emergencies pushing people to park on already crowded side streets or get towed. Abiding by this system that's often created is in no ways fair to anyone. People have to shovel out, people have to find a place to park. Everyone is shoveling out of somewhere so it's not exactly fair to say you shovel yours so it belongs to you, when the other person's parking space no longer (temporarily) exists. Vandalizing and fear of vandalism as a result of non-compliance to this screwed up system is remarkably uncalled-for. All your hard work gets you nothing. It's not fair. In major cities with limited parking, with ... grumble.. "adequate" public transportation (which the MBTA barely provides us in Boston), why are you still partaking in this INSANE social ritual? The "price I pay" for not having a car is probably the worst public transportation system in the country, and it's still a more attractive option than situations as described.

donguss, your flickr collection is brilliant! Love it. Just added a couple to my faves.

I resorted to doing this for the first time this week, but only for two days. I shoveled out three spaces over the weekend because I had a lot of errands I had to run and each time I came back, I had to shovel just to get into a space and then I would clear it to make sure I could get out. I was recently injured in a car accident, and I don't have a lot of upper body strength, so by Monday my back was a wreck. I knew I could just not physically shovel out another spot.

Anyway, people should just relax and not judge so much. If you are physically able, do a bit more than your share to compensate for those that can't.