OK, there is a fairly huge amount of awesome in this post.

[WilliamPitt]

People in Boston shovel out parking spots and put furniture/cones/dressers/whatever in the spot to "save it." This guy apparently put a chair in someone else's shoveled-out spot...so this person got their chair stuffed into a snowbank, with a little note attached. Awesomesauce.



:rofl:

[Lucinda]

1. That's a very polite FU letter!

:P

[elleng]

18. VERY polite!

[TZ]

2. bwahahaha!

I'm very happy that we have reserved spaces where I live...But thats hilarious

[LynneSin]

3. I have got to get my cones out of storage

We only had 3 inches this past week so I didn't bother but I'll be needing them this year. Our city has 2 times during the year we're allowed to put cones out in parking spaces - Winter and the Italian Festival (I won't even move my car that week since I live so close to it)

[siligut]

4. This is the correct response

Didn't call the guy a dick, though he/she may be, didn't steal the chair, just called the action invalid. It is during stressful times that you will see the biggest idiots and peoples true colors.

[gratuitous]

5. Actually rather polite

I am reminded of a friend, who went to Michigan back in the 1970s. The students at that time had worked out a place-holding policy for the lines for event tickets. The first folks to arrive in line were obligated to keep and check "the list," and everyone arriving after them put their names on the the list. The first folks would walk the line every hour or so (this was in a time when for very popular concerts, people would line up days in advance), and make sure that you or a representative of your party was holding your place in line. If you weren't there, your name was crossed off the list, and everyone behind you moved up one spot.

One day, the first folks to arrive found a list taped up on the window of the box office with the names of three guys on it and instructions to add your name to the bottom, but nobody holding the list. The list was taken down, and a new list started. After a while, about a dozen people had gotten in line when the original guys showed up and asked to take charge of their list. "What list?" After a brief exchange of opinions, the first guys tried to bully the guys at the front of the line and said "Why don't we just be first?" The rest of the line, unintimidated, stood as one to enforce proper line discipline.

[siligut]

7. "All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others."

Glad the crowd held their ground. Stupid or arrogant, that behavior should not be rewarded.

[meegbear]

6. Must be the "holiday spirit" ...

when I was your age, they would've just slashed all four tires.

[WilliamPitt]

8. Well...

...this ain't Southie. :)

[meegbear]

9. LOL!

[Gormy Cuss]

14. ..

or Charlestown or Eastie or Revere or Somerville...

:rofl:

[Paper Roses]

16. Charlestown, I bet. They are fiercely protective of their shoveled spots.

My daughter had an apartment in Charlestown for a year. No-one ever told her of the parking etiquette She parked on the street and it snowed overnight. Shoveled out in the AM, went to work. When she came home that night someone else was parked in her shoveled spot. It took quite a while to find a spot for her car because every street was lined with chairs, barrels, ladders, every manner of bulky items to mark territory. When she asked a neighbor, she was told that this is how you protect all your hard work. The road furniture stayed there until the snow melted.

She put a chair in the back of her car and carried it around with her until an opportunity came up for her to claim a spot after the next snow.

I know they do the same thing in other areas in and around Boston. The arguments for a spot can be fierce, I was told Charlestown was the toughest. Tiny little 3 story apartments on both sides of very narrow, hilly streets. At least one car per apartment. You can see the problem right away.

[Duer 157099]

10. This west coaster needs some more explanation

Like how does this work, if you leave your home in the morning and shovel the snow off of your car and space and then put a cone (or chair) there, then the etiquette is that the space is yours until you return? Is there a time limit, like an hour or so, or can it be reserved for a full day?

We don't have snow days here so this hasn't come up in my lifetime, yet. But it may, so I need to be prepared.

[krispos42]

12. The city trucks plow your car in. The plowed snow...

...can reach as high as your window sill. Therefore, to dig your car out requires a shitload of work, moving wet and heavy snow 3-4 feet deep.


Now, where I used to live in Minnesota, some places simply made it illegal to park on the street between, say, 2am and 5am from November 1st until April 1st. Other places, if it's snowing, until 24 hours after the snow stops. This way the plows can clear the streets from curb to curb.

It's like a $10 fine, plus about $170 for the tow and impoundment.



You can probably guess how I know that. ;-)

[petronius]

13. Isn't there also a time limit? Like, you can reserve the spot you dug for

48 hours (or something) after the snow day, but after that it goes back to regular parking rules?

[krispos42]

25. I don't know that fine of detail about the issue.

I live in the suburbs, so it's a bit roomier out here. Lots of driveways, so street parking isn't an issue. You still have to dig yourself out, though.

[hibbing]

11. Interesting

Hi,
Thanks for posting this, I never have heard of such a thing, but I do not live in a big city with congested parking. I too would like a bit more explanation. How long is the saved spot good for? Funny sign though!

Peace

[skygazer]

21. It's good until you come back, remove your cone and park

Basically it's an honor system with the unwritten understanding that everyone hates to shovel snow, it's a lot of work, and if you go to all the trouble to do it, you deserve to get your spot back.

[jobycom]

15. Another of the many reasons we southerners think y'all are insane up there.

I couldn't live somewhere it took actual work to park.

[K8-EEE]

20. I know right? I'm from L.A. and spent an Xmas in Buffalo NY

which is my hub's hometown -- I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT....I could not believe how awful the "White Christmas" of the song could be in reality. In fairness the year we went was bad even for them. But OMG it's like their entire lives revolved around plowing and blasting and shoveling not to mention you can't even open the window a crack for months (that killed me as I'm used to open windows in my bedroom most of the year) and you never know if you will be able to drive or get OUT of the house, everyone gets cabin fever and starts bickering nonstop. Man! I was like kissing the ground at LAX!

[peekaloo]

17. chair doesn't what? Mean Dick needs to finish the sentence.

:dunce:

extra points for the use of "therefore".

[kayakjohnny]

22. OK, that is simply fucking funny!

:hi:

[peekaloo]

30. a premature wish

for a Happy Fuckin' New Year to you. :-)

:hi:

[Mad_Dem_X]

19. Love it!

:thumbsup:

[GalleryGod]

23. Pitt! You magnificent Bah-stid!

Thanks for the sustained laugh..much needed & appreciated !
:rofl: :spray: :popcorn:

[quickesst]

24. Glad I don't live....

....in a place that this is necessary, nor is it so competitive. Politness, common sense, and respect usually prevails for us as I'm sure it does for most of the country. Thanks.
quickesst

[Kat45]

27. Saving one's space is absolutely necessary in snowy climes

First, it's a lot of work to shovel out a space. Second, with all the huge piles of snow everywhere, there are a lot fewer spaces in which to park once we get a snowstorm. Adding to that is the fact that some people clear as little snow as possible out of the way and plow through to get their cars out. In this latter situation, the space is pretty much uninhabitable for another car because it's impossible to get in or out of with all the snow still remaining in it (particularly when it freezes at night). This reduces the number of available spaces even more. So, if someone spends the time and energy to shovel out their parking space, you better believe they feel perfectly entitled to save the space with a chair or a barrel so it will be there when they get home. If they don't 'save' the space, they will likely find nowhere to park when they get back home. And when they did the hard work of shoveling, why should they have to cede their space to someone else. Where are they supposed to park?

It is not a law or a rule: it is basically common sense and conventional practice. It's something that people just 'know.' Actually, in many places it is not legal to put something in a space to reserve it. The major of Boston bloviates every year about it and insists that city workers go around removing the chairs and such 48 hours after the storm is over. This does not go over well with the local populace. Everyone still does it anyway.

Edited to add: I love the sign in the photo in the OP.

[petronius]

28. Boston is why I had thought there was a time limit (which I asked above)

My in-laws are there and we visit several times a year; they've explained the snow parking 'rules' to me, but the nuances never seem to sink in for this Californian. I guess I read the '48 hours' thing in the paper or somewhere, and thought it was a law.

We weren't there for much snow this year, but in past seasons I've been impressed with how well people seem to work together and get through it...

[hibbing]

29. Thank you!

Hi!
Your response is absolutely beautiful, thank you. I totally understand the concept and it seems reasonable to me. Of course as this sign demonstrates, there will always be idiots that do not follow the norms or are just plain rude jerks.

Peace

[elocs]

26. Where I live we have alternate side parking in the winter months.

Odd days, odd numbered side of the street, even on the even. Simple and works well. Fortunately I do not live on a city street so I don't have to worry about it.