Saving parking spots during snowstorms

Go right ahead - I hope you enjoy having your car keyed.

I no longer live in DC, but this is troubling me greatly nonetheless. I don't like this "saved spot" idea. Now, I understand if you have shoveled a spot, and need to go get your car, but to think you can just leave a spot and then come back to it later is crazy.

I know that in some cities, this occurs even when it is not snowing.

Anyway, you are not the only one worried about this, so I hope that helps you sleep at night.

I lived in NJ for 8 years and anyone who deliberately parked in a spot that was shoveled out got their tires slashed and their car keyed as the last person wrote. It's an unwritten code of conduct that if someone shovels their spot, you don't park their. You can do what you want but you have been warned.

Well the guy who marked his spot's car is brand new and worth a lot more than mine so it would be pretty foolish if he went that route.

But that could also mean he has the money to play this game. You really want to start something like that? It's probably not worth the hassle of parking a little further away.

This is a common practice in Pittsburgh (google "Pittsburgh parking chair"), and it makes sense - if you spent an hour shoveling several feet of snow away from your car and parking space, you should get to park there. I don't see what is so worrisome or concerning about it. If everyone made a similar effort, you wouldn't have to put out chairs or trash cans to preserve your spot, but unfortunately there are always lazy freeriders.

it's a shitty policy, but that's life. -boston

Don't park there, but do crush the garbage cans or chair they leave in the spot.

Shovel out your own spot and mark it - don't be so lazy.

Night Runner wrote:

Shovel out your own spot and mark it - don't be so lazy.

Thats the point, there are no spots. Its street parking in Capitol Hill. If there were an open snow covered spot I would be happy to shovel it out however I doubt there are currently any spots within a 3 block radius.

Park in one of those spaces and tell us what happens. You can be the Christopher Columbus of DC snow parking. I myself would never risk it and my car is a crapbox. Crazy weather turns people into animals. Whole Foods the other day was like shopping with three hundred starving psychopaths.

Steal their garbage can, but not their parking spot.

Leave it in your office's garage. What are you doing with a car in DC anyway? What, the metro system not good enough for ya?

Mrs. M wrote:

Leave it in your office's garage. What are you doing with a car in DC anyway? What, the metro system not good enough for ya?

Its staying there until Saturday. After that I need to run some errands that would be a huge hassle without a car. At that point I will be parking in my neighborhood and if there aren't any open spots reasonably close by, someone's "reserved" spot is getting swiped(once again I'm willing to shovel out a spot if one is open).

Widespread wrote:

Currently living in DC, we are experiencing quite a bit of snow. Some neighbors of ours cleared out spaces on the street and put trashcans up to signify that those are "their" spots and that no one else should use them. I've heard that this is common practice in cities like Chicago.

My car is at my office parking garage until the roads improve but once I get it, I plan on totally ignoring these "claims" if there are no other unoccupied spots since it is a public street that I have as much right to as anyone else.

Thoughts on the saving spots policy?

Absolutely they should be able to do that in times of super heavy snow like this. We had 36 inches of snow over three days in the DC area back in the 90s (this is when Clinton and Monica Lewinsky hid the cigar), and it takes a LONG time to shovel a car out and make a spot; people at that time saved spots. Completely bogus of someone to just come take that spot. Now, that said, I'm not sure what can be done legally to someone who "takes" someone else's spot, but it's an emotional thing for sure, and a fist to the face or damage to your car are a likely result. Regardless of whether you agree with the saved spots or not, you'd be a fool to take one; under cover of darkness your tires will be slashed or your paint job scratched...bank on it. Find your own "non-saved" spot, or plan to do without your car until the snow melts away.

Widespread wrote:

...I'm willing to shovel out a spot if one is open).

I don't get it, are you saying that every possible spot has either been shoveled or is occupied by a car? If this is the case when does the person give up their cleared spot? Never?

stolen from some place--

wejo and rojo were sitting down to their usual cup of morning coffee listening to the weather report coming over the radio. "There will be 3 to 5 inches of snow today and a snow emergency has been declared. You must park your cars on the odd numbered side of the streets." wejo got up from his coffee and replies "Jeez, okay."

Two days later, again they both are sitting down with their cups of morning coffee and the weather forecast is, "There will be 2 to 4 inches of snow today and a snow emergency has been declared. You must park your cars on the even numbered side of the streets." wejo got up from his coffee and replies, "Jeez, okay."

Three days later, again they both are sitting down with their cups of coffee and the weather forecast is, "There will be 6 to 8 inches of snow today and a snow emergency has been declared. You must park your cars on the. . ." and then the power went out and wejo didn't get the rest of the instructions. He says to rojo, "Jeez, what am I going to do now, rojo?"

rojo replies, "Aw, wejo, just leave the car in the garage."

I'd say as soon as all the spots are free and shoveled, there has to be a time limit to how long someone can reserve a spot. Obviously once all the snow has melted, the deal is over, but in this case, with three feet of snow on the ground and chilly temperatures for the forseable future, it's going to take awhile for it all to melt. So I'd say wait two or three days, and if the roads are free of snow and ice, take the sapce. I'm sure something will have happened by then though (like the city getting rid of the trash cans for you).

And honestly, how will whoever it is know that you're the one who moved the trash cans in the first? What if someone else parks there after you leave, and they key their car instead? Unless these folks haves security cameras focused on their spots 24/7, how can they be sure they're keying the right car?

Philly Mayor Michael Nutter today: “Look, if you spent two hours digging your car out … ultimately that has to be something respected by the community,” he said.

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/heardinthehall/Nutter_Yo_dont_touch_my_lawn_chair.html