The Unofficial Rules
Saving Parking Spots During a Snowstorm
written by Peter Gailunas
Winter is growing closer and I'd like to take a moment and review the time honored Southie tradition of saving parking spots during a snowstorm.
Let's recap the "rules" that were agreed upon by our ancestors:
- You can’t put something in your spot until after the snowstorm is over. I understand how inconvenient it is if you have to go to work or a party or wherever and won’t be back until after all the spots on the streets are claimed and you end up 5 blocks away from your house. But you can’t “hold” you’re spot until you get back – that’s just bad manners. It follows the same sentiment as Rule #2.
- If you did not shovel your car out, you cannot keep the spot. Self explanatory right? Wrong. How many times have you seen a somebody drive their car out of a spot without shoveling any snow and put a barrel there? Not cool. You must shovel.
- If you move someone’s space saver and park your car in its place, you have no right to complain about what happens to your car. However, you are allowed to retaliate as long as you don't get caught. If you get caught, you shouldn’t complain about the beating you will most likely receive.
- The City allows for space savers up to 48 hours after a storm. Hogwash! As long as you are not the last one with a cone out, you're cool. If you live on my street, you’re all set because I have a crazy neighbor who leaves his electrified barrel out until the swan boats are being put in the water.
- After the 48 hrs is up, the city will pick up any space savers still left out. Seize this opportunity to get rid of anything lying around your house you want to get rid of i.e. radiators, foosball tables, mattresses, old televisions, whatever you want to get rid of. Just put it in your space and the city will haul it off.
I hope this review helps make winter a little more bearable and clears up any confusion over spot saving.
Happy shoveling!
Comments
You fogot to add
You fogot to add
Shovel in front and back of your car and place the snow neatly on the sidewalk. Placing the snow in front or in back of your car does nothing for making room for other cars.
can't we all just...
get along guys. Are we still bickering over who's parking spot is who's? Believe me I get it. It is a point of stress, uncertainty, and frustration when dealing with parking in the city during the winter. But the ill-will the space saving mentality seems to evoke is a bit over the top. Realizing you come out and are at WAR with whomever may steal your spot, you should take a step back and realize that these folks are your neighbors. The same people you would want to enjoy a block party with, the same people you would hope to watch out for you while you are on vacation. The same people you would hope would help you in a time of need. It would be nice if we could put the space saving angst behind us and think more about something positive in our neighborhood for the winter season.
Sure, the space savers can be funny, I absolutely still laugh at the floor waxer I saw saving a space and the broken microwave. But should we be concerned that by parking on a public city street that our car may be keyed, slashed, or windows broken? This doesn't seem to be the kind of thing that a friend would be to another. I hope that I would be able to consider my neighbors to be friends this winter.
Also
What i hate is when the city moves a space saver, then you park in the spot, and the person thinks you moved it.
This is the worst part about
This is the worst part about SB.
REFER TO #3
Couldn't have said it any better!!! LOL!!! Very true!! Soooo do the right thing when (u think) nobody is looking because most likely there is a old timer true southie lady lookin out her window & will let the person who shoveled out the spot know that you took the spot they shoveled out! lol!!!
Stop Crying
If you don't like the "winter parking rules", you could always move to another city!
winter parking
The saving of parking spots is hands down, by far, the absolute, no question, worst part of living in Southie. Friendly neighbors turn into knuckle dragging Neanderthals as the cones and chairs start to stack up. I have seen entire blocks of spot savers 7,8, 9 days after the last drop of snow has fallen. The rule in my part of the city is leave your marker out as long as you can. As much as I hate the drummed up separation between us and them, southie townies vs. the outsiders , you can bet your mortgage, 95% of neighbors leaving cones out days past common decency are locals, just daring some college kid who just moved in the 'hood to move their marker. I have lived this reality for well over a decade and it gets worse and worse every year. It is embarrassing how the press covers it and how it is viewed as funny and some kind of cool time honored tradition. There was nothing funny or cool about the young college girl on my street who got not one but two entire gallons of paint dumped on her car after parking in a visitor spot that had no space saver in it, a week after last snow fall. She did nothing to deserve that kind of response to her simply parking her car on a public street, in a spot with no marker. South Boston has evolved into one of the best places in the city to live. It would be a perfect world if the South Boston space saving tradition could evolve as well, maybe to something that resembles common decency.
@can't we all just.......
go back from whence you came.
@can't we all just....
thou shalt not steal....not my rule,but I am the messenger
The Unofficial Rules
The saving of parking spots is hands down, by far, the absolute, no question, worst part of living in Southie. Friendly neighbors turn into knuckle dragging Neanderthals as the cones and chairs start to stack up. I have seen entire blocks of spot savers 7,8, 9 days after the last drop of snow has fallen. The rule in my part of the city is leave your marker out as long as you can. As much as I hate the separation between us and them, southie townies vs. the outsiders , you can bet your mortgage, 95% of neighbors leaving cones out days past common decency are locals, just daring some college kid who just moved in the 'hood to move their marker. I have lived this reality for well over a decade and it gets worse and worse every year. It is embarrassing how the press covers it and how it is viewed as funny and some kind of cool, time honored tradition. There was nothing funny or cool about the young college girl on my street who got not one but two entire gallons of paint dumped on her car after parking in a visitor spot that had no space saver in it, a week after last snow fall. She did nothing to deserve that kind of response to her simply parking her car on a public street, in a spot with no marker. South Boston has evolved into one of the best places in the city to live. It would be a perfect world if the South Boston space saving tradition could evolve as well, maybe to something that resembles common decency.
I'm very interested in this story
I am a Journalism student at Emerson College and have the South Boston beat. I have heard about the shoveling and saving parking spots in South Boston, but have not had a chance yet to really investigate. I am heading to that part of town Friday to get some story leads. Any suggestions?
It is only the lifers like
It is only the lifers like Peter Gailunas that perpetuate this BS. The only people on my block who are out there are the lifers who think they own the street, the "new" people shovel and are cool with it. I especially love the lifers who have driveways but move their cars onto the street before a storm to save more spots.
Peter Gailunas
FYI: The two people that saved spots on my block when three inches accumulated last week were non-locals - or non- lifers as you would call them. So you can't blame it on me.
They also do this (save spots after snow) in other cities in the country i.e. New York, Chicago, Philly etc. So it's not exclusive to our city.
Sincerely,
Peter Gailunas
P.S. This has been going since the 1970's. If you don't like it, I suggest you buy a house with a driveway or move out. Question for you "It is only the lifers" do you save a spot when you shovel it out? I'll bet you do.
Stop hating
Sounds like " it's only the lifers" is jealous of not being an OFSB. Too bad, our town, our rules. Just roll with it. Thanks Peter
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