The Endless Debate of the Shoveled Parking Spot

Here we are, half way through December, less than a week from the first day of winter, with one significant snowfall under our belts and suffering through the first stretch of really wicked-cold weather. What does all this mean? It’s time for the familiar old debate about shoveled-out parking spots to shake off the cobwebs of summer slumber and come to life once more.

For those who arrived in our fair metro area during the last nine months, here's the story: There is a longstanding tradition in Boston and environs that in residential neighborhoods, if you shovel your car out from the snow, the parking spot belongs to you until the snow melts. You mark your spot with a lawn chair, traffic cone, old television set, or other bit of semi-worthless household stuff, and this marker says to anyone who would use the spot, "If you put your ride here, I will fuck it up."

In recent years, perhaps because of the influx of outsiders to traditionally insular neighborhoods like South Boston, some resistance has arisen to this tradition, to the point where Mayor Menino last winter publicly condemned the practice and ordered city sanitation workers to carry off any item placed in a parking spot. City Councillor James Kelly rose to some national prominence as the champion of the proprietary spot, and South Boston voted against the Mayor in last month's election (not that it mattered).

The arguments go more or less like this: Those in favor of the tradition propound a sweat equity position - that continuing rights to the spot are earned through the arduous task of clearing it (although, it should be noted, most of the spot is cleared not by shoveling, but by the happy accident of having a car there before the snow begins). Additionally, say the advocates of the droit du shoveleur, the practice is tradition, and should not be trifled with. The anti-spot-savers focus on the more legalistic (and thus, less emotionally satisfying) point that the streets are public and no one can exclude others from using them just because of some shoveling. They add that a tradition that goes hand in hand with the destruction of other people's property oughtn't be encouraged.

Whatever your feeling on the matter, be forewarned: If your neighborhood favors this practice, don't think you can change things. You may, like Bostonist, elect to take the high road and leave your dug-out spot open for all to enjoy, but that will probably oblige you to make long, slow circuits of your neighborhood in search of a new spot. You will find that this tests your commitment to high-minded principles. A preemptive tactic we have developed to lessen the likelihood of having to park in a neighboring city is to dig out extra spots. This is thankless, we know from experience, and of only limited utility, since there will always be cars to fill the spots you dig. There is a certain satisfaction, though, in catching some freeloader trying to claim one of the spots you've excavated (though when this happened to Bostonist, the freeloader in question was remarkably unapologetic, instead calling us selfish for digging out spots and not claiming them). No matter what, however, you must never remove the object saving a space unless you intend to park there. Otherwise, some unsuspecting sap (and here, again, Bostonist speaks from experience) will unwittingly take the spot and find his precious little '98 Corolla covered in vicious key scratches the next morning.

Photo: Digging out your bicycle does not entitle you to exclusive use of the signpost to which it was locked.