the parking space thing

[mamajoan]

Well, so last night I ended up moving someone else's chair, which they had left out to mark the parking space they had shoveled; and I took their parking space. I felt really bad about it, and even left them a note saying so, but I was desperate. I cannot carry Isaac and all our stuff very far in all this snow.

I also left a note on the car that was in my spot. Two notes actually, both taped to his windshield so he couldn't possibly miss them. One basically said "you took my spot, you suck" and the other "you took my chair, you suck." This morning the car was gone. I marked the spot again, this time with my crappy little umbrella stroller. I used the stroller for two reasons: one, because I paid $5 for it at a yard sale and hardly ever use it, so if they make off with it like they did the chair, I'll live; and two, as a subtle hint that "you are taking the space of a person with a small child." Yeah, I'm not afraid to play the mom card. Hell, I'll play the single-mom card if I have to. Jerks.

In other news, my throat feels quite a bit better today. Am cautiously optimistic on that front. Got some good sleep last night, which certainly helps.

Oh, and we're supposed to get more snow tonight and tomorrow. Joy.

Comments

[rainbow-goddess.livejournal.com]

During the recent snowstorm we had here (which is nothing compared to what you guys are getting) I discovered that I can't walk very far just carrying a couple of not-too-heavy bags of groceries. I can't even imagine carrying a (possibly squirming) toddler, along with all the things a mom would carry along with the toddler, plus whatever stuff you need for yourself. You deserve the parking space!

[candle-light.livejournal.com]

When I lived in the city I was tempted to "yell" at people who had taken my dug out space. I then realized what if the person I discovered in my space wasn't the one who originally moved the chair? What if someone earlier had done so and this subsequent person had later found what they thought was a free space?

It just sucks all around though. I hope more parking frees up soon.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I thought about that. But I figured, if the person in my space wasn't the person who moved my chair, then they'd read my note and go "oh, someone had saved this space? that sucks, oh well, I didn't know." I mean, it won't do them a lot of harm to have an angry note on their car for something they didn't do -- unless they have major self-esteem issues, in which case, that's not my problem. ;)

Unfortunately, the parking situation on my street is just going to get worse. The house across the street, which I park in front of, is currently unoccupied. It has just been turned into three condos, which are for sale. Once they get sold and the new owners move in -- presumably along with their cars -- it's going to get pretty ugly. :(

[mogwar.livejournal.com]

They've outlawed the practice of saving parking spots with furniture and such like here. For one thing, it got to be a serious eyesore, with everyone's junk out on the side of the street (because nobody wanted to put anything nice out there, or it would be stolen). Also, it encouraged people to be pretty violent in defending "their" spot. People were regularly coming to blows over parking spots and crappy furniture. Of course, around the same time, the nightclub with no parking lot two blocks over closed, and that helped a lot, as well. So far, it hasn't been so bad. There are still the occasional days when I have to park most of a block down with a trunk full of groceries, but they're rare. Even lately, when dealing with my crappy neighbor who has taken to buying up mostly dead cars at auctions, stripping them, and then abandoning them in front of my house, it just means I have to park a few houses down rather than in front of my own house. (The police do eventually tow the abandon cars, but this guy is abandoning them faster than the police can tow them away.) It's times like these I miss having a driveway or assigned parking spot.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yeah. Well, it's not like I think it's legal in my area, but everyone does it. I don't think it's specifically illegal, or at least, it's not enforced. (In a nearby town, they tried enforcing it by having the police go around and confiscate all the furniture that was marking spaces. Then people figured out it was a great way to get their unwanted furniture hauled away for free, so that stopped. Hee hee.)

And really, before I had the kid, I didn't too much mind having to park a block or two away. Sure, I'd grumble, but it was no biggie. It's a lot more of a biggie now.

[retch.livejournal.com]

Are you even allowed to save 'your' spot? I assume you are talking about public parking, not somebody coming along and taking a private space. I always found it incredibly rude when people would put out cones and crap to try and claim a bit of public space as their private property. I never moved any of that stuff, but if it was blizzardy and I was trying to find parking, I sure as hell wouldn't have any compunction about it. My biggest fear, and why I would avoid doing it if there were other options, would be that somebody who was psychotic enough (not saying you are, just that is what I thought whenever I encountered it) to try and steal a public space might be psychotic enough to come damage my car.

Anyhow, I'm not being critical of you, just explaining my viewpoint. It is really wierd seeing the way you talk about it, it's just completely alien to my mental model of it and I thought that might be a good thing to share, since you sounded pretty upset.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

It depends what you mean by "allowed." Is it legal? no, of course not. But there's etiquette and unwritten rules. If you put in the time and effort to shovel out your space, the social contract dictates that you are entitled to "dibs" on that space.

I hear you about the psychotic person, I did kind of worry that someone might slash my tires or something for taking their space, but I think most people in that situation would do what I did -- say a lot of bad words, go find another parking spot, and then spend the rest of the night steaming about it, but not actually DO anything.

And frankly this was the first time I ever marked a parking spot like this. Never felt the need to do it before -- always thought it was a little silly, what's the big deal about walking a few more blocks? But that was before I had a 25-pound toddler to carry over huge shifting mounds of snow and slippery wet icy ground. A lot of worldview things change once you have a kid.

[wyldreamer.livejournal.com]

Grrrr... I hate that crap, you do all the work of digging out and someone takes your spot...here in Haverhill you can only park on one side (depending on the month...odd month, odd side) from November until March even if we don't get snow...at night that is something like between 10pm and 6am or something....snow emergency your supossed to get your car off the road totally (and put it where?) For the first 5 years we lived here we had to park on the street, we have a driveway that us and another duplex share, but it only really has room for 3 cars and we were the last to move in...then they guy upstair's girlfriend left him and he gave us his spot, since he doesn't drive...I so don't miss parking on the street...of course we are on a hill and our road sucks and I blew my raidiator hose (and hopefully not also the radiator) today trying to get up the hill...I have no idea why I even bother leaving the apartment in the winter...oh yeah, groceries!

Sorry to rant... ;)