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Member:
How about an option for
How about an option for "None", as i'm not some pompous jerk who thinks he has the right to a public space over everyone else in his community.
Exactly
I've never understood this whole space-saving mentality. If someone leaves the space they cleaned out and you leave yours, if they happened to have taken "yours" when you come back, then you just take "theirs".
It's just pure selfishness as far as I'm concerned. If you live in the city, you have to share the on-street parking with others. Everyone else has to clean out their space too. It's not like you're the only one!
See, here is you don't
See, here is you don't get.
Some asshole pulls out of his spot over the snow and doesn't shovel at all then takes your space that you spent and hour shoveling out.
In theory, everybody shoveling and no space saving is a great idea, but in reality there are some real lazy fucks out there. That's why I threw the Socialist jab. By your rational we should all get the same pay rate too.
Savvy?
...no. How can people
...no. How can people complain that too many people have cars in the city in one breath and then complain that their parking space should be sacrosanct in the next? Don't want your spot taken? Don't drive.
What about the people who put space savers in spots other people shoveled out? They're the truly lazy, I think.
Exactly. The cone/barrel
Exactly. The cone/barrel says I worked hard to clear a spot. In a sense, I earned it. As a community we have agreed to this and it works. In two years you'll be gone because there's a movie made in some other neighborhood that you think look cool. Maybe there will be driveways. In the meantime please play by the rules.
If you think shoveling for
If you think shoveling for 15 min is working hard, you can go back to drinking that bottle buddy.
Glad I'm not your neighbor!
Oh good, we're in agreement
Oh good, we're in agreement then.
Oh good, we're in agreement
Oh good, we're in agreement then.
Can't clear a small space in 15-20 min?
What, not using enough juice there Mr. 5'3"? Thought so.
Call your Daddy and ask him
Call your Daddy and ask him what the right thing to do is?
He's the one paying your bills.
Sorry again, I got them good
Sorry again,
I got them good grades in high school, worked since I was 15, spent effort and time getting scholarships, went to a good college full time while working 30 hour weeks to help pay the bills, and now am working on a MBA, paying my bills, rent, ect all while working full time downtown.
Good enough for you, or is that hard work stuff for chumps?
Oh, and somewhere along the line I picked up these things called common sense, morals, and integrity. Try some, it can go a long way!
So I take it you didn't have
So I take it you didn't have to clear a space after this latest ice storm? Because it took me way more than 15 minutes, what with the three-inch ice crust, the fact that a plow came down the street (which is a nice change) and pushed snow over the doors, and the fact that our car is really low to the ground.
I never agreed to that.
As a community we have agreed to this and it works.
I've lived in this community for years, and I never agreed to this ridiculous, selfish, unsustainable idea. The common contract we agree to as members of the community is defined by the legal code.
In the meantime please play by the rules.
The rules say: 48 hours after the snow emergency ends, what you are doing is "littering"; this is illegal. Moving your trash off the street is not illegal.
Just to be clear: there is nothing in the law that supports your idiotic claim before the 48 hours expires - it just becomes specifically illegal afterwards.
Saving spots is bs...
Shoveling does not imply ownership. Dig out, roll the dice, and hope you get lucky. End of story.
another vote for: shovel, but don't protect 'my' spot
I shovel, but certainly don't think it's therefore my spot. Though if I lived in a neighborhood in which people left threatening notes on my car because I parked in 'their' spot, I suppose I would follow suit and mark my own spot once shovelled. When in Rome...
Drive-way
If you want to mark your spot, your only option is getting a driveway. That's marked. Anything is public road whether you like it or not. Even if you dumped some trash on it.
Gee, haven't seen too many
Gee, haven't seen too many driveways in the city of Boston lately... guess I'm in a different tax bracket than you.
There's more to the city than you seem to think
Be brave: Take a drive south of the Fens sometime.
Plenty of driveways in Roslindale, West Roxbury, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, etc., etc. And we're not all nobs, either.
As for the poll, I'm also in the "other" camp. Yes, we have a driveway, but we have two cars, so I wind up parking in the street. In 14 years, I've never saved "my" space - and have never come back from a trek somewhere to find it taken. OK, I'll admit it helps to live on a relatively remote street of single and two-family houses that nobody in their right mind would ever want to park on unless they lived there (or were visiting).
re: drive South of the Fens
Can I park in your driveway then? I've known quite a few people who have lived in Jamaica Plain - none have driveways!
Sorry, it's taken
Plus, another reason you wouldn't want to park there: We're on a hill whose only access is up a couple of very steep inclines that sometimes the DPW doesn't get to in time, leading to all sorts of skidding and sliding (although also the rare chance to burn rubber without needing a parking lot).
So because you didn't know
So because you didn't know anyone with a driveway, there aren't any driveways in JP? Hm.
There's lots of driveways in Roxbury too.
super smart
Yes, that's exactly what I meant!
See, with all the anon'ing,
See, with all the anon'ing, I don't know if you're the same anon who made the previous comments or not...someone expressed disbelief at Adam's assertion that there are plenty of houses with driveways in JP, and someone said that they know people who live in JP who don't have driveways, in such a way that suggests that they don't think there are driveways in JP.
Same person? Both you? Neither you? THERE'S NO WAY TO KNOW.
You can park in front of my house
As long as you don't block the driveway.
I paid good money for that.
You miss my point
I actually do have one and I'm hardly wealthy. Right in Mission Hill near JP. I know you don't see them often off the trolley lines, but they are there.
But you miss my point. Sorry, I took it as obvious that installing a driveway wasn't an option. My point was that unless you can park on your property, you have no options. You don't own parking. Its free for anyone else to take. Bottom line. I'm not saying it might not be frustrating to dig out your car and lose your spot, but its not unfair. Public street. Either park on your property, or deal with the fact that public means public.
Now that's genius!
In Somerville, I've seen people putting out televisions, computer monitors and other old appliances that the city normally makes you PAY to throw away.
This is because DPW and trash trucks will remove common markers (chairs, cones, barrels, crappy furniture). Worst case scenario -- you might lose your marker but you've forced the city to take away a pay-to-toss item for free.
No saving spots
I'm glad to see that there are others who think saving parking spots is wrong. It's public property so no one has the right to save it for themselves. And as noted before, if no one saved their spot there would be spots for everyone. The other day my wife shoveled out a spot drove out for an errand and came back to find that someone else put a big can in the spot she shoveled. This is ridiculous. I'm thinking of just going down the street and gathering up all the crap.
These are wonderful
These are wonderful socialist ideas you people should try out somewhere, Brookline maybe. Please don't do it in South Boston. For years we've taken the time and effort to shovel out a spot then agreed that we can lay claim to that spot for a reasonable amount of time. The mayor has set a 48 hour limit and I think that's acceptable. Drive through somewhere like the South End. No barrels or cones but almost every spot was half shoveled just enough to get the car out and there's snow, and now ice, everywhere.
Socialist Ideas
Like the concept of the streets being city and public property?
If that's the case you
If that's the case you should write in about resident parking? You might live in Brighton but you can't park in the South Boston even though we both pay taxes. Fact is, this is a problem because there's too many cars in a small area. People that move to the city don't get that, they've never had this problem. Southie, Eastie and Charlestown are some of the most dense neighborhoods in the city(no pun) and this is the system that we've found that works. Now there are more cars then ever and much of it is due to the influx of new people, the same people who believe that they can come into a community and tailor the rules to their liking. THAT is arrogant and selfish.
Would those be the unwritten
Would those be the unwritten rules that new neighbors have no way of knowing about until their tires are slashed or their car is keyed?
Um, no.
You still don't own the street. You still don't have the right to destroy private property because someone parks in a public space. THAT is arrogant and selfish.
Yes, it sucks to shovel out a spot and see it disappear, but those are the breaks. Because we absolutely should not start deeding public streets. It has nothing to do with gentrification. They way things are "done" isn't legal. You want to try to save your spot, fine. Try. But if someone doesn't care to honor that, that's fine, too. Its a public street. Everyone jockeys for parking all of the time. Its a disadvantage of living in the city. It doesn't have to always be fun for it to be fair.
"You want to try to save
"You want to try to save your spot, fine. Try. But if someone doesn't care to honor that, that's fine, too."
-said the lady who moved here last month.
Trust me. It's not fine.
Sexist bullying isn't winning your arguement
I've lived in and around Boston for 12 years. I'm not going "trust" your disregard for the law. If someone parks in a spot they are legally allowed to park in, its fine. The end.
The end? Already? Tell me
The end?
Already?
Tell me another story.
How about answering below
How about answering below why you think parking is limited in Southie?
No Answer? Oh yea, because it isn't!
I love this argument, because it patently false. It's only true if your definition of parking is within viewing distance from your couch. There's plenty of parking down side roads, and even the larger ones. Most are not emergency arteries either. There's tons of private and public lots that also open up (free) so that plows can, you know, plow the sides of the road before you move you car back. But that would involve a little personal responsibility, "hard work", time, and regard for your neighbors. Something "Mr. South Boston" clearly lacks.
Your just another a pompous jerk who thinks he owns the parking spaces in front of his house on a public way. Seen it a million times, and I'm glad my neighbors seem to be a little bit more neighborly, and less willing to stoop so low. Don't be so surprised when your car get's lit up after mine get's knifed or keyed. It's not hard to spot a douchebag in this city, let alone living next door.
Park your car down the road, take the walk, it'll get rid of your hangover buddy!
Hey, I'm an excellent walker
OK, there's no parking problem in South Boston. They instituted resident parking for shits and giggles. Try parking your car past 8pm when there's no snow. Where are these tons of lots that open up when it does snow? The 22 space lot near the wall nuts? The parking at the convention center two miles from most residential areas. I'm cool with walking a block or two, six or seven suggests a parking problem.
OK, there's no parking
OK, there's no parking problem in South Boston. They instituted resident parking for shits and giggles. Try parking your car past 8pm when there's no snow. Where are these tons of lots that open up when it does snow? The 22 space lot near the wall nuts? The parking at the convention center two miles from most residential areas.
I park after 8pm all the time, just did so last night with tons of free (and not saved) spaces open. Your mileage on your road may differ, but you might have to walk a few (more then two) blocks, and we can't have that. I also love the idea of a block in boston, besides in the back bay, it's much different then a block in any other city, but thats for another post.
As for resident parking, must be no problem, since it's all 2 hour free parking anyways, free overnight parking, and they never enforce it (1 day a week, or every two). Reeks of urgency, huh?
There's a listing on Boston.gov with 10 or so lots, some of which I've used. There's this thing that runs called public transportation, use it.
I bet you're one of the people who sore up and down about the traffic snarls last Thursday because it took you 2 hours to get from Charlestown to south Boston, or Brookline to JP, when you could have used the MBTA just as easily.
Anyways, don't kid yourself, those of us decent folk who live in southie and aren't pricks know how to treat each other. We also aren't scared of "locals" like you who talk tough.
Oh, and there's plenty of
Oh, and there's plenty of parking all around Southie. I;ve never had a problem, even with snow emergencies.
Of course there's "preferred" parking, then there's "oh I'll never park my car there, I'm a precious snowflake" parking. Deal with it. I've seen fights over parking on a street, when the street 100 feet away is totally open.
You live in a city, you will have to move you're car in the am from time to time, and you don't own that space in front of your house. And nothing you do or say (or how long you've been a resident) make you excluded from the rules.
Socialist huh? We'll I
Socialist huh?
We'll I don't like your fascist idea on how you can "claim" public property just because you have a "system" set up to steal public property and scare people in obeying your retarded "rules", none of which have any weight against the commonwealth law.
Oh, and I live in Southie too, and I have no idea where these "clean" spots you're talking about are. Most cleaned spots are still only cleaned enough to get their cars out. To top it off I've seen many a space cleared and saved, while the sidewalk in front of the house goes un-shoveled until spring.
So here's an idea, get over yourself, parking in Boston sucks, deal with it if you want a car. You have no right to that space.
Your probably using a
Your probably using a calculator for the math problems needed to post, so I'm going to make this real easy.
Move a barrel, see what happens.
"Your"
copy of Strunk and White must be in use to reserve "your" space.
HA! You pointed out my
HA!
You pointed out my grammatical error!!!
HAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
you win
Of Course
I'd have let it go out of pity for your poor education, except for the bit about "have to use a calculator" being the centerpiece of your post.
Oh, sweet irony!
Hey SwirlyGrrl, no one likes a smarty pants. Oh, and your name should be spelled SwirlyGirl. You used an r instead of an i, so maybe you aren't a smarty pants after all.
Attacking Educated People
aka "all the wahhhst stereotypes, pahhhht 2".
Irony abounds
You spelled your name wrong too. It's supposed to be an A and two Ss.
Hi Garth
hahaha, you have an e in your name where it doesn't belong, Garth.
You should ask Santa
for a bigger dictionary.
Garth
Hey Garth, how's Wayne doing? Did you ever get to nail Kim Basinger? RRRRRRooooRRRRRRR Wayne's World Wayne's World, party time excellent!!
Whoa, hold up. I think
Whoa, hold up.
I think Swirlygrrl has her bachelors so who are you to question.
Really?
You insult someone's intelligence with no foundation while making a grade school grammatical error yourself and you thought you wouldn't be called out for it?
Really?
It's all academic now, anyway
It stopped snowing about 48 hours ago, so I'm sure all of your honor-bound, close-knit, fair-play-driven neighbors will have removed their markers by this evening, right?
Typical Southie boneheaded
Typical Southie boneheaded remark, attack when you got nothing. Sure ya nieghbors love ya wicked bahd!
East Boston woman's tire slashed for parking in saved spot
Slashing a car tire for parking in what is supposedly your shovelled spot is taking things too far.
http://www1.whdh.com/news/articles/local/BO69175/
Saving Spots
I live in South Boston and have been a lifelong resident of South Boston and I am the first to say that the whole saving parking spots and what not is insane and ridiculous, however, I cannot speak for other sections of the city I can speak for South Boston and that saving spots is something that has been done long before any of our time. Growing up in the 70's, 80's and most of the 90's this was never much of an issue, the only time it ever presented a problem was if a new resident from out of town moved in and didnt respect the way that things have been done for over a 100 years and now its just out of control. The "NEW" Southie residents just have no respect to the way things have been done. The Mayor gave us a 48 hour rule now, which is fair I think and they still dont respect that because "THEY " think its stupid, I wouldnt move to your North or South Shores and start teling people how things will be done,and untill the Mayor or someone passes a law or someone comes up with a good idea ( which I am all ears) I think that the New Southie residents start respecting and start doing things our way, the way we have been doing them for a very long time. Shovel your spot completely and you get to park there for 48.
i'm all for shoveling out
i'm all for shoveling out your car completely, and you should own it for a few days after... but the tire slashing is out of control. i had my tire slashed because i took someone's spot 2 weeks ago because some jerk saved a spot when there was less than a half an inch on the ground. is this the way it's always been because if it is thats messed up???
I know. Same thing happened
I know. Same thing happened to me last night. I'm pretty sure we didn't have a storm less than two days ago. I'm fine with being able to save a spot for 48 hours, and it's one thing to TRY to save the spot after that, but I'm certainly entitled to take it. These people think they own the street. No, sorry, they have to play by the same rules as the rest of us.
I also want to add that I
I also want to add that I agree that damaging someones car is over the line but I can see why and how it happens. You have residents getting up hours early for work in the freezing cold to shovel a spot and they do a great job of it only to come home every night to have one or two out of town, new residents , parked in the spot you just busted your ass shoveling while al the rest of your neighbors still have the spots they saved. I for example have approached neighbors to be told I dont own that spot or what have you, its just a matter of time before it comes to a head or someone gets hurt. I am not saying that it makes it right but I can see why it could happen and in many ways cannot blame them.
thats life in the city, i
thats life in the city, i guess
All the worst stereotypes
If you want your own spot, go pay for one. Otherwise, fair game. If you don't have a place to put your car, don't get one or stop being so entitled. Funny that the people who complain most about being characterized as "backward townies" are often the same ones perpetuating this nonsense.
Maybe the city should allow saving, but only if the saver agrees to pay $5000 per year for the right to do so?
Eddie House is a quality 3 point shooter
Listen you arrogant twit. You come to Southie, you play by our rules You hear me? OUR RULES!!!!! Don't anger the Gooch, you don't want to see him when he's angry.
Your're Funny!
See "experiment" below for how easy it is to manipulate this situation.
Great idea!
That will be so funny. Let's set it up. We should pull this prank on an elderly woman, it will be even funnier. That poor elderly woman shoveled out that spot for 2 hours and now she can't even park there there because you, your POS car, and your silly camera and cap gun took up the spot. Oh man that will be like the most popular video on youtube. I can't wait to see her face. It will be even better if she slips and falls, we should melt some of the snow and then freeze it over so she falls, maybe she'll even break her hip! Oh, I can't wait. This is gonna be awesome!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
Handicapped Placard or Plate
Elderly people who fit your description have special privileges called "handicapped placards". This gives them their own officially designated spot in front of their very own houses if they want it.
Try again.
Yup, and if they don't have
Yup, and if they don't have one fuck them.
SwirlyGrrl you've turned on the elderly.
Try again?
Not all elderly are handicapped and therefore do not have handicapped plates. Many, however, have bones which are frail due to age and lack the cardiovascular health they once had in their youth, so please be a bit more compassionate and respectful.
Yes, Try again.
Elderly citizens are entitled to placards and plates, and can get special spots and signs once they have them. Medical caregivers will make the necessary arrangements if they feel their patients are vulnerable, even if they are concerned only in the winter months. You don't need to be a chair user, you just need to be at risk and get a doctor to say so.
I give up.
If that's your attitude toward the elderly, then so be it.
Huh?
Elderly people who fit my description? My description was elderly woman. So all elderly women get handicapped placards? Do elderly men get these placards? If not, I'm telling Gramps to sue somebody.
I got news for you, in order to get a handicapped placard (which is not PC by the way, they prefer disabled, and if you saw the Curb with the racist dog, you'd know that, but that's neither here nor there), but in order to get the placard, you NEED TO BE DISABLED!!!! A woman that can shovel out her own car, is clearly not handicapped. she's just old! She has osteoarthritis and her bones are brittle, and she certainly doesn't have the energy that she used to, but she can still get around, she goes to bingo on Thursday nights. She bakes the best apple pies. Did I ever tell you the time that she knit a sweater for by little brother johnny. Oh, man, it was so ugly, it was red, and it had these moose on it, i think they were supposed to be reindeer because it was a christmas gift, but they didn't look like reindeer, I can tell you that. But my Mom made Johnny wear that sweater to Christmas dinner, and boy we still make fun of him to this day.
Try MASSRMV.com
LINKY
My husband's grandmother has had a placard for about 10 years. She originally got it when she was in her 80s because her doctor was concerned about her getting around in the winter. Now she uses it all the time, like, to get to work two afternoons a week.
Cardiovascular impairments count. Pulmonary limitations count. Arthritis limitations count. Risk of falling in the winter and osteoporosis count as acceptable reasons if your doctor says so. You don't have to be confined to your home or use a wheelchair or walker - in fact, that is often what docs are trying to prevent by enabling use of a car to get out of the house.
Besides, if somebody is sufficiently impaired to *need* that particular spot, what the hell are they doing vandalizing a vehicle? That puts them at additional risk of falling, let alone interpersonal violence, no?
HAHAHAHAHA seriously? you're
HAHAHAHAHA
seriously?
you're married?
Non-pneumatic
Yeah, Brian, amazing, huh? Not all men think their ideal woman is inflatable.
What's an elderly woman
What's an elderly woman driving in the snow and ice anyways?
Anyways, you don't own that space. Git' it through your head. If you live in the city, you run the risk of someone else taking you PUBLIC parking spot on your PUBLIC way.
We all pay the same taxes and vote in the same races, you're not any more special then the next guy down the road, or the yuppie sipping on his yagerbomb. Deal with it.
Allow Me To Retort
Actually, I am more special. My mom always told me I was very special. Elderly women drive cars too. Are you stating that you discriminate against the elderly, or are you merely implying it? Senior citizens, although slow and dangerous behind the wheel, can still serve a purpose. ...
If someone busts his or her ass to shovel out a spot, they get exclusive use of that spot for 48 hours. I don't think that's too much to ask for. Otherwise, no one will shovel out a spot, we will just drive over the snow bank. Then we will wait for you to shovel out a spot and then we'll steal it as soon as you pull out.
Stop pissing and moaning about the rules that have been in place for decades. You don't like them, feel free to move back to the 'burbs.
Start obeying the laws of public ways
Those have been in place for centuries.
Y'know...I'm really tempted
Y'know...I'm really tempted now to go just move markers. Not park in spaces, just move the markers. Then see how many cars get damaged through no fault of their owners and see how many of said owners get upset by this.
I won't. I do have better things to do with my time. I'm just curious.
It's a good idea in theory
Except I'd feel bad for the people who parked there innocently, not knowing that they've invaded the turf of some rage-fueled Grizzly Adams wannabe who thinks he's some kind of demigod because he did an hour of manual labor.
Except I'd feel bad for the
Except I'd feel bad for the people who parked there innocently, not knowing that they've invaded the turf of some rage-fueled Grizzly Adams wannabe who thinks he's some kind of demigod because he did an hour of manual labor.
Well yes, that's one reason I wouldn't actually do it. Karma's a bitch sometimes.
I'm tempted, too
Not to slash tires of the cars that steal spaces, but the ones that were having the space saved. Anytime I see a marker, just make a note to key whatever car ends up back in the space.
But, of course, I wouldn't do that because I have this funny respect for the law.
Now what I'd really like to see is all the jerks who spend forever shoveling their car spend more time shoveling their SIDEWALK. I can't tell you how many times I've seen people completely clear their car, leave an old chair behind, and yet only shovel a path from their steps to the street. THOSE people really need to get their tires slashed. But again, I wouldn't do it or encourage it, because the law and everything.
I'm too lazy to actually do this
But I've seen this too, and have considered the fact that snow can be shoveled INTO a space just as easily as it can be shoveled OUT of said space.
On the "many hands make light work" theory, maybe we should organize a shovel-wielding posse to relocate snow in places where it's needed.
I mentioned that last night, actually...
It would be fun if someone came home to find their chair still there, only with a mountain of snow underneath it.
Screw slashed tires
This is far better karmic payback.
Please do. Pick a spot and
Please do. Pick a spot and we'll all meet there. It'll be swell.
I think you're a complete
I think you're a complete dickhead, but you're right about the sidewalks. Call Inspectional Services. $15 fine I think.
http://www.cityofboston.gov/isd/pdfs/snow.pdf
Watch your language sir!
Was it my ultimate respect for the law that makes me a bad word? Yeah, I guess that's what would make me a bad resident of South Boston. Can't be having people obey the law. Nah, they just have to obey arbitrary rules dictated by self-righteous neighbors. Thats a much better system and American Democracy.
The profanity was directed
The profanity was directed at Michael, but I don't like you either.
Then learn how threaded comments work
Because you replied to ME. And Michael isn't a bad word, either, so that hardly excuses it.
At least
...you spelled the profanity right. Maybe there's hope.
Swete FUCK!!! I ment
Swete
FUCK!!!
I ment sweet.
FUCK!!!
Man, you fancy college folks win.
That's a great idea.
That's a great idea. Innocent people may suffer but Molly's social experiment was a success.
(selfish/arrogant)
Street Theater Experiment
1) get camera equipment and a cap pistol
2) get a beater car (POS) that you can't care less about
3) remove the bonehead marker from a "spot" and park there
4) put video surveillance warnings in prominent spots on the POS vehicle.
5) watch the fun when Mr. or Ms. Entitled arrives to illegally claim their spot of public property
6) use surveillance system to time the firings of the cap pistol when the Entitleds start their vandalism spree.
7) use the tape to take the vandal to court and/or get them arrested (less cost of pants)
The rules have established for generations, you betta recognize!
hahaha,he think totem pole alive. that totem pole been there forever.
Forgotten #8
8) post video on YouTube
From the ARE YOU FRAKING KIDDING ME FILES!
Come again, who's selfish and arrogant?
Wouldn't be people perpetuating an unwritten rule of saving public parking spaces because of no real good reason at all, would it?
Just go away if you can't bother to make sure your arguments make any sense.
"it's not selfish and arrogant, because it's ME!!!!"
um, ok.
neighbors like this need to leave, no matter how long you've been siphoning off your grandparents inheritance.
If you don't want innocent people to suffer...
...then how about if you stop advocating for the touch-my-chair-and-I-slash-your-tires mentality?
How is my idea (which, like
How is my idea (which, like I said, I wouldn't actually do) any more selfish than claiming a spot with a chair?
I spent over an hour chipping ice and snow away from our car Monday morning. I used two shovels and a car scraper, and at one point, I was lying on my stomach to get the packed snow out of the wheel well.
I didn't mark the spot. Hardly any spots in this neighborhood are marked.
It wouldn't have really mattered if I had, because the spot ended up filled with snow again when a plow came through after the car was gone. (I don't think it was a city plow; I think it was some person with a plow on their truck.)
Serious question, then; does that ever happen in Southie, that you clean out a spot and mark it, and then it gets refilled by a plow?
it happens, a saved spot on
it happens,
a saved spot on my walk home had a wall of snow on the road, but cleared toward the sidewalk. It's been like that for two days, with no tire marks over the snow.
Whets the etiquette on saved but apparently abandoned?
Not that it matters since people like to get all stabby.
Y'know...I'm really tempted
Y'know...I'm really tempted now to go just move markers. Not park in spaces, just move the markers. Then see how many cars get damaged through no fault of their owners and see how many of said owners get upset by this.
Well this is a big reason that slashing tires is a jerk move. It's illegal and a jerk move anyway, but even worse because there's no way to know who actually moved the marker. There probably are "innocent" cars getting vandalized for just this reason.
Gouch
I highly doubt you are from South Boston originally. You sound like an angry liberal fool.
Watch out!
Do not anger the Gooch! Dude they asked what's 34 + 14, these questions are getting harder. They can't hold me down, I will be heard!
Paul Hewson
I dont who you think you are acting like a tough guy over the Internet! But I would be happy to meet you anywhere you want to discuss this face to face, yes I am from South Boston and yes I have lived here my entire life...I would have attended South Boston High School had it not been for the Blacks ( I have another word for that but I am trying not to offend anyone) and forced busing. I admit I have a ton of street smarts and my book smarts arent exactly up to code but I am no fool, but if you want to be fresh tell me a time and a place and I will haply take a cone or chair or whatever you want and love to smash it over your lifeless face.
Just Me
Gooch is just me and I am nobody else, like you said you can easily figure that out with the IP address.I did not come on to fight with anyone I came on here to try to have a reasonably mature conversation and try to make new South Boston residents aware of the way we have done things for solong but apparently the lack of respect stays the same so when you get punched out and lose some teeth or maybe worse this winter you can continue to come on here and blog away while you wait to get those stitches out of your face while you could have just been a good neighbor and attempted to fit in with your original South Boston residents. I continue to stand by what I said earlier that I do not agree the violent behavior is the answer over parking but some people just dont understand it any other way.
I just looked up "gooch."
I'd never heard it before. How amusing.
One can't help but wonder how one gets such a nickname.
That is pretty funny, but
That is pretty funny, but the gooch was also the bully from Different Strokes
Saving spots :)
Hey guys,
I was born an Abingtonian, but have been a Soutihe for over 5 years now. I used to have serious problems with the ridicuolous parking 'rules', but after 5 years I'm sort of become a regular Southie. I know the lingo, instead of home they (we) say "my cribz" instead of popcprn it's "PAHP-CAHN" etc. I'm not afraid to walk into a local pub and order a "FESH and CHAHPS" from "DA BAH-TENDUH" at the beer garden. So I get it.
I think I speak on Southie's behalf when I explain this. It's not that the people think it's THEIR spot. If you're going to move the chairs, or cones from a spot that someone else shoveled, that's ok. The residents are just suggesting you go around the block and try for a free one. A lot of the local residents didn't get the best education. They're not overly sophisticated, but they have street smarts. We need to give them that.
Southie = The American Dream
Everyone could stand to learn something from Southie's parking rules. You work hard by shoveling out a spot for your car, you also improve the aesthetics of your community. Therefore, you are rewarded with the spot you shoveled out. You don't work hard and don't shovel out a spot, you don't get a spot. Hard work = reward; Laziness = no reward. Isn't that the American dream?
Yes
Nothing improves a neighborhood's aesthetics more than a street littered with rusty trash cans, broken folding chairs, and stolen traffic cones.
Gentrification can't come fast enough.
FESH and CHAHPS?
What the hell are FESH and CHAHPS? I've never heard of either of those items.
Fish
Ha Ha very funny. Obviously it fish and chips. That's just how we pronounce things here. It gives us character, we might have gangs, alcoholics, etc but we also have character and charm.
Pork Chahps
I understand Paul, just busting your CHAHPS. Isn't that how we say it? Maybe we should meet up for a beer. We'll go to a regular Southie bar like the Beer Gahden, and I'll buy you a Coowahs Light. Yes, I am hitting on you.
Let's calm down
Ok, Mister Tax. You don't like the way we talk I get it. The point is you shoudn't judge a town by it's IQ. You should judge it by it's heart. And there are some hearts in Southie. And I bring one to Southie with a taste of Abington class. Unlike you, you sound line a cone tossing homophobe.
heartfelt apology
Sorry Paul Hewson, from the way you said you were a southie and the use of the word "fesh", I thought you were into homo-erotic activities. I guess I need to get a new gay-dar. Maybe I'll put my old one in my parking spot so Swirlly grrl can't park there, hahahaha! anyway, I apologize if I offended you. I just thought you seemed like a sweet abingtonian who might be down for some freaky freak.
...
Tax, I'm reluctant to take you apology. I don't know how genuine it is. I sense some sarcasm, if you are serious than I'm sorry. I hope the (plutonic) invite for the COOWERS Lights is still on the table.
Electricity
Yup, still on the table. I'll bring the plutonium. We can generate 1.21 gigawatts of electricity.
To this bone.
(In Levins voice) FART NOISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sweat Equity
In a perfect world, where everybody shoveled out the available spots, it wouldn't matter what system was used - savers or no savers. Everybody would have a spot.
Unfortunately, there are some people who don't do the work of clearing a spot. When those people take a spot that was cleared by somebody else, they are enjoying the fruits of that person's labor at no expense to themselves.
The person who shovels out a spot has earned a bit of sweat equity in that spot. If there is a marker "saving" a spot, I understand that. I will seek a spot elsewhere. It's called courtesy.
roger that
well said Suldog not logged in (Hi, Eeka!)
Little bit of a difference though
Sure, I leave neatly shoveled spaces (cone or no cone) alone when I come across them, except for sometimes on my own street when the one I shoveled has been parked in. Courtesy doesn't hurt anyone. But if I were to choose to move their cone, it wouldn't be right of them to damage my car for parking in a legal spot on public property.
I'm Not Saying Damage Is Right
I'd never slash somebody's tires or otherwise fuck up their car. That's just not my style. However, if somebody worked at shoveling a spot for an hour or so, then somebody else removed their marker and parked there, I wouldn't think it was an entirely unreasonable response.
(Eeka: If you're a real cunt, then I guess I'm a real prick. Oh, well.)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Sweat Equity
In a perfect world, where everybody shoveled out the available spots, it wouldn't matter what system was used - savers or no savers. Everybody would have a spot.
Unfortunately, there are some people who don't do the work of clearing a spot. When those people take a spot that was cleared by somebody else, they are enjoying the fruits of that person's labor at no expense to themselves.
The person who shovels out a spot has earned a bit of sweat equity in that spot. If there is a marker "saving" a spot, I understand that. I will seek a spot elsewhere. It's called courtesy.
This poor horse is dead already
But I'm gonna beat it some more. I don't really get the saving spots thing either. I definitely understand tradition and history, but as members of a neighborhood we don't really have the power to set our own laws and such. Each Beantown neighborhood has its personality and a face that's unique, but those things do not extend to "law." We don't get to make our own laws. If we do, I've got some big ones I'm gonna put on the books.
Fornya Borin' ya
Fornya,
I appreciate your comment, but you sound like a very angry person. You need to get yourself educated on Southie. It's not such a racist place, you need do do your homework.
Um, what?
Not only was that post not remotely angry, what does it even say about South specifically and especially where does it say South Boston is racist?
Sockpuppet Invasion
I think this fellow Gooch, or Tax, or whatever his name is, is logging in repeatedly with different names to insult people randomly. I guess he must be suspended from school or something...
TiVo
He's been overusing Mommy's TiVo on repeat and doesn't realize that it isn't a snow day today.
I guess I should be worried
I guess I should be worried that he agreed with me then :-)
Suldog
http://jimsuldog.blogspot.com
Stop defending the racist,
Stop defending the racist, racist!
Beantown?
er, Fornya, nobody says "Beantown."
You want to be taken seriously?
No… no one ever says
No… no one ever says Beantown. Apologies all around.
And actually, saving spots makes good use of lawn furniture during the winter months.
Snow
if you park in my spot, I will fuck your car up real bad
Can I watch?
You'll leave plenty of DNA evidence then?
Find another date, 'kay?
Deleted some posts
Come on, sockpuppetry in the snow? Geez.
Adam, great site. Please
Adam, great site.
Please don't delete the funny posts like the one about fart noises or pretty much anything swirly shirley has to say. Her posts sound like fart noises to me.............that's funny.
Your neighborhood called
They want their name back
while I think registering
while I think registering will do little of anything due to free emails, you should se if there is a way to ban per IP addy or email ISP's.
Oh, and you need a "quote" button that fills out an italicized quote from the person above. It'll make it easier to read and see where there's huge comments go.
Banning by IP address is easy
Maybe I should try it ...
In this case
it appears that one person is sockpuppeting like mad. Perhaps an IP ban on that person would be useful.
Looks to be more than 1
Which is why I haven't deleted them all; just the ones that read like some seventh-grade bozo using a free terminal at the Southie branch library.
ok, i'll bite
working definition of "sock puppetry", please?
Sock puppet
Somebody who logs in (or in this case, makes up several names) for the purposes of a) insulting other posters and b) having a "debate" with him/herself.
Shoveling Parking Spots = Community Building
Hi, my name is Ted Danson and I love this discussion. It reminds of of something I once talked about with my pal Larry, but I won't bore you with that story right now. Maybe in due time, I will share. But for now I wish to weigh in on your debate.
It's clear to me that the laws of this state don't adequately meet the parking needs of several neighborhoods in the city, especially during periods of heavy snow. In densely populated areas of the city such as South Boston, East Boston, the North End, Charlestown, etc., parking is bad enough without all the snow. It's so much worse at times like these. No law on the books can possibly fix this situation, there are too many cars and not enough space.
It's not enough to rely on the General Laws of Massachusetts because they are inadequate. And when there is a clear loophole in the laws (as there is here), we must find alternate solutions to fix the problem.
Here is the problem, in a nutshell. Why would you shovel out a parking spot completely when you could just pull out with your huge SUV with 4 wheel drive? Why? Because if you shovel it out, you get to keep that spot until the snow is gone. You shovel it, it's yours for a limited time. This encourages the community to chip in and pull together towards a common goal, removing the snow so that we have safer roads and more parking spots. It's called community building.
That's what community is all about, and kudos to Southie residents for figuring out what the legislators couldn't.
Community Building?
How? How does the South Boston "Screw you, I got mine" mentality encourage anyone to "chip in and pull together towards a common goal"?
If anything, it's just the opposite. It's all about selfish people who HAD TO DIG THEMSELVES OUT ANYWAY clawing at each other over a tiny sliver of pavement to which they feel unjustly entitled. It doesn't make them any more special or responsible than anyone else.
We don't follow the "charming" space saving tradition in Back Bay. But I have yet to experience a snowstorm in which I don't see my neighbors helping each other dig cars out, lending shovels and salt to total strangers, or giving fellow residents a push when they're stuck. And they don't do it because they expect to get anything in return - they do it because they're decent people who understand what it *really* means to live in a community.
Shoveling Parking Spots = Community Building
It's clear to me that the laws of this state don't adequately meet the parking needs of several neighborhoods in the city, especially during periods of heavy snow. In densely populated areas of the city such as South Boston, East Boston, the North End, Charlestown, etc., parking is bad enough without all the snow. It's so much worse at times like these. No law on the books can possibly fix this situation, there are too many cars and not enough space.
It's not enough to rely on the General Laws of Massachusetts because they are inadequate. And when there is a clear loophole in the laws (as there is here), we must find alternate solutions to fix the problem.
Here is the problem, in a nutshell. Why would you shovel out a parking spot completely when you could just pull out with your huge SUV with 4 wheel drive? Why? Because if you shovel it out, you get to keep that spot until the snow is gone. You shovel it, it's yours for a limited time. This encourages the community to chip in and pull together towards a common goal, removing the snow so that we have safer roads and more parking spots. It's called community building.
That's what community is all about, and kudos to Southie residents for figuring out what the legislators couldn't.
and there's nothing like
and there's nothing like community building, then an angry mob slashing tires and destroying personal property...
This practice leads to some nasty stuff, and vigilante justice, and that's why it should be stopped. It's dangerous and causing property damage.
while there's no good reasonable answer to the solution of saving a space, the people unable to control their actions when their neighborhood common law doesn't work need to be dealt with. Since the only way to enforce the laws on statue, and to be fair to all, is to get rid of the practice, thats what needs to be done.
that is unless you can offer a reasonable and enforceable way to "save" spaces in the city without wanton destruction of private property. I don't see how, when they can't even ticket streets properly during mid summer, or prevent a rash of break ins on the same street over a week.
It also really says something about a community that destroys others property when they do something they don't like; effectively disregarding the laws of the commonwealth and taking action into their own hands. The words cute, rich cultured and vibrant community don't come to mind.
Makes you want to move
Makes you want to move maybe?
Not really, I want adults to
Not really,
I want adults to act like adults, not like spoiled inbred children. Wouldn't you agree, or is Lord of the Flies the best book ever?
My opinion.
One doesn't have to be from a given neighborhood (be it Southie or any other place, and I/m not) to realize that when people wantonly destroy other's property, or physically assault someone over a parking space, it's stupid, immature and vicious. The people who act that way are like spoiled children who throw tantrums because they're told they can't have that new toy that they want, or not to have too many candies. The practice of reserving a parking space is utterly ridiculous--like a first, second or third grader, anyway.
However, I break from this opinion a bit to say that there are times when exceptions can and should be made, either on a temporary or permanent basis, dependent on the situation(s): (A). A woman who's 6, 8 or 9 months pregnant. (B) A person who's been laid up with and is recovering from an injury. (C) An elderly person (D) A handicapped person, i. e. someone with a wheelchair, walker, etc.
Of course, none of those
Of course, none of those people would be out shoveling a spot.
Well, and most of the people
Well, and most of the people independentminded mentions would be eligible for a handicapped space, so they'll always have a place to park.