Parking vigilantes cross the line

I RECENTLY moved out of South Boston to get away from the hectic mess, arguments, and headaches that winter poses on the city. Unfortunately I didn't take into consideration that my family and friends didn't move out so I visit on the weekends.

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After the blizzard I stayed away knowing what a hassle it would be to find an "unmarked" parking spot, but I can't stay away until the snow completely melts. I have a brand new niece and a sick grandmother to visit and find it extremely unfair that I can't visit because streets aren't plowed and spots, whether marked or unmarked, can't be parked in without consequences.

This past weekend I ventured to South Boston for the first time since the blizzard. I found an unmarked spot and pulled in. After parking there for four hours, I got into my car and started driving away to find my steering wheel off balance. I made it about 100 feet before pulling over and finding both tires slashed. One was so bad that I was driving on the rim.

I couldn't leave my car in the middle of the street and I didn't want to chance ruining the rim so I pulled into another unmarked spot and left the car overnight until I could get a tow the next morning. The next day I found my car in worse condition, with smeared dog feces all over the driver's side windshield.

I understand the efforts put into shoveling a spot out and wanting to claim it as your own -- I did it last winter. However I also understood that if my chair or trash can had been moved, I had no right to vandalize someone's property.

Since there is no way to know if someone moved an object from a spot, why does anyone bother with putting anything in the spot if they're going to vandalize the car anyway? How do the residents feel about family and visitors not being able to visit without feeling uneasy about getting their car smashed?

I know my family and friends aren't happy about what happened to me. If you want your own spot move to the suburbs!

JANET HENDRIGAN
Braintree