Illicit parking space saver of the day

FINE THEM. People shouldnt be allowed to make their own laws. The streets are the property of all of us. Owning or renting the house infront of the street gives you any special ownership over it.

The space saver concept is SO ridiculous. The argument of " I deserve this space because I had to dig my car out" drives me bonkers. Having to dig your car out doesnt earn you the right to the spot. Period!
Now come the jerks that not only take the spot for a day or two after a storm, but for weeks on end - even when there wasnt any snow! People that do this are not only being petty and selfish but rude and I cannot imagine why neighbors dont band together to put a stop to it. I myself have removed dozens of cones and barrels from my neighborhood in Charlestown and will continue to do so in defiance of this ridiculous "townie rule" trashiness.

Get an honest job.... you call this journalism?.... Please!
If you shovel a spot in front of your house, it should be yours.

This is why I live in South Florida!!!!! GOOD LUCK !!

Leave to the Globe to dedicate "news" space to such a topic! No wonder the paper is losing revenue. If you don't like the city traditions-MOVE OUT!!!

If you shovel out your car, don't move it.....it's your own fault if someone takes your space...I live in the NE and saving spots rarely works... I personally don't want my tires slashed in any neighborhood..so it's best to leave it alone.

I have lived in Southie for about 15 years now. And I have to say, the newcomers are so much better than the lifers. The lifers put their cones out days before it snows and leave them there until the pavement is totally clear for days. They all wish they could have reserved spots all year round, has nothing to do with the snow. It is ridiculous. The dreaded newcomers dig their spots out like everyone else, and take up the cones after a few days. In chatting with them , most understand that parking spots on a city street are a shared resource, makes no sense to have them vacate for large parts of the day.

...only in the blue-collar neighborhoods.

48 hours is about right. Beyond that, you're a chump to save a spot. If you need more space after that, help your neighbor dig out another spot.

Hey CityDweller and all of you who are for the idea of space-savers,

It's not a matter of "city traditions." It's the law and regulation. How about this... state of MA has a tradition of corruption, back-door dealings, rubbing shoulders, greasing the hands of political figures. According to CityDweller, let it continue.

I'm glad those folks have been outted are shamed and forced out of government, even if they did do some good for the state and their cities.

The argument should be, if you want your own parking space rent a parking space, or move to a home with parking, but not so you can put the kitchen sink on the public street that I pay taxes to maintain! What an ignorant.

This is a city tradition that needs to end. You do not own the parking space in front of your house, we all do. The only reason this childish, selfish practice continues is because we have a mayor who does not have the GUTS to enforce the law. Southie and Dorchester, the two biggest offenders, should be ashamed of their small minded sense of entitlement. It's time for this city to elect a Mayor with a backbone, he has been in office far too long and sees no value in solving these important quality of life issues.

Believe me when I say tomorrow morning after I get both kids dressed and out to the car and my pregnant self shovels out the car I absolutely will be leaving a space saver when I leave. Usually, my husband would shovel me out but with him out of town for a week I will do what I have to to ensure that there is a spot at the end of the day and until some of this actually melts!

The best parking spot saver I ever saw was a walker (in Southie, of course) Did the owner use it to walk him/herself out to the car and then leave the walker to save the spot? Or did someone swipe grampy's walker and leave him stranded in his recliner until spring? Although I'm generally opposed to parking spot saving, that one still gives me a laugh 15 years later!

HA! This tradition will NEVER end...so suck it up, get your shovels and stolen traffic cones out and wait for tomorrow...

Mayor Menino need to enforce the 48-hour rule consistantly.

most of the fats in southie dont even shovel "their" spots. ive lived there for ten years and have never lowered myself to save a spot. if everyone shovels then there is a space for everyone. ..wouldnt expect the scratch ticket addicted residents to understand that concept though.

Fortunately there are at least two other people running for mayor this time around. I agree, Menino is useless when it comes to this stuff. Silly as it is I actually already asked one of the candidates if he was willing to help come up with solutions and ideas for improving winter conditions. The candidate is Kevin McCrea (I haven't talked to Mr. Flaherty yet about it) and he sounded very willing to work with city residents.

To newcomers and relative newcomers like me, don't give up guys. This is our home now and we treat it with respect. We deserve to live here just as much as any "lifer" and I for one am very happy to fight any tradition that doesn't work. To everyone else, let down your pride already. You live in a city and if nobody ever moved here you wouldn't be able to sustain it. It is possible to live together harmoniously.

It's not the taxpayers' job to subsidize your parking space because you're pregnant, young, old or whatever. If you need parking, deal with it like everyone else. OnYourSide is absolutely right.

I've lived in southie for 4 years so I'm technically a newcomer. I'm fine with the 48 hour rule after a snow emergency. What I am not fine with is marking spots BEFORE a storm (thanks to that I got to park blocks away after grocery shopping tonight and then got flicked off while waiting for a spot that was opening up). We have been given a priveledge to do this for 48 hours, that's it. If you take advantage of this rule, there will be no marking spots allowed! Please, do your part and be a good neighbor by following the rules. And don't be scared to move markers that shouldn't be there. Your car will be fine!

We earn the right to hold our spots! We are the people who take the time to shovel the streets and sidewalks around our cars. It makes the parking situation BETTER for everyone. The worst thing for city streets is for someone to just pull out of their spot without shoveling. The snow freezes, creating less spots because you can't back into them. It is a mess! The people who want to do away with this tradition are the lazy. Why should I let someone pull out of their snow filled spot and return to the space I worked hard to clear. If people weren't lazy and everyone did their part to shovel, there would be no need to mark spots. The reality is that the lazy don't do their part.

Thank you, Andrew Ryan and the Boston Globe, for making an issue out of this, and pointing us in the right direction to make it stop. Keep it up this winter.
Thank you for outing th selfish jerks who STILL have markers out from a storm that was over a week ago. Please do it more.
To all of us who thinks its obnoxious to 1) save spots before a storm 2) save spots during a storm when clearly no shoveling was required to leave 3) steal and then save spots that someone else shoveled 4) save a spot that isn;t even properly shoveled 5) and save spots long after 48 hours... call the hotline and complain! 617-635-4500. Only we can make it stop by actually doing something....

Hey Matt- I shoveled 3 spots last Sunday. THREE. And the sidewalk, TWICE.
Not out of selfishness so I could feel justified in guaranteeing a personal parking space in front of my house after work, but for all the reasons you listed above- to clear the snow out, to be neighborly, and to just get outside. Did I mark ANY of them...? NO. Why? Cuz I'm not a selfish jerk. You keep deluding yourself that only lazy non-shovelers dont support the space-saving ridicoulsness. Maybe that way you can feel better about shirking your neighbors from public parking spaces.

Hey Mr. Mayor. Let's think outside of the box.

The City's coffers are short millions of dollars? In the spirit of giving more money to government for unaccountable use and waste, forget installing meters and putting up Residential signs. Create standard sized parking spaces by marking with paint all over Dorchester, South Boston, downtown, Brighton,... all over the City, assign unique numbers to all of them, and AUCTION THEM OFF TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, to rent these parking spots from the City by paying monthly fee, whatever anyone is willing to pay for each spot. The City owns and maintains public streets.. they are not private ways.. you can do this. Really.

If no one is willing to pay to rent, those spaces remain empty. Those who park in those un-rented spaces unwittingly or purposefully will automatically be towed ASAP, fined heavily for the offense (say $400+, probably the average cost to rent the spot), and guess what? The City will make even more money in fines, tow and storage charges.

Teachers, fire/police, officials will keep their jobs, matter of fact, there may even be raises and you will get to run another mayoral term! But don't forget to credit me for this brilliant idea.

Please, all those in favor... raise your hands and second this motion Let the auction begin today.

I like the folks who leave chairs, garbage cans, cones etc etc to mark their spots after the snow has significantly melted. Idiots.

City traditions...laziness...earn the right to hold your spot. Give me a break! I drove around last week in Southie and saw one open parking spot. ONE - And it was five blocks from my house! Now because I was out of town when it snowed and I wasn't able to "reserve" my spot, I can't have a parking spot for God knows how long? I hardly see how that makes it better for anyone.

As for the not enough complaints. I have already written a letter to the Mayor's office and know of several people who have as well. I was told that the 48 hour would indeed by better enforced but have yet to see it.

Like anything, it depends on the situation. I cleared out a spot and the adjacent sidewalk during the last storm and there are plenty of other potential parking spots in the neighborhood that are full of snow because people are too lazy to clear then put. I think that when it gets to the point where all parking spots in the area are more or less clear and you could park just about anywhere without needing a shovel; that is, that you can no longer distinguish between a spot that someone did a really good job clearing out and a potential spot that hasn't been cleared out at all - that should be the point when it becomes no longer acceptable to leave something in your spot. Until then, if someone removes the marker and parks in my spot, they do so completely at their own risk.

Here's one more idea for you Mr. Mayor.

Turn all of the public streets in residential neighborhoods into "PRIVATE WAYS." That way each residential owner within their block will share the cost to maintain snow removal and asphalt repair of pot holes. So if one neighbor can't afford to share the burden, it's not the City's problem. No snow removal is done. Just think, vehicles from adjoining streets cannot pass; residents are forced to use public transportation (Go green!), walk to you neighborhood market to buy groceries (let's continue to support the local economy); no ambulances and fire trucks (so what if you are having a heart-attack or your house burns down to the ground, everyone is mandated to have health and property insurance today anyway), nor FedEx can make deliveries (so you'll get your Christmas presents in May after all the snow melts). If their streets are pitted and destroyed by potholes, again, don't worry, it's not your problem! Residents will drive slower (talk about people always speeding down residential streets) so not destroy their suspension.

Just think of the cost savings from not having to provide snow removal and pot hole repair.. overtime pay, maintenance of vehicles and fuel.

The benefit, of course, is residents will decide who will park where on their streets,.. since they are, oh.., so passionate about their hard, earned efforts and struggles to shovel out of their vehicles.

Sounds ridiculous? Yeah.. that's the point!

I like my first idea more. It's a win-win situation for everyone. Can't afford to rent a spot, don't own a car, or move. That goes for everyone. That's life.

Like anything, it depends on the situation. I cleared out a spot and the adjacent sidewalk during the last storm and there are plenty of other potential parking spots in the neighborhood that are full of snow because people are too lazy to clear then put. I think that when it gets to the point where all parking spots in the area are more or less clear and you could park just about anywhere without needing a shovel; that is, that you can no longer distinguish between a spot that someone did a really good job clearing out and a potential spot that hasn't been cleared out at all - that should be the point when it becomes no longer acceptable to leave something in your spot. Until then, if someone removes the marker and parks in my spot, they do so completely at their own risk.

Get over it - it's a part of life. I don't live in Boston, but we did the same thing in my town. You shovel out the spot, it's yours - and 48 hours is about right.

How many of you people actually deal with this situation? You'd do the same thing.

I shovel and hold spaces for TWO cars parked on a city street! It is a system that works and there is nothing you can do to stop us!

What a great FREE City recycling program we have in Boston.

Can't rid your old 32" tube TV made with hazardous materials, or have a 55 gallon drum of old antifreeze and motor oil, heh heh.. use it as a parking saver, and the City will pick it up for FREE within 48 hours!!

Residents, here's you opportunity to rid gallons of used paints and cleaning fluids, and old tires and car batteries. No need to drive twice a year and wait in long lines to West Roxbury or UMass Boston to recycle these hazardous wastes. You can do so right in your front doorsteps!

I don't mind paying local taxes for this ingenious program. I'm feeling Green already.

hey, you shouldn't have moved my metal stool from the spot I shoveled out... so it's your fault it ended up under your car.

sorry for the front bumper damage, I guess. :(

What about the people that park in an open spot, that was open because UPS, FedEx, or just another person parked there but did not put the space saver back? Do you space seve folks feel it is your right to damage the car? I agree with the 48 hrs. after that get off your high horse.

Also, why can;t the city use the rules as street cleaning. Make people not park on one side of the street and plow it.

I agree...fine them...BUT only if the entire street (and surrounding neighborhoods) has all its parking places cleared of snow and all spaces are available for cars. Use the same roving ticket-writers as now employed to issue fines for not shoveling sidewalks...and perhaps that, too, could ensure that the abutting sidewalks are all cleared of snow in those neighborhoods. But, it is not fair to penalize people if they are not provided the universal access to snow-free parking.

These people should be absolutely fined. We'll call it revenue...how 'bout that? We need money to pay for the snow and ice cleanup, so let's get out there and make it happen.

Throw the space savers out! Everything out there is junk to begin with. Nothing like more clutter on the streets of Boston!

Forget fining the people. You have no way of finding out who owns it.

If the city went out 2 days (48 hours) after the snow storm and threw all the trashy space savers people would learn. If everyone is that concerned about a "saved parking space" move out of the city into the suburbs where this isn't an issue.

Well, I am glad that someone is listening to the public about this issue. This matter keeps going on and on. It is pretty simple, no one owns the streets but the public. So if you leave the a spot it is gone for the next person to take. I have made the call to the mayors office and will keep doing till we have our streets back. I will send in pictures as well, my iphone know has a camera which allows me to nice pictures of trash in the streets. I am like the other person in Charlestown who clears the street of the spacing saving trash, we had to take matters into own hands, why not no else is listening.

Sometimes I drive home in the middle of day and there are no spaces for me to use except for the ones that saved . The local business are ones that hurting from this as well. I live in area where we shop and live together.....

What the city should do is have year round street cleaning that will ensure curb to curb clean snow of snow, built up iceburgs and trash that is left over from trash days as well. I think the city has gotten to lazy with keeping neighboods clean and cared for. It is that simple Mr. Mayor.....

Thanks to the Globe for using this issue to keep our rights up and in the center or our daily lives. I love reading the comments on many issues.....Enjoy the snow, and hope to have space for my car later when I get home from work.....

I used to live in Cambridge. How about this as a suggestion. For the first 2 days after a snowfall have alternate side of the street parking. Then send out the plows with tow trucks, like they do with street cleaning, and plow one side one day and plow the other side the next day. This way there is no need to reserve parking since the city will clear all the on street parking of snow.

I believe the 48 hour rule is good. I live in Cambridge and shovel my spot. If someone takes my spot I take out my shovel and put all the snow back and more, let that person enjoy the fun of shoveling. I'm sure they will then appreciate my effort.

To Mr. RentAParkingSpot:
I live in Southie and currently rent a spot. However, due to some short-sighted members of the condo association I rent from, I will be "kicked to the curb" so to speak and will have to fend for myself with street parking as of February 1. I have had less than 30 days' notice and have scoured Craigslist and posted my own Craigslist ad to no avail. What do you suggest in a situation where there are far more cars than parking spots and no rentable spots to be had?

Go back to your driveway in the suburbs and acknowledge that parking is a real problem in the city.

Kendell D said "The space saver concept is SO ridiculous. The argument of " I deserve this space because I had to dig my car out" drives me bonkers. Having to dig your car out doesn't earn you the right to the spot."

You must have flunked kindergarten. The reason I get the spot is because I did the work to clear it out. I literally earned it by my labor.

That's a direct relationship between effort and reward. I know it's easier and more convenient for you to freeload, but . . . you want a spot? Dig one out yourself.

Saving a spot is nothing more or less than elemental fair play.

If you think you have the right to a parking spot after you've shoveled it, does that mean I can shovel your car out and the spot around it and claim the spot when you drive away? If not, your argument it totally baseless.

Southie is REDICULOUS about marking their spots. Its so frustrating to drive around for 20 minutes a WEEK after a snow storm seeing all these spots marked off. On my 10 min treck to my car in the morning im going to just start moving every marker I see.

Have these selfish jerks ever heard of civic duty and living in a civilized society? I shovel my spot and beleive me parking is very tight in my neighborhood. but i do not save it as the road is a public place. Luckily I have only seen one saved space inh the many yrs ive been here and 48 hours after the storm i moved it so someone else could park there.

I love the "rule". I love putting in the effort to clean out my entire spot and usually make a pathway to the street from the sidewalk. But mainly because I know for at least a few days I will be able to utilize the effort I put into it by knowing I have a spot when I get home. Without the "rule" i do not see myself putting as much effort into it as I do now.

But the "rule" clearly has not been followed with in reason by the residents of Southie. People save spots before it even snows, and days and weeks after the snow has stopped.

I don't see the point in spending more tax payer money to enforce this 48 hour rule when the economy is as bad as it is. So its up to the residents to start following the law.

Whoever suggested that we put in numbered parking spaces and rent them off to the highest bidder and tow anyone who doesn't want to rent is an idiot. Not everyone can afford to pay for a parking spot. Also what happens when you have your friend come visit you. If you aren't paying for an extra rented spot for visitors then they will get towed anywhere they park! What a horrible idea. Think hard!

Rentaparkingspot. All your suggestions sound like they would be so easy for you. I'm guessing that you don't own a car? Unfortunately none of the solutions you have suggested make sense for most people. I own a car because I need one to get too and from work. (My work is 20+ miles away and public transportation does NOT go anywhere near there. So what do you suggest I do if we make everyone get rid of their cars?

Woodenhippo: "I shovel and hold spaces for TWO cars parked on a city street! It is a system that works and there is nothing you can do to stop us!"

Umm, how about fining you and/or towing your cars next time it is recorded over and over again?

Anyone notice how this whole thing has become more about stubbornness and bullying than actually clearing spots? I get it people, you don't want outsiders coming in from somewhere else and telling you what to do, that''s an understandable attitude.

But the space-saving thing is NOT working (see comments above for reasons why and I can think of quite a few more). And no I'm not a freeloader, I dig out extra spots and clear my sidewalk every single snowstorm. Actually I've helped shovel even when I wasn't driving. It is possible to hate this tradition for reasons other than being lazy.

And just for giggles, what exactly is the rule since obviously nobody cares about the actual law. Is it ok to save a spot if you've spent more than 17 minutes shoveling? Is it 23 minutes? How many inches of snow need to have fallen? 6? 8? 2.5?

Everyone makes up their own interpretation of reasonable which is why this doesn't work. Say that you don't want the tradition to change because change scares you, fine, but DON'T say that it's working.

You Yuppies will NEVER change it so forget about it. NOT GONNA HAPPEN. You move my chair deal with the consequences. And good luck filing a complaint about it. Maybe you should have stayed in suburbia.

Live in JP and when I did have a car and spent time shoveling it out I expected the spot to be there when I returned. Thankfully I live on a quiet street and we are all neighborly and didn't take each others spots so the markers were not needed. I have since rid myself of the pain that owning a car is and take the T. no worries about shoveling ever.

Some lazy bums don't even shovel. They wait until other people who've shoveled go out to take their spots. If I spend time and energy shoveling a parking spot, I can save the motherbomba if I want to.

Somebody takes my spot, i won't fuss. But if you didn't shovel it, do not take it. Maybe it you shoveled a spot...you would have had one and perhaps would not have to annoy others.

Oh Martin. Your idea is brilliant and makes too much sense. That's why it will never happen. I live on Beacon Street, and we have to move our cars for every snow emergency. Thing is, the plows don't plow where the spots are. They just plow the street. Which pushes the snow into all the spots, and there it stays. I have a small iceberg in front of my apartment that has been there for three weeks. If you can manage to get on top of it, you can park in that spot...but you can't really reach the meter, and you'll probably never get out of it. Where's the sense in that??

What kills me is that as I left for work this morning (barely a dusting of about 1 inch on the ground), my entire block already had space savers in it. Are you kidding me? You did NOT shoveled that spot. So, what did I do? I took every last space saver and loaded it into the back of my truck. Looks like your lazy fat butts might actually need to walk a block or two when you come home. AND, you may even need to get out that shovel and push a little snow (gasp!).

You shovel out your car. You save your spot. In order for this to make any sense means you've moved your car out of that spot and, unless you are driving continuously without going anywhere, you've parked your car into another spot someplace that is either covered, has been plowed, or shoveled out by someone else. Where's the fairness here? No wonder the rest of the country considers Bostonians among the most rudest of drivers in the nation!

I have only lived in South Boston for two years but I can honestly say that I find the "space saving" practice to be the WORST part of living there, second only to car vandalism. I left for work today, with barely an inch on the ground, and "space savers" were already out and about. If everyone REALLY shoveled there would be plenty of spots. Instead, people just carve out a little spot, leaving huge snow banks between spots, effectively taking up two parking spots. I REALLY loathe the people who have cars but never use them. They never even shovel, just wait for the snow to melt. Why even have the car? Just taking up space for those of us that HAVE to use our cars everyday for work.

And the same person that takes the spot is probably the same person that is so lazy they do wipe their car off.
You come to the suburbs and if you shovel out in front of your home/apartment/condo the space is yours, why cannot be the same in Southie.
Fight the power, you shovel the space, it is yours!!!

Ben: "Umm, how about fining you and/or towing your cars next time it is recorded over and over again?"

Umm, when my car is parked, it's legal; and there's no way to connect a space saver to an individual. What's the city going to do, stick a ticket to my chair? It's not like the spaces are directly in front of my house.

If I didn't dig out my car, you wouldn't be able to park there in the first place. Face it people, holding spaces is never going to stop and there's not a thing you can do about it.

Classic. A bunch of heavies arguing about how 15 minutes of physical labor done on a public street somehow equates to ownership. Love it.

I lived on a small, private way in Boston for years. We ALWAYS had problems with non-residents parking their cars on our road. None of the houses had driveways and in the winter the problem was compounded by the snow. Space savers were a necessity to keep commuters and people looking for free parking out. I agree that space savers should not be allowed past 48 hours on public streets, but private roads are another matter. Would you park in someone else's driveway? I didn't think so.

to the guy that took a bunch of people's space savers from his block: hahaha that's great. Serves em right.

WoodenHippo: If you constantly use the same space saver during the day/ park in that same spot during the night, with the same car, it's not that hard to put 2 and 2 together. I'm sure that all of your neighbors know you and your car very well by now and are probably either in one of 2 camps: they save spots themselves or they hate you for saving a spot.

The funny part of this whole thread is that the whole discussion revolves around whether it is fair or not. I too live in South Boston (and have for 8 years on and off) and have faced the whole dilemma about saving spots. The problem is not so much with the Townies as it is with everyone else on this board who complains that the practice is unfair, but I am sure at one time saved their spot after a storm. The common theme is "well everyone else is doing it so I have no choice". You my friends are lemmings and fall in with the crowd so have no right to complain. The fact is that there are always going to be people that mark their spots no matter what law you pass. Just like there will always be crime and there will always be people being fleeced in this world.
The best advice I can give is get to know your neighborhood and make a mental note of who parks where. Take the spots of known "yuppies" in the neighborhood as they are less likely to damage your car. Maybe there should be a "Townie" section for parking in neighborhoods and a "Yuppie" section. Problem solved.

I think its funny that people threaten to damage your car if you take "their spot" - oddly enough, if my car were damaged in "your" spot, I would know who did it the next day when they park in the spot again - so, think about it before you decide to do physcial damage to someone elses property - what goes around CAN come around, and usually does.

PS: The guy that takes the space savers - keep up the good work, I am right there with ya!

#64 - Yes, I agree, a "townie lot" and "yuppie lot" - I dont think a sign designating which is which will be necessary, lol.

But Ben, there's no way for the city to cite me for doing anything illegal. That's the beauty of the system: either I'm legally parked, or I can't be connected to the space. The city won't tow a legally parked car based on hearsay. And anyway, all the neighbors seem to endorse the practice, for weeks on end. The city has never even bothered confiscating our chairs & buckets. As the article implies, the city doesn't care. With a $122 million budget shortfall, there isn't going to be stepped up enforcement for such a non-crime. Notwithstanding all your angry useless posts on this board, there is nothing you can do to stop the practice!

Why do many Bostonians consider bizarrely rude behavior - when compared with etiquette in other cities - the norm? I never could figure it out even when I lived in the City. It must be my problem I assume. The selfish and self-centered usually see it as such. Oh well. Boston will be Boston.

So i have am forced into involuntary servitude to shovel the city owned sidewalk but if i shovel out my space you say i can't claim it !
I still think the best joke is all those appliances and TV sets that were "minding spaces " last winter and the city took the away for free !
People cleaned out whole cellars for free .
That's probablly why the city stopped doing it !
Boston rule #1 You dig it you own it until spring !

Interesting how the City can enforce car towing/ticketing on street cleaning days, but they can't or don't enforce the 48 hour space saver rule.

Out of curiousity, I would love to know how many of the people who post on here have educations and those that dont - I would bet those die hard space savers dont and those against the practice do. I wonder if there would be any correlation there...

So, I guess this spring when I go around my sidewalk cleaning up scratch tickets and related trash from the locals, since "I cleaned it, so now I own it" and can set up a toll booth for townies to use "MY" sidewalk. Same mentality, think about it..... or not and go about your day with your head in the snow.

#71, I think by your misguided education vs. not theory, maybe what you're actually observing is transients vs. those invested in the community. Go ahead, disparage them as towies, but real neighborhoods are composed of people with roots, people who raise their kids there, people who shovel and save parking spaces. If people want to flutter in and enjoy the livable community others have created and all that's great about the city when it suits them before moving on to greener pastures, then they gotta man up and take the bad with the good.

For the record, I wasn't born in Mass. but I'm an 8-year Boston resident with an advanced degree who firmly supports saving shovelled parking spaces. If you can't hack city life, don't let the doorknob hit ya where the good lord split ya!

I went to southie the other day to visit somebody. EVERY spot was marked and half of them were not shoveled. so i grabbed a shovel and started moving snow. i cleared the snow away from two adjacent parket spots. i even chipped away the ice on the sidewalk so the water that was pooling up would have a place to drain so my disabled friend would not slip and fall. i laughed on my out cause I saw one spot was marked with a shoe! i was like... i've really seen it all now!

WoodenHippie -
I think the only misguided about your comment is the fact that "those with roots, raise kids....blah blah blah" is a bunch of bologna. Charlestown and the South End are perfect examples of how 20 years ago, your so called " those invested in the community" folk had run down housing, limited and poor quality businesses not to mention high crime rates. Now that people that are TRULY invested in the communities have moved in and renovated what was left in disrepair by the townies both areas have completely turned around! Just because people move in one year and move out a few years later doesnt make them any less dedicated to their neighborhood - I for one turned my house from a shack into a nice residence but wont live there forever - so again, your accusations have no merit - probably like your "advanced degree".

Hippo, I'm going to disagree with your theory. I wasn't born here either but I've lived here for a decade. I consider this my home, I love Boston, and am as invested as I could possibly be in making my neighborhood the best place I can make it.

I get why you think the way you do but your idea is inaccurate. There aren't only "townies" versus "transients". You've actually hit on the problem, everyone attacks "newcomers" as though they were all the same and then good people who want to settle down here can't because of how horribly they're treated. I moved here with about five people and they've all left because they think Bostonians are so rude and nasty that they didn't want to stay. It makes me really sad.

To be fair though, there ARE a crapload of college students (and maybe just some other young people) who are extremely lazy and disrespectful. They trash the towns and give the rest of us a bad name. It stinks.

Vigilante, your snobbery is astounding. How noble of you to swoop in, rescue the locals from themselves, and tell them how they should live their lives before you move on to ever greater adventures! Go ahead and ask the South End lifers if they ever wanted your "nice residence" or the resident Starbucks. Here's betting they much preferred the corner spa or mom & pop deli that were priced out of town.

Back to the parking issue, consider this analogy: suppose for a moment you went to sit down at a bar and someone said, "sorry, this stool is taken;" or you walked into a coffee shop and the only "vacant" table had someone's coat on the chair. Would you cop your vigilante attitude and take your rightful spot at the bar in this very public establishment; or hurl the coat into the back of your truck and plant yourself and your latte at your rightful table that was "unfairly" held by some incosnderate rube? I doubt it. So why should the parking space you didn't get to first be any more yours? Talk about entitlement.

Please, I grew up in the suburbs of central Massachusetts where people actually have to shovel significant amounts of snow every winter. Rather than spending "three hours" shoveling out one spot, we actually spend hours shoveling not only a parking spot, but two walkways, a deck, and a large driveway. Did I mention that we typically get more snow than the coastal regions of Boston?

Now I understand that there truly are some generous and hard-working people living in South Boston and Dorchester, and having lived here for nearly four years as a student, I understand that neighborly people do in fact contribute to the community aspect of our Boston neighborhoods. Still, however, it frustrates me that after nearly three days after a minor snowstorm/rainstorm, the streets (Near JFK/UMass and elsewhere) are littered with empty trash cans and space-savers habitually and strategically placed by possessive residents.

Understandably, Dorchester neighborhoods and streets are cramped, but I feel as though other parts of the city and surrounding areas, including the North End and Back Bay, deal with snowstorms and parking issues in a much more efficient and orderly manner. The streets are public property! What gives residents the right to "reserve" city property for extended periods of time? Parking spots aren’t reserved any other time of the year, hence the term “on-street parking.” In fact, residents should be thankful that Boston even grants residents a 48-Hour grace period after a storm, not to mention the fact that Dorchester residents, unlike many other city dwellers, seldom need to pay for resident parking permits at all. What's going on here is analogous to putting space-savers in public parking lots.