Actually, I could request that the space in front of our house be designated a handicapped parking space. I had asked about this a few years ago when my wife was still driving. IIRC to get one I had to file an application, which may or may not be approved (I was told that having a garage might disqualify us, although the fact that our current vehicle - an extended van - doesn’t fit in it may count in our favor). Then we would have to pay all or part of the cost of having the signs installed, and possibly an annual fee. I don’t remember exactly why I never followed up on it.
We may be disposing of the van soon, since neither one of us drives; I don’t know if we could still get the space on the basis of convenience for having her picked up. It seems a little selfish to hold a space for only occasional use like that.
<-----------------Feels much more generous in spirit toward the officials (the budgeting guys) in my city.
Even though snow removal (and sanding etc) isn’t always the best or quickest, it’s pretty much a “right” if one lives in the city.
I live in a subdivision rather than an apartment now, so if I want my driveway plowed, I have to pay, but the homeowners’ association dues cover plowing of the subdivision roads. And from what I understand (according to city ordinances) business and apartment managers are required to do reasonable snow removal in parking lots, sidewalks and stairways.
Highland Park. Near the Ford plant. If it is less than 6 inches, it doesn’t really effect the parking that much. It’s easy enough to rock back and forth in the parking space when you park, then you can drive right out. You must have pissed off the plow man, I find them to be brutally efficient. If you live on a narrow street where a-holes can’t follow simple instructions, the plows can’t get through. Then the city will usually take a week to get back to you. A buddy of mine lived on Igleheart between two such Snow-Emergency-Impaired butt nuggets.
For the record, had I need in the position that the OP was in, I probably would have been disappointed but by no means upset unless the parking space was my private property.
Just out of curiosity, what were the guy’s options? Presumably the only available spaces were those that somebody had labored to dig out. So according to the OP those are all off limits. Spaces that are not dug out are still filled by snowed-in cars, so those are out.
Was he supposed to just keep driving around until the snow melted?
Attrayant, there are at least two private lots open for public use for the duration (i.e. till the borough plows the street tomorrow). As I said, most of the neighbors are pretty considerate about parking because there are people with babies who need easier access.
I’m not sure I fully understand the OP parking situation, so I won’t comment on that specific case.
In general though, I don’t feel that anyone has the right to reserve a public parking space. It sucks to have to dig your car out, and nobody likes it, but it’s a fact of life when it snows. It’s also a fact of life that when you leave a parking spot, it’s fair game to anyone else. I don’t think it should be any different in the snow.
For the record, I dug my car out and lost my spot and had to park far away when I returned. I hold no ill feelings towards the taker of “my” spot, since I didn’t expect it to be open when I got back.
I was gonna start my own snow/parking rant, but I see it has been done!
I can’t believe the dumb fucks that take up two spots! Of course it was an ass that did not clear their own parking space.
I told his wife that I am gonna block his car in because he is occupying two spaces and I have no place to go. He comes out and says that is two spaces? I would not block you.
I said I would not take two spaces even when parking was not lessened by the huge snow fall.
I pull out of the way and back up to clean the junk out of my car and before I can pull back another neighbor pulls in. Damn it!
He says I did not get your spot did I? I said yes. He was going to move, but I said don’t worry about it. I had pulled away. It was not like he cheated me out of the spot.
BUT then I realize that he is parking there because some other clueless asshole is always taking his spot. I mean his reserved spot! Because he dealt with serious “urban” assholes in Washington DC. he is frightened to even tell the parking spot thief that they are in his reserved space.
They act as if they did not know!?!?!?! Is it possible for some asses to be this clueless?
All the spots on my block have now been opened up. There is still plenty of snow around, and some of it is still partially blocking the kerbside lane. But there are enough gaps in the snow barrier that every parking spot can be entered and exited. Essentially, even though you might have to manoeuvre tightly around a snowbank, our block has now returned to having its usual number of free parking spaces.
Yet, the guy across the street is still using a garbage bin to guard the space he shovelled out on Monday afternoon. Dude, that’s FOUR FUCKING DAYS ago. It’s not your spot permanently, you pinhead. I was quite happy to see that there is a car parked in the spot that does not belong to the “owner” of the spot, and the garbage bin has been moved aside.