Boston rednecks...over parking (Cambridge, Somerville: sublet, apartments, rental)

[Nabikinat]

I agree with the original poster; this is an immature way of behaving by adults. We shoveled out of "our" spot during that snow storm and came home after work and parked wherever there was space. I'm sorry but we all have to shovel our cars out of the spots but I'm not going to cry about it if I can't park it in the same exact space - so I have to drive around the block once - big deal. I understand you can't change people, we can prevent them from vandalizing our cars (unless the city steps up and defends the innocent). I'm just saying to those people who do vandalize cars who park in spaces where they shoveled, grow up.

[HowGoesIt]

It all comes down to entitlement. People in Southie think they own the streets, it's absolutely rediculous. This kind of behavior only goes on in a few 'nabes like southie, eastie, somerville, jamaica plain. You would NEVER be able to get away with this in Back Bay, Beacon Hill, or any other neighborhood in the city.

It's the old time "townie" mentality that you can only really find in Boston. Give it a few years though, these people won't be around much longer (rising taxes, cost of living, gentrification, etc..). Believing that you own the street is the ultimate form of self entitlement and it drives me crazy!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by LeavingMA

The easiest thing would just be to move somewhere it doesn't snow.

Well that's what I did after 15 years in the hills of central MA (where it snows more than Boston). My real point is that when you choose to live in a place that affords you the benefits of urban living, you also have to put up with some of the down sides. The fact that you have no parking and must park on the street doesn't give you the right to claim the public street as your own.

As I said in my OP, I grew up in Queens NY. We parked on the street. After a storm, you shoveled yourself out, as did everyone else. That meant that most spaces were shoveled, and when you returned, you took another space that someone else cleared, but they might have taken yours. It never dawned on any of us to "claim" a spot as our own just because we had cleared it.

Boston is a great town, but that is some twisted thinking, and vandalizing someone's car because you think you literally own the road is acting like a redneck. I don't care how you justify it, it's wrong and should be stopped, but Menino is so entangled in the neighborhood good old boy politics that it will never happen.

[LeavingMA]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Well that's what I did after 15 years in the hills of central MA (where it snows more than Boston). My real point is that when you choose to live in a place that affords you the benefits of urban living, you also have to put up with some of the down sides. The fact that you have no parking and must park on the street doesn't give you the right to claim the public street as your own.

As I said in my OP, I grew up in Queens NY. We parked on the street. After a storm, you shoveled yourself out, as did everyone else. That meant that most spaces were shoveled, and when you returned, you took another space that someone else cleared, but they might have taken yours. It never dawned on any of us to "claim" a spot as our own just because we had cleared it.

Boston is a great town, but that is some twisted thinking, and vandalizing someone's car because you think you literally own the road is acting like a redneck. I don't care how you justify it, it's wrong and should be stopped, but Menino is so entangled in the neighborhood good old boy politics that it will never happen.

I agree with you. I was merely joking with my statement. Some people think even though their house or apartment is there and "their" spot where they park most of the time is also belongs to them.

[smarty]

All I really need to know about how to live and what to do and how to be I learned in kindergarten.

What's Mine is Mine, and What's Yours Is Mine

[momoffive]

Originally Posted by neil0311

Well that's what I did after 15 years in the hills of central MA (where it snows more than Boston). My real point is that when you choose to live in a place that affords you the benefits of urban living, you also have to put up with some of the down sides. The fact that you have no parking and must park on the street doesn't give you the right to claim the public street as your own.

As I said in my OP, I grew up in Queens NY. We parked on the street. After a storm, you shoveled yourself out, as did everyone else. That meant that most spaces were shoveled, and when you returned, you took another space that someone else cleared, but they might have taken yours. It never dawned on any of us to "claim" a spot as our own just because we had cleared it.

Boston is a great town, but that is some twisted thinking, and vandalizing someone's car because you think you literally own the road is acting like a redneck. I don't care how you justify it, it's wrong and should be stopped, but Menino is so entangled in the neighborhood good old boy politics that it will never happen.

I think the "problem" with your scenario is people "do not" shovel their spots out... so if someone parks in someone else's spot that person has no where to park if other people didn't shovel.... if 100% of people would shovel their spot... no problem or "claiming" a spot would exist.

[smarty]

Have you tried to find a parking spot? regardless if it is before or after a snow storm...

The assumption here is.. there is enough spots for everyone... I think this is an incorrect assumption...

[NY'er lost in MA]

most of the idiots with their chairs and boxes are not willing to put their fists where their mouths are.

I used to think this unwritten rule was the biggest form of bullying there was when we lived in Somerville.

On plenty of occasions I drive right into a spot and blasted those stupid lawn chairs onto the curb without thinking. Out of doing this for 3 winters, only once did someone come out and attempt to yell at me. When they realized I wouldn't move my car they went in and grumbled away at their miserable life. I made sure to point out that every storm I would dig myself out and never put a lawn chair in the spot.

If everyone got themselves a shovel and dug out their car, then this wouldn't even be an issue.

This type of stupidity is what brings a bad name and feeling to these 'hoods'.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by momoffive

I think the "problem" with your scenario is people "do not" shovel their spots out... so if someone parks in someone else's spot that person has no where to park if other people didn't shovel.... if 100% of people would shovel their spot... no problem or "claiming" a spot would exist.

Well I agree with you in principle, but the reality of human nature comes into play, and that applies to everything in life. The rest of us just have to keep that in mind and do what we know is right.

What are you going to do when that one lazy homeowner won't cut his grass or leaves his trash out all day in the hot summer sun? Some people just won't follow the rules no matter what you do, although there are legal ways to try and get them to change if you want to bother.

[smarty]

Please note that I'm not defending the people who are holding the spots.... However, Have you guys ever live in Boston with a car but without guarantee parking spot?

Can someone tell me why it took my friend 1 hr to find a resident parking spot in Boston during the summer when he has a resident parking permit?

I think the problem is there are more cars than parking spots.