Chair free Chicago? (Time: maintenance, garages, wealthy)

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

I'm lucky enough to have my own built-in space saver: One of my cars is on the driveway, the other blocking the driveway.

I once had a bitchy neighbor threaten to call the cops on me for blocking my own driveway. Evidently it "wasn't fair" that I got to park there and nobody else did. It never occurred to her that by parking there I was freeing up another spot that she or someone else could be using instead of me. Ditz.

It's actually illegal, they just don't ticket for it. Your argument is twisted, using that logic people should just park in any publicly-owned space.

It has nothing to do with fairness as it does with protecting green space and safety - the people who park in their driveway at the end of my block make pulling out of the alley a nightmare.

[MassVt]

No chairs being used in my section of Cambridge, MA; it's more of a Boston thing, anyway...

We're getting swamped..again. Another 15-18 inches expected over the next 2 days, on top of 3 separate storms exceeding 12 inches in the past month. There are some snow banks that are literally 10 feet high in my neighborhood, and my shovel handle is being held together with lots of masking tape, until I buy another one..

[knitgirl]

You guys have gotten hit hard this winter!

[Chi-town Native]

I will say, do any of these "tough guy" mayoral candidates have the cajones to clearly state they disapprove of this practice, and that they will actually do something about it?

[MassVt]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

You guys have gotten hit hard this winter!

Yes, and I really don't know where we are going to put the incoming 18 inches, either; we've already lost about 10 parking spots on the street because of snow piles, and the sidewalk areas are already very narrow; I'm fearful that there may be some roof collapsing after this storm..

As one Boston.com reader stated this morning: " Once more, into the breach, dear friends"...

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Yes, and I really don't know where we are going to put the incoming 18 inches, either; we've already lost about 10 parking spots on the street because of snow piles, and the sidewalks area are already very narrow; I'm fearful that there may be some roof collapsing after this storm..

...and to bring this back on-topic for Chi-town, this is the root of my problem with the practice - the bottom line is it results in less parking available on the street; a combination of perfectly usable spaces that are "blocked" and the fact that those spaces are much larger than any single car, as the people reserve extra space on either end. And of course, most people aren't actually shoveling the snow onto the parkway, it gets shoveled in front of and behind their car, or in the street, yada yada yada.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by MassVt

No chairs being used in my section of Cambridge, MA; it's more of a Boston thing, anyway...

When I was growing up in Boston it was definitely a neighborhood thing - i.e you'd see it in Jamaica Plain or Dorchester, but not in Back Bay or the Fens. I saw it quite a bit in Ukrainian Village in the 90's, but not so much nowadays.

It never bothered me in the least in Boston, and as a 12 year old who once had to shovel about 50 inches in one week I fully supported it. The big difference with it today is that parking is much more scarce and people are using it to save spaces where there are none. In 99 my street in Ukrainian Village had plenty of parking, if you wanted a space there were plenty to be dug out. The same was true growing up in Boston. It doesn't feel obnoxious at all if there are plenty of spaces available to dig out, it does become stupid if you're doing it in Lincoln Park or something.

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Attrill

The big difference with it today is that parking is much more scarce and people are using it to save spaces where there are none. In 99 my street in Ukrainian Village had plenty of parking, if you wanted a space there were plenty to be dug out. The same was true growing up in Boston. It doesn't feel obnoxious at all if there are plenty of spaces available to dig out, it does become stupid if you're doing it in Lincoln Park or something.

BINGO. That was exactly what it was like in Lake View in the 70s.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by Chi-town Native

It's actually illegal, they just don't ticket for it. Your argument is twisted, using that logic people should just park in any publicly-owned space.

What?

[tonythetuna]

Sorry snow street furniture haters, it looks this tradition won't come to an end with a new mayor, whomever that is.

"The only voice of caution on “dibs” came from candidate William “Dock” Walls, who said he opposes it because, “It clutters the street and it creates conflict. It inhibits our ability to clear the streets when we get to the side streets.”"

We asked mayoral candidates: Do you support