Sunday, January 30, 2011

Please note: You do not own the street


From the Daily News:

A neatly shoveled parking spot has become a rare commodity in this winter of record snowfalls - and that's pitting neighbor against neighbor in a normally agreeable part of the city.

Drivers who live in Middle Village, Queens, have been using traffic cones, garbage cans and folding chairs to call dibs on parking spots that they've huffed and puffed to clear out. And they're not taking lightly to freeloaders who swoop in.

"I broke my ass to clean that space," said one man who plopped down two plastic garbage cans in the spot he dug out from 3-foot-high snow banks across the street from his house Thursday on 81st St.

"Let them do the same," the man said of people who take advantage of the labor of others.

Igor Magoc, 53, who has lived in Middle Village for 15 years, spent two hours Thursday digging out his space. He said he feels he should be the only one allowed to park in front of his house.

"We pay taxes, over $4,000 [a year]. It would be nice to legally have the space in front of your house," he said.

People may rightly feel territorial about their shoveled spots after an intense workout, but that doesn't mean they can claim it for their exclusive use, said Robert Sinclair, spokesman for AAA New York.

"I can sympathize with them. You dig out your car and when you come back you'd like your space back, but blocking it with some sort of obstruction is illegal," Sinclair said...

But just try telling the folks who've plowed and shoveled their cars free that the practice is illegal.

"I've seen arguments break out because of it," said Robert Holden, president of the Juniper Park Civic Association, an active community group in Middle Village.

Attempting to save parking spots is a perennial source of tension in the neighborhood, but this winter's repeated snowstorms have put a premium on spaces and ratcheted up the tactics.

"People get more possessive when it's in front of their house and they dug it out. It becomes personal," Holden said.

Holden got an email recently with a photo showing a garbage can on top of a car's roof - a gesture that the car's owner felt was in retaliation for moving the trash can and taking the cleared spot.


Okay, this has been going on for decades. People think they own the space in front of their homes. They even put garbage cans out when there is no snow to reserve their spots. You do not own the street. If you dug your car out, the person parking in "your" space did the same at some point. Get a grip and get over it.

63 comments:

Anonymous said...

You dig you car out. Someone takes the space afterwards. They had to dig their car out also. Like QC said, get over it.

Anonymous said...

Annoying, sure. But cars are mobile and eventually they will leave that space and take one someone else dug out.

Like it or not, there's always one's own driveway for the people whining about paying thousands in taxes.

I have no car at all and part of my income tax pays for the streets drivers use.

Who do I call for my refund?

Babs said...

you obviously are a renter.

I couldn't care less if it is illegal of not - you shovelled it out - it's YOURS.

AND the cans,etc. serve ANOTHER purpose - the Sanit plows will not and cannot plow through the spots therefore you are not snowed in AGAIN. So in reality the hardworking homeowner is doing the City a service because there would be NO spots after a snowstorm like this last one.

Keep on keeping on homeowners!

Queens Crapper said...

"I couldn't care less if it is illegal of not - you shovelled it out - it's YOURS."

Actually, no it's not. So you move your car, you have to find a spot wherever you go. What will you do when the block you want to park on has garbage cans all over the street? Not park there? Give me a break. There are too many people and cars in this city for there to be "dibs" on parking spaces. You can't go to work and expect your space to be there 9 hours later. And Sanitation will have no problem plowing snow into the spot where you have your cans should it snow again. I've seen it happen.

Anonymous said...

If parking is so important to you, rent a garage or buy a home with a driveway. Problem solved.

Anonymous said...

Funny thing is, here in my section of Ridgewood, no one would dare do that can-in-the-street shit. This only happens in lower density blue-collar areas. A real stupid, selfish mentality.

Anonymous said...

There are two types of scenarios for this kind of situation. One in dense neighborhoods where there are practically no open parking spots at all, in which case saving the spot does not seem right.
But what about neighborhoods where parking is ample? Is it right that you shovel out an entire spot for someone else to swoop in on your hard work while there are available spots in the immediate vicinity that just need to be shoveled? Should you be forced to shovel a second spot when you come home because someone else is too lazy to shovel their own spot? If there is no shortage of parking, I think it is understandable to save the spot you shoveled. There are plenty of other spots, go shovel one!

Queens Crapper said...

Illogical. If parking is ample, there should be no need to save a space.

Anonymous said...

I guess you didnt get it crappy, it's saving the SHOVELED space. Unoccupied spaces get plowed in and generally need to be shoveled for someone to park in them.
Why should you have to shovel a second space because someone else is too lazy or inconsiderate to shovel their own space?

Queens Crapper said...

Why would someone shovel the parking space in front of their home if they don't need one?

Anonymous said...

Parking is only ample in neighborhoods where people live in one family homes on large lots and have garages or driveways. Which means they wouldn't need a street space. Basically, northeastern Queens. The rest of the borough is bumper to bumper parking. So the scenario that someone will have to shovel out a parking space where there was no car parked is far fetched.

Anonymous said...

It's not far fetched at all, many homes have more than one car. Drive around some of these one family neighborhoods and you will see plenty of cars parked on the street. It is not saturated, but there is a good deal of on street parking.
And crappy, you sound like you are playing dumb. Perhaps you are one of the inconsiderate neighbors who parks in a spot he rarely if ever parks in simply because someone else shoveled it out. Why shovel out one of the spots you usually park in when you can piggyback on a neighbors work? The spirit of queens crap (not you, the general queens crap that we all rant about) at its finest. Screw everybody else, it's all about ME, ME, ME!

Anonymous said...

"It is not saturated, but there is a good deal of on street parking. "
I meant there is a good number of cars parked on the street.

Smarter Than Babs said...

Babs, you have once again proven what a stupid twat you are.

If someone ever tried that on my block I wouldn't hesitate to take their shit and throw it on their stoop.

And yes, Babs, I am a homeowner.

Queens Crapper said...

"Perhaps you are one of the inconsiderate neighbors who parks in a spot he rarely if ever parks in simply because someone else shoveled it out. Why shovel out one of the spots you usually park in when you can piggyback on a neighbors work?"

First of all, there is no "usual" parking space for me. I park where there is an opening, snow or not. And the thing you seem to not be grasping is that I HAD TO SHOVEL MYSELF OUT OF THE SPACE I WAS IN AS WELL in order to park somewhere else upon my return. So chances are that someone else has taken that spot. Are you really that clueless about how things work?

Anonymous said...

They even put garbage cans out when there is no snow to reserve their spots.

Snow or no snow - too bad the street is fair game for vacated spots. The problem is a difficult one especially if you live on a tiny tight side street and can not navigate the hill on your back alley.

With this issue the danger is that you lose your neighbors friendship or come to blows with them.

Quite personally my position is this, if parking and I come across a public spot with a garbage can "holding the spot" I will take the spot and throw the can through the front living room window of the home owner. Look out assh*les!

Babs said...

HAH! you'll get SUED you stupid idio! - everyone has surveillance tapes today! I love it!

All you're going to do is ENRICH the person whose window you just smashed AND of course their lawyer.

BTW - I have a driveway - BUT I also have a great deal of respect for my neighbors and for others - It would have been one hell of a lot easier for me yesterday to park in my neighbors dug out spot to empty my car of all those heavy packages - but, I didn't.

I wouldn't expect you to understand respect or to feel compassion for anyone except your stupid little miserable impotent self.

Queens Crapper said...

Why would it be easier for you to park in your neighbor's spot if you have a driveway?

Babs said...

Corner - driveway in the back

Anonymous said...

Why not pull into more convenient spot to unload packages and then move car into driveway?

Babs said...

I could have - but I didn't . . .

I did a LOT of food shopping yesterday - I would have been in that spot for awhile. If my neighbor came home - it would'nt have looked nice.

faster340 said...

It's called parking etiquette on the block you live on. Like the bitch across the street from my house who bought her house with no driveway but jumps her car right in front of my house where I dug the spot out and she has 3 cars. Screw you QC! You are another one of these rude assholes who doesn't shovel but will take the spot of someone who did and it would probably be your own neighbor too!

My neighbors to the right and left of me and all the way down the block are very considerate about parking.

There was a fight on the block about parking yesterday and the cops were called. Another rude renter bitch who doesn't want to shovel but take everyone's spot.

So all of us on my side of the block got out and started shoveling everything and one neighbor with a truck and plow plowed a good portion of the street to solve some of these headaches.

I know it's not legal to claim the spot but come on be fair especially if you live on the block and know your neighbors. I know outsiders don't know you but the people who live on your own block can be the worst.

Anonymous said...

The problem is that in high density areas, most people are assholes that don't "dig" out of their spot. Instead, they just get in their car and drive. It may take them just as long to move their car as those who painstakingly shoveled the spot clear, but they leave behind a spot that is difficult to park into again. This makes finding a spot even harder. But, what else would you expect from these people?

Queens Crapper said...

"Screw you QC! You are another one of these rude assholes who doesn't shovel but will take the spot of someone who did and it would probably be your own neighbor too!"

Hey, I can play this game, too. Fuck you, Russell! How's that?

I have to dig out of my spot in order to get my car out, and I leave the spot for one of my neighbors to take while I am gone for the day. When I come back, there may or may not be a spot for me. That's life in NYC. It doesn't matter if you are a "renter bitch" or a homeowner if you street park. Everyone has to dig out their car. Your logic astounds me.

Anonymous said...

The problem is you take a single family neighborhood where you have some people who illegally rent their basement. Then you paying anywhere from %7,000 to $10,000 a year in taxes (yes in Queens) and then one of those illegal tenant parks their car in front of your house for days because they can't park in the driveway of the house. This is why we move into single family neighborhoods in order to avoid these issues, yet they follow you. My neighbors and I shoveled tons of snow in order to open up spots in front of our homes, why should an illegal basement rentor take our spot for days?

Joanne the Nurse said...

I am a visiting nurse and I'll be damned if some stupid Queens redneck is going to tell me I have to park 5 blocks away from my patients because all the spots on the street are reserved for people who live there. Maybe someday someone in your family will need the services of a home attendant, nurse, or physical therapist and then you can fight with her about whether or not she should be able to take the spot in front of your house.

Queens Crapper said...

"why should an illegal basement rentor take our spot for days? why should an illegal basement rentor take our spot for days?"

Ah, well now you're onto something. Maybe you should open your mouths at civic meetings, community board meetings, city council meetings, etc. You folks really aren't mad about parking spaces.

IT'S THE OVERDEVELOPMENT, STUPID.

Anonymous said...

When it snows, I leave my car where it is and take a cab or walk down to the bus. It's a pain in the ass, but it saves a lot of grief when it comes to this issue. It's also safer than driving.

Queens Crapper said...

Since someone is still spinning like a top because I dared call him a name (even though he started it) I will clarify that no, I do not have a neighbor that I "give" my parking space to. I simply leave. Whoever takes it, takes it. I just assume it will be one of my neighbors.

Anonymous said...

"There was a fight on the block about parking yesterday and the cops were called."

We're wasting police resources on this shit? Grow up and stop acting like you own the street. Better yet, buy a house with a parking space on premises if lack of parking bothers you so much.

Sentoria said...

Took me 2hrs to dig up my car on Thursday and I am very upset someone will take my spot tomorrow when I leave for work. There is nothing I can do about it. In my Sunnyside neighborhood I've seen some folks use the orange ConEd cones. People just move them out of the way and park. Oh well.....AZ looks so attractive right about now!

Anonymous said...

What if you park in a spot that is in front of someone else's house before it snows, and then after the snow, you shovel your car out and leave? Is that spot still yours, or does it belong to the owner of the house it is in front of?

Anonymous said...

Perfect solution. If you don't want someone to park there, then put all the snow back into the spot after you move your car out.

Anonymous said...

Hey now there is no such thing as "Overdevelopment" just ask our elected officials. Every development is good no matter what. Besides an illegal basement is not overdevelopment, and people do complain, and you guessed it nothing gets done for the most part.

Move your feet, loose your seat.

Move your car,_______ ______ ____

JO said...

This is a practice known as the Pittsburgh Parking Chair, typically used in the suburbs of Pittsburgh.

Anonymous said...

"If you dug your car out, the person parking in "your" space did the same at some point."

This is a not necessarily true. SUVs and larger vehicles simply push their way through the snow. The snow collapses into the spot leaving it unoccupiable.

I dig my car out leaving nothing between my car and the road. Where do you think the SUV will park?

georgetheatheist said...

Pacem in terris: When in Rome, do what the Romans do.

BTW, you can always park your vehicle on the sidewalk. Did you ever think of that. Do what the Paragon Used car dealership does: 10 cars-for-sale parked illegally on the sidewalk yesterday. (Northern Boulevard between 56th & 55th Streets). Called 311 again for the 7th time. Operator said it would be passed onto the 108. Again and again and again. Hey 108Pct. Captain Powers. How much of a payoff is going down here?

Anonymous said...

The street is public, if you wish to return to your spot Babs, squat your ugly fat old spouse in his lazy boy chair in the spot.

Listen to Crappy - the real issue that causes this is illegal rentals and over-development. The landlords renting their dank cellars to hot bitches are the same complainers posting about losing car parking spaces.

Smarter Than Blabs said...

Those of you that think you can save a spot are delusional. Park your car in your driveway and garage and STFU.

Asshole complaining about illegal "rentors": complain to your neighbor about that before you start bitching about them taking your parking if that's who you're upset about "stealing" your parking spot.

It may work in Pittsburgh, but this isn't Pittsburgh, assholes.

Anonymous said...

Bottom-line is, you don't own the street and if you act like you do, the cops will disabuse you of the notion.

One neighbor had an illegal curb cut. When someone who knew that the driveway was illegal parked there anyway, he had the car towed.

Next thing you know, the homeowner had to repair the damaged curb and pay a $200.00 fine. He was lucky not to be charged with grand theft too.

Anonymous said...

The last snowstorm I moved my car (yes after digging it out) to the next block (off the avenue) and someone, presumbably the owner of the house I was parked in front of, left a note on my car window advising me to "store my car where I live."

I looked up there address on the DOB site, and they have been fined for an illegal apartment, and they moved to Flushing twenty years after I did (I have lived here since I was four, when we moved from the Bronx, where I was born).

So, I guess they are saving the spot for their illegal renter, with whom they do not wish to share their large driveway (bet they don't pay taxes on the rent either). I tell everyone to park there now, and we will certainly have people checking to see if they are are illegally renting again.

So, welcome to my neighborhood, neighbor . . . .

(and, yes, it is illegal to try to claim ownership of public street parking:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/dot/downloads/pdf/trafrule.pdf#section4-13d3)

Anonymous said...

"I couldn't care less if it is illegal of not - you shovelled it out - it's YOURS."

I just got to this comment - and I'm not even going to read all 39 - Babs - You're an ass and this proves it!

Anonymous said...

Senor Crappy is 110% correct on this issue!

Anonymous said...

Called 311 because s car blocked my driveway and blocked in the cars of myself and my neighbor. The fine $95 is now.

Anonymous said...

Maybe those complaining about people not shoveling their spots should invest in SUVs and then they can do the same thing they're complaining about, which you know they would if they owned one. It sounds more like sour grapes because others have cars that handle snow better than the ones they own. That's why they bought them - for snow! If it's so much of a burden for you to have to shovel yourself out, then make your next car an SUV.

Anonymous said...

Seriously, with the amount of snow we've had and the narrowness of most streets, I haven't seen a case this season where a driver didn't have to shovel him or herself out of a space no matter what kind of car or truck they drive.

Anonymous said...

Everyone is doin a lot of friggin shoveling - to get into spaces and to get out of spaces. By law, the City owns the streets. Homeowners don't. The fact that renters do not own their property is a BS distinction. They pay rent. The owner's property taxes are factored into the rent they pay. And they shovel.

Merchants and workers in Queens neighborhoods shovel just as much.

Homeowners have a weird sense of entitlement. THEY OWN THE STREET!

The joke is that they like to rail against the 'outsiders(usually the guy/gal that lives 2 blocks away') but the biggest fights are usually what happens with those on the block.

Anonymous said...

My car hasn't moved in weeks.I lost 6 lbs walking the 2.3 miles to work. i wish i could walk after work,but i'm tired and take the bus. Can't wait for spring!

Anonymous said...

At least something good came of it in your case. Now, when the snow melts, start your Lenten fast or just a plain old diet and knock everyone dead at the beach this summer.

Anonymous said...

On my block neighbors respect each others parking spots. I would not take a neighbors spot and they would not take mine. Yes, I have a driveway, but I also have four cars. Three go in the driveway and one in front of my house. The whole idea of doing this is respect for each others work and time to get their cars out. It is harder to dig out my driveway than it is to dig out a spot on the street.

Anonymous said...

First of all, you have a driveway and 4 cars? What the hell for?

And though it may be easier to park in the street than in your driveway after a snowstorm, it is awfully selfish to take up street parking when you don't have to.

But this entire issue revolves around selfishness and entitlement.

Anonymous said...

I RENT A GARAGE

SO SHOULD YOU

Anonymous said...

Residents of Middle Village block their spots all year round. Their property line does not extend out into the street and most of these crybabies have spots either on the side or behind their homes. The street belongs to the city, not them! The fine is $100 -- there's a neighborhood where the city can make up the deficit!

Anonymous said...

I'd love to see spaces designated, no matter the weather, for people with mobility impairments. I'd love to see sanitation take responsibility for plowing mounds of snow over curb cuts.

No one owns the streets. But we all use them. One of the comments mentioned $4,000 in taxes - how much does a provate lot charge over a year? and, btw, those taxes cover a lot more than just the street...

I'd love to see a winning lotto ticket, and get the heck out of NYC.

georgetheatheist said...

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." - Matthew 7:12

Anonymous said...

The worst are the people who own a home with a garage and/or yard, and then decide to take down their garage and use their yard for a pool/deck/etc, and then all 3 of their cars need to be parked out on the public street. Oh, and each of those cars take up two spots each, because heaven forbid someone bumps against their 1998 Honda Civic.

Babs said...

"I'd love to see spaces designated, no matter the weather, for people with mobility impairments."

you have made a very good point.

I usually shovel my own curb cut - as do all my neighbors BUT - I never did think of the WIDTH of the path to accomodate a wheelchair until your post!

Next snowstorm I will!

Anonymous said...

Oh, and each of those cars take up two spots each, because heaven forbid someone bumps against their 1998 Honda Civic.


So true!

Anonymous said...

"First of all, you have a driveway and 4 cars? What the hell for?"

I purchased a house with a driveway and there are four licensed drivers in my house. I did not think there was a limit on the amount of cars you could own.

And yes, it is harder to dig out my driveway than to dig out a spot on the street only to have BOTH plowed in again, and again, and again!

Anonymous said...

"four licensed drivers in my house"

And they all need to drive a car at the same time? How about carpooling or sharing a car?

Too many cars in this city.

Anonymous said...

Do these landlords ALSO have the right to jump the curb to park in their gardens?

NO!

Anonymous said...

QC,
You don't own the streets but the City expects a homeowner to keep the street x measure out from the curb. Even if idiots throw trash on your property, a sanitation agent said its your job to keep it clean.

Anonymous said...

"And they all need to drive a car at the same time? How about carpooling or sharing a car?

Too many cars in this city."


Are you serious? Who are you to tell them how many cars they are allowed to own. If you don't like traffic move to Nebraska.