2008-12-20
I measured it -- that's exactly how much there is.
Well, morning has broken upon a metric shit-ass TON of snow. We were supposed to have some friends over tonight, but I don't know if that's going to be a roaring success, exactly. Because - 1) there's a metric shit-ass TON of snow out there, which means - 2) the roads are going to be eight kinds of nasty, assuming that it's going to continue to snow in fits and starts and finally - 3) parking is going to be an issue. A really BIG issue.
Let me explain something to those of you who haven't lived in the city proper. If it snows, and you shovel out the spot around your car, that's YOUR spot. You can claim your spot, "legally," for about 48 hours after an official, mayor-declared snow emergency. During this grace period where a piece of city property is unequivocally YOURS for having shoveled it out, you may place some sort of object there while you are out in your car buying bread, milk and batteries. A lawn chair, for example. Perhaps an old baby stroller. A garbage pail full of bricks.
Further, it is understood by your neighbors that this is "your spot." As such, you can pull away from your spot, with your baby stroller standing sentinel, and be reasonably assured that you will be able to park there upon your return.
Neighborly, right? Urban tradition.
But it can, and DOES, get ugly. There are some people (and to be fair -- we haven't encountered these sorts in our current 'hood, but it was a very different story on Wenham Street) who believe that shoveling out their spot entitles them to said spot clear up until Memorial Day, and will leave their flotsam various and sundry in that spot, every day, until the crocuses begin to emerge. Actually, there are a LOT of these people. So many, in fact, that the Mayor started having the sanitation workers yank these makeshift place holders.
And woe - by the by - to the visitor-from-out-of-town who, having circled the block numerous times, passing all sorts of available-but-for-that-garbage-pail-of-bricks parking spots, finally caves and removes the pail, parking in the spot. This person can expect retribution, ranging from a snippy little passive-aggressive note to (depending on the neighborhood) having his or her car keyed or otherwise fucked with.
Good times.
But this is neither here nor there. I have emailed my friends -- the ones that either must travel by car because of distance or the ones that only live one town over but typically insist on driving everywhere anyway -- and warned them of the probable scarcity of parking this evening. I do hope they'll listen, even though it may mean that I will be without their company.
Fuckin' SNOW. Grrr.
(...and to my friends who are in warmer, sunnier climes who may be tempted to chime in with some sort of "Boy, I'm sure glad I don't live THERE" type sentiment: eat me. I don't go around gloating about my area's lack of earthquakes and wildfires, now do I? No I SURE DON'T.)
lisamcc at 8:25 a.m.
4 comments so far
Stephen
2008-12-20 16:51:21
This makes me wonder... what if you dug your neighbor's car out. Is it the car, or the digging, that gives you the right to the spot? With a little initiative, can you own the parking on the street for the next 48 hours?
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Houseboy
2008-12-20 18:58:56
Nah. Around here they have a word for people who shovel their neighbor's car out. It starts with "s" but it ain't Samaritan.
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Lexi
2008-12-21 19:58:35
OH, the parking dramas there were in my old Somerville neighborhood. There's all kinds of nuance to the dance, too. From who's got more than one car to who's been living there longest! My neighbor was the sister of the house owner, she occupied the left/bottom of a four-unit duplex. She shoveled the walk and would stand sentry making sure no one shoveling out cars get any snow on the sidewalk! If you did there was hell to pay I tell you, HELL TO PAY.
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PK
2008-12-22 06:23:18
Fuck man. Can't you all just come to LA instead of my going there?
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Stumble It!
