To the Editor:
It seems to me the snow is still on everyone’s mind.
As someone who lived in Bucks County for many years, I understand the desire to have private parking. It is one of the few things I miss about living there. When we moved, we did so with the understanding that we were giving up a suburban perk (a driveway) in exchange for access to shopping, restaurants, etc. Most people near the Italian Market where we live do not have private parking.
I, therefore, do not understand the notion, ridiculously promoted by the mayor, that shoveling a parking spot means you can reserve that space.
When a big city mayor makes such a stupid assertion, he should at least make some effort to qualify it. Let’s ponder... where does this “parking space entitlement” end? Two days? Two weeks? For spaces you have actually shovelled? How many cars per household should you be able to reserve, as some people have as many as four cars on our block? Thank goodness they don’t reserve spaces.
When you perpetuate the belief that people should be allowed to have reserved parking after a snowfall, you create animosity between neighbors and promote lawlessness.
The Streets Department should take these chairs up with the trash after say, a 24-hour window and prosecute those who vandalize the property of others.
Shame on the mayor for calling for people to come into the city during the snow in one breath, then putting at risk any visitor who parks where someone’s chair was. The reality is that if you want private parking you should buy a garage or move to the suburbs.
To the Editor:
Once again I’ve read a complaint in the Review about homeowners holding spaces, parking, in front of their homes after they have dug their cars out with chairs and whatever.
The property owner gives an easement. This permits people to walk on pavements or drive through streets with restraint. It doesn’t give anyone the right to park where they please.
Certainly the property owner has the right to have the parking space in front of their home. Under ordinary circumstances you really can’t stop anyone from taking your space. It’s not illegal, nor is it illegal, to put a chair in your spot after you’ve risked a heart attack to clear the snow away.
Here in South Philly we have a parking problem. Some sections double-park. So where is the problem? If a family has several children and there is only one space in front of the house and each child wants a car, where do they park?
You can drive through the street, but if you want to park where there is a chair you don’t have that right.
I don’t know what Philadelphia can do about the parking situation.
We have good public transportation. It can get you to all parts of the city and also outside of the city. Use it — instead of a family having three cars with no spaces to park.
You also can consider moving to the suburbs where parking is not a problem.
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1. Maria Smith said... on Mar 4, 2010 at 12:48PM
“You know what, people? Get over it. I am sick and tired of hearing all the complaints about saving parking spots. We go through this every year. If the city would clean the streets the way it is supposed to do we wouldn't have this mess. Are other cities in the US going through this? Probably not because they don't have a lazy mayor like we do! Did you die because you couldn't get into a "saved" spot? NO! THEN GET OVER IT! Life is too short and precious to worry about "saved" spots!”
2. chaloots said... on Mar 4, 2010 at 01:09PM
“Mr.Kane, I think you should organize your block to have a clean up if it is bothering you, but to want to take away money from libraries is ridiculous. And most of the pools in South Philly are gone, with a few exceptions.
I think the city should spend more money on keeping renting yuppies from the Art Museum away from owning in South Philly if all they are going to do is degrade the people of South Philly.”
3. Chris Doyle said... on Mar 4, 2010 at 02:24PM
“I'm still trying to figure out how people, when given the facts, still end up with the wrong answer. For instance:
"Certainly the property owner has the right to have the parking space in front of their home." HUH? WHERE DO YOU LIVE, "IGNORANTVILLE"?
OR:
"...nor is it illegal, to put a chair in your spot after you’ve risked a heart attack to clear the snow away." HUH? IT IS ILLEGAL, IT'S CALLED LITTERING!
I really enjoy:
"You also can consider moving to the suburbs where parking is not a problem."
YOU CAN ALSO MOVE TO FLORIDA WHERE THERE IS NO SNOW FOR YOU TO (IN YOU OWN WORDS) "risk a heart attack to clear the snow away."
The dumbing down of this nation is alive and well, unfortunately.
”
4. Anonymous said... on Mar 4, 2010 at 03:08PM
“I've said it before but its worth repeating. The only way to teach people a lesson is to call the cops on them. They WILL BE TICKETED and hopefully will think twice about "saving their spot". I really am so sick of the mentality in South Philly anymore and the things that people get away with. Don't even get me started on the abuse of handicapped parking spaces. My neighbor has one and during the last four snowstorms I witnessed him shoveling his heart out with apparently no problem or handicap. He's the next one on my list to rat out to the parking authority.”
5. Roe S. said... on Mar 4, 2010 at 03:15PM
“Re: Maria Smith's comment "you didn't die because you couldn't get into a "saved" spot? NO! THEN GET OVER IT! I bet you're one of the many ignorant people who put chairs out to save their spot. Guess what? I don't have to get over it. When other people's blatant disregard of the law interferes with my life then its impossible to "get over it".”
6. C137* said... on Mar 8, 2010 at 03:29PM
“blah blah blah....im so tired of hearing it. people that save spots are down right ignorant. you are not entitled to it b/c you shoveled your car out. its public property, not your own personal drive. i loved this part: "Certainly the property owner has the right to have the parking space in front of their home." Seriously! Did you ever count how many houses are on one block?? some people are just freakin idiotic in all the nonsense they say. I said it before and i will say it again. I dont save spots and anyone is welcome to my spot!!
And in regards to the Art Museum....dont be coming to So Philly with that Yuppie nonsense.”
7. Anonymous said... on Mar 9, 2010 at 11:20AM
“This all comes down to the Mayor condoning breaking the law and with it encouraging vandalism and violence. The Mayor, if he were intelligent, should just correct his mistake, state the law that forbids saving parking spaces in the city, acknowledge that citizens should obey the law, and keep his idiotic opinion to himself. I don't know where the Mayor has lived in Philadelphia, or where he gets his information but the only thing that neighbors have agreed on in these situations is that ignorant, selfish people with a feeling of entitlement threaten innocent law abiding citizens with violence or destruction of property if their chair is moved from a public space. The Mayor really needs to retract his brainless statement. Who voted for this moron anyway? Oh yea, it was me, but I won't make that mistake again!”
8. Greg said... on Mar 17, 2010 at 09:09PM
“The parking issue on my block is bad 365 days a year I have a renter on my street who is using the street as his used car parking lot and is selling used cars out of his house. This guy on average is parking 3-4 cars a day on my street. We have called the cops but as always Philly cops do not want to enforce the laws and let him get away with it. Also this guy uses the plates from his registered cars and puts them on the cars he buys and then parks them on the street so that no one can complain the car is illegally parked. During the snow season it gets worse cause he ignores the chairs we put out after we clean the street spots and then when you argue with he tells the property owners that they should not have more then one car on the street yet he parks 3-4 cars on the street. Try having him for a neighbor.”