Comments on: Blizzard Ethics and Parking Space Etiquette

By: Compliance Bits and Pieces for February 19 | Compliance Building

Compliance Bits and Pieces for February 19 | Compliance Building — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:01:55 +0000

[...] Blizzard Ethics and Parking Space Etiquette by Jack Marshall of Ethics Alarms [...]

By: Tim LeVier

Tim LeVier — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:52:46 +0000

I know exactly what Jacob is referring to. It might be genetic. Even though I live in Colorado, my mom is from the U.P.

But snow-blowers? I consider that cheating. For me, it’s not done right until you’ve scrapped with a plastic shovel. (Metal ones stick in the concrete)

By: Jack Marshall

Jack Marshall — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:03:00 +0000

Jacob: You obviously live in Ethics Heaven. Because that’s the way it should be done.

By: Jacob

Jacob — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 17:44:16 +0000

Living in Northern Minnesota my whole life, this does not seem to be a dilemma to me.
I also live in a small community (around 12,000) where we help each other. Usually the first guy to wake up in the morning gets his snowblower out and after tackling his driveway and sidewalk, gets first dibs on tackling other peoples. Believe it or not, people (well, guys anyway never seen this happen with a lady) get upset because their fun was taken away when someone else cleared their area for them. Usually, though, the early birds clear the area of single moms, little old ladies, etc. knowing that it is poor etiquette to clear the snow of a guy that just spent a few thousand on a brand new snowblower. Especially if it is the first snow of the year. Clearing the first snow of the year is an almost religious event for many.
And yes, Minnesota can be that boring in the winter.

By: Jack Marshall

Jack Marshall — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:59:44 +0000

By the way, I am a big fan of your site, and your comment reminds me that I need to include a link to it here.

By: Jack Marshall

Jack Marshall — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:57:59 +0000

Doug—right after I posted this, I read your correction about the Boston law on another site—VC perhaps? I actually used the cell phone technique for a short stop—i also had my hazard lights on—after pushing aside a plastic trash can. The “owner” of the spot didn’t return, but I got stuck in his spot for more than an hour—a trap, perhaps? Does a shoveler still have a moral right to a space if he does a crummy, half-assed job digging it out?

By: Doug Cornelius

Doug Cornelius — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:39:57 +0000

Jack -

Interesting solution about leaving a note on the window.

The Washington Post got the Boston law wrong. http://www.cityofboston.gov/snow/parking: “Any ‘spacesavers’ left in on-street parking spaces that have been shoveled out must be removed 48 hours after a snow emergency has ended.” That just means the DPW will start picking them up.

There is no legal right to the dug out spot. Just a moral right.

And there is common sense. You would be pretty stupid to push that lawnchair out of the way and park in a shoveled out spot. You may come back and find that the lawnchair is back in place, but your car is not.

I don’t think your note solution would work in most parts of the city. I think you would more likely get a profanity-laced tirade for “stealing” the shoveled-out parking space.

By: Lianne

Lianne — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 00:41:53 +0000

My first 8 independent years were spent in a townhouse on the main street. Drove us absolutely mad when we would dig out our cars directly in front of the house, and people with spots directly in front of THEIR houses, on cul-de-sacs, would park in OUR hard-earned spots rather than dig out their reserved spaces. Sorry, but I don’t think anybody actually would come move their vehicle, in a jiffy or out of one. After living through the January 1996 blizzard with people stealing our spaces, I firmly agree that Boston has it right.