All’s Fair in the Snow Parking Wars
Nytimes reports that calling dibs on the parking spot you shoveled after a blizzard is a respected tradition in northern cities, but a spate of confrontations is a reminder of just how precious a spot can be. After the sprawling snowstorm last month, a brawl over a parking spot left a Philadelphia man in critical condition; another argument in Pittsburgh led to a police response and a car was buried in snow; and in Boston, a man was accused of stabbing two people over a disputed space.
Whether you call it "dibs" or "savesies," many residents save shoveled spots with household items — chairs, tables, garbage bins, mattresses, and sometimes more elaborate displays. Videos of the snow parking wars and perceived violations circulated on TikTok, drawing millions of viewers, including people from warm-weather states such as California and Texas and as far as Greece and Nigeria.