Snowstorm parking wars turn violent as cities crack down, neighbors clash and police warn of escalation

Vying for a parking spot on a crowded city street after a snowstorm has long felt like going to battle, and now there's a harrowing twist. Many city officials and others are furious about what's happening. They say it's unethical, even illegal. After spending hours in the bitter cold shoveling heavy snow out of parking spaces, many Northeast residents have been laying claim to the small rectangles of asphalt they just cleared away, angering and upsetting others. From Boston to Philadelphia, Baltimore to Washington, D.C., drivers are reviving a time-honored tradition of grabbing anything they can find — chairs, cones, garbage cans — and using the items as space savers so that no one steals their spot. Massive snow banks often piled high in urban areas make already-scarce parking even more limited. While putting a chair in a parking spot may seem like a simple gesture, saving spaces has created friction among residents. The disputes have been referred to as "retaliation, fights and vandalism" by WBUR. Last week, a fight over a space saver involving multiple individuals left a man in critical condition in Philadelphia. Police say one man had a knife and another had a legally owned handgun. Both men "placed their weapons down and continued fighting," according to local police. "It's very disturbing," Philadelphia Police Sgt. Eric Gripp said of the situation. Baltimore officials are cracking down on chairs and other items being used as space savers to claim parking spaces. Baltimore's Department of Transportation said "chairs and other objects do not reserve parking spaces. They make snow removal dangerous; they can get caught in plows, damage vehicles and prevent us from fully clearing the street." Space savers became a ritual in Chicago after the record-setting blizzard of January 1967. Some cities refer to the phenomenon as calling "dibs" on parking spots. Others call it "savesies." In Pittsburgh, the practice is so legendary that residents named it the Pittsburgh Parking Chair. Lawn chairs and traffic cones are common choices. In Boston, space savers have reportedly included a vacuum cleaner and a toilet. Philadelphia car owners have used folding tables and plastic bins. Baltimore and D.C. residents have lugged trash cans and patio furniture into the street. Officials warn that saving spaces is illegal on public streets and can escalate tensions; local leaders urged residents to "shovel and share" and to help elderly neighbors. The article includes embedded local social media posts and statements from city officials and police advising residents not to leave objects in the street to reserve parking and warning of enforcement actions.