Eying that spot
Friday, December 18th, 2009There are two types of people in Baltimore when it comes to saving parking spaces after snowstorms: Those who do it and those who lie about it.
We’ve all claimed that freshly cleared patch of asphalt with a lawn chair or traffic cone or other piece of furniture. Sure, it’s against the law, but this is as American as the Sooners staking claims in Oklahoma.
Let’s face it, we’re a little goofy when it comes to snow.
The 12-inches plus in the forecast will have us descending on stores like swarms of locusts and stripping the shelves bare of milk, bread and toilet paper as if being locked in the house without these essentials for a few days would have us re-creating The Donner Party.
But apparently we’re also a little violent. Crocodiles aren’t this territorial.
At a Friday news conference, Police Chief Jim Johnson urged county residents to be courteous and not steal someone else’s space.
After the conference, Johnson told me that police receive “dozens of phone calls after any major snowfall related to citizens not showing courtesy to other citizens” who have just cleared out a parking space.
“It’s a major issue,” Johnson said.
“There are physical confrontations,” Johnson said. “It’s neighbor against neighbor and the bad blood often lasts after the snow is gone.”
Remember, it’s just a parking space.
And I’ll be watching mine.

