Darby Township, PA – Big snow storms and limited parking is a combination that can lead to a whole lot of neighborhood feuds.
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Now, in Darby Township, if you feel you have the right to reserve your parking spot, you could face a fine for hundreds of dollars.
You can’t lay claim to a parking spot on a public street in Darby Township. If you do, you could hear from police.
“The law prohibits doing that,” said Darby Township Police Chief Robert Thompson.
Putting in the work to dig out your car after a snow storm and then reserving that spot is a long standing tradition throughout the Philadelphia area.
That’s how single mom Tiffany Ellison feels.
She is frustrated and wants to fight the decision made by Darby Township commissioners Wednesday night to fine people like her $300 for saving their spot.
“It is going to be ugly. I was out between 12 and 1 a.m. digging,” said Ellison, who marked her ‘territory.’ “Yes, my trash can is out now so when I get home, I can park in front of my door.”
But for others, the new ordinance simply makes a whole lot of sense.
“A lady on Park had a rocking chair a week ago, still sitting there. I wouldn’t mind if she was handicapped or had a broken leg you know, but it’s ridiculous holding a parking space,” said resident Anthony Chiaverini. “You are going to get a lot of arguments over this.”
Thanks to two winters in a row where we’ve seen significant snow storms, arguments and frustrations over parking spots have been on the rise, according to Thompson.
“At some point, this can get serious or even tragic. I just felt we need to try and do things differently,” Thompson said.
The township also passed an ordinance to fine people $300 if they shovel snow back out on to the street.
A good law!
They should come to Flatbush, Midwood, Brooklyn.
i havent seen anyone reserve a spot in front of his house in midwood
That’s the maylah of the suburbs where you can have your own driveway.
My father-in-law used to get really mad that his neighbors would always park in front of his house in Philadelphia. He got the city to install a big “handicapped” blue parking space in front of his house.
$300 if you shovel the snow back into the street??? The city takes the snow from the street pushes it against your car (forget the fact that sometimes they even dent & damage your car) then comes Mr. Ruthless the mayor and puts alternate parking in effect you must move your car so what is one supposed to do with the snow pile it into your car and drive off? technically you’re putting back the snow where it was originally, on the roadway on the other hand it’s cheaper to pay $45.00, with no work for alternate, than $300.00 for shoveling out your car…
This narishkeit goes on constantly in Staten Island. Even when it’s not snowing people there think that the street in front of their house is a personal, reserved spot. Al achas kama v’kama during a storm storm when they’ve shoveled out a spot in the street. I go to visit my sister and brother-in-law, and they have to show me where I’m “allowed” to park, otherwise my car could get “accidentally” damaged. It’s awful. This is a good law. I wish they had it in NYC.