|
Residents along Prince Edward Street in Fredericksburg use plastic chairs to save parking spaces they've cleared. |
Luke Payne worked up a sweat in jeans and a T-shirt yesterday afternoon digging his car out of packed-in snow on Amelia Street in Fredericksburg so that he could go to work at 5 p.m.
Payne was well aware that he could return from his job only to find that another motorist had claimed the product of his hard labor.
"I guess I'll probably lose the spot, but I'm getting some exercise, and I'm out in the fresh air, so it's not so bad," Payne said.
Other city residents weren't so willing to let their hard-dug spots go to somebody else.
Along many streets in Fredericksburg's older neighborhoods, orange cones, flags, flower pots, yard furniture and other objects were being used to stake claim to valuable bare pavement.
Many downtown homes have no off-street parking, and plows have left walls of snow and ice 2 feet high or taller next to some parked cars.
It can take an hour or more of backbreaking work to get a parking spot to the point where a car can easily maneuver in and out without spinning tires.
There are no written rules in the city about who can lay claim to a parking space that's been cleared of deep snow. In fact, it is technically illegal to reserve parking spots on public streets.
"You're not allowed to claim your parking space, even if you did spend six hours in the ice chipping your way out," said Fredericksburg police spokeswoman Natatia Bledsoe.
It's not unprecedented for a city to allow folks to save spots, though. In Boston, residents are allowed to use "space-savers" to claim their cleared spots, but those must be removed 48 hours after a snow emergency ends.
Bledsoe said Police Chief David Nye told her about a snow-parking incident he observed in Alexandria, where he worked before he came to Fredericksburg.
Alexandria police got a call from a resident who was angry that someone had stolen his cleared parking spot, but police had to tell him there was nothing they could do about it because public streets are for public parking.
"All of the neighbors got together, and when the offender came back to their vehicle, it was completely covered with snow," Bledsoe said. "If that should happen to some poor person, I'd feel very sorry for them, but I'd understand."
Emily Battle: 540/374-5413
Email: ebattle@freelancestar.com
Some other things to keep in mind:
A Fredericksburg city ordinance says that property owners are to clear their sidewalks of snow and ice within 12 hours after snow stops falling. If snow falls on a Sunday, the deadline is stretched to noon on Monday. Violators can get a $50 fine.
If your neighbor is disabled or elderly, ask if you can lend a hand clearing his or her sidewalk.
If you live on a corner, be sure to clear the sidewalk all the way out to the ramp that makes it handicapped-accessible.
Residents should check the fire hydrants closest to their house to make sure they are cleared of snow and ice.
Don't stop picking up after your dog just because there is snow on the ground.
Watch out for pedestrians in the road when driving. Because trees have fallen across some sidewalks and plowed snow has filled in cleared pathways, there are some places where people have no choice but to walk
