In East Boston we called it the "Barrel Law" since we were smart enough to use barrels to hold the spots, not junk or furniture. I hated it and was glad that the South End neighborhood I moved to didn't subscribe. The problem with the "system" is when someone takes YOUR spot, and now you're in the position of whether or not to retalliate. Of course, anything you do to the offending car is easily attributable to you once you reclaim the spot.

It's not an "almost-quaint tradition", rather it's a ridiculous and legally groundless one to think you have a right to the spot that isn't your legal property/drive.  People who leave stuff in these spots should be heavily fined for leaving litter in the streets.  That will end this nonsense better than the scum who think they can morally then "retaliate" and commit criminal property damage.

Having lived in S Boston for many years and shoveled out after the blizzard of 78 and many other storms it was absolutely necessary to mark your spot and honor those of others. Few have the luxury of a driveway. If you spent several backbreaking hours clearing a spot and your sidewalk too(this is still a law} you would expect this common courtesy of others. The people who do not respect this have not shoveled out their own spot and probably never will. Entitled

The whole concept is moronic.  Of course, a mayor who supports it is equally moronic.

It is little things like this that make me laugh when someone starts extolling all the virtues of living in the city. 

Of course, the real problem is the city's abominable performance when it comes to snow removal.  I'd vote for a new mayor just on the basis of an effective snow removal program.  It's winter.  It's New England.  There's snow.  Much better practices should be in place.  It's been a week, and my street still has mountains of snow on it taking up valuable parking spaces.  Downtown, I see so many spaces still filled with snow.  There's no excuse.  

This practice is necessary because this far out from the storm, the mayor has not moved the snow...if all the spots were clear, then the space savers would disappear.  Otherwise you go to work and roll the dice on whether or not you will have to spend several more hours trying to make a new spot...if you can find somewhere to move the snow...Menino, know those DPW guys that are on salary? Send them out to get snow...

The streets are PUBLIC property.  Stop whining.  Rent a garage or man up, shovel out your car & find a new spot if YOU choose to leave. You vandalize my car, I'll get it on tape & have the police come to your door with evidence.  This space saving encourages criminal behavior.  End it NOW.  

The only parking spot you own is the one you buy. If you park on the city streets and shovel out your car, it's still just a public space. Space savers should be collected by the city as soon as they appear -- no 48 hour window. And yes, I live in Boston and park my car on the street, and spend hours digging the car out after a snow storm. Amazingly in my very nice neighborhood, I have no problem finding another spot because there are no space savers to avoid. 

This nonsense will continue until someone is killed in a fight. The mayor is an idiot; saying that patrols need to be vigilant in looking out for vandalism is not the answer. If he would grow some balls and end this stupid game there would be no vandalism to look out for. And to the idiot in the article that complains about the people that parkEd in a garage during the storm: if more people did that it would be easier to get the streets clean. Pay the $12 and don't be such a cheapskate. 

This winter we have idiots placing objects in shovelled parking spaces in Cambridge! Can you imagine that these idiots go so far as to place objects into spaces that they didn't even shovel clear.

It is sheer stupidity for anyone to try and claim to a parking space on public roadways. Not only should the objects be immediately removed, but a serious deterrent to eliminate this stupid behavior. 

I'll know I'm white trash the day I place a toilet in the street to claim a parking space.

Somebody needs to pull out the film footage of Mayor Menino's first year in office when he was asked about this problem and he told the reporter that the law should be changed so that you could claim the spot you shoveled out. He thought it was wrong for someone to try to take away a place that you worked so hard to clear and that it was wrong for the government also.

Menino is responsible for this chaos.  The buck stops with Mumbles.  It should not be allowed.  These idiots go to work or wherever in the morning and think they can hold the space all day and into the night for days at a time.  This is the deal - you dig your car out and someone takes your spot BFD.  You come home and you just take another one.  It's like musical chairs.  Sure, someone may have to drive around a little longer or maybe park a block further away but everyone eventaually gets a space and all this vandalism and insanity will stop.  You don't see this behavior in other neighborhoods like the Back Bay, Beacon Hill and South End where parking is just as tight and snow is just as deep.  Somebody is going to eventually get hurt, or worse, and the mayor should be held responsible.  I was in South Boston today and the whole place is littered with trash.  That place is a pit.   

It seems very puerile and possessive, unfriendly and unneighborly. It's your space as long as your car is in it. Move your car, space becomes free game. Tough sh-t that you had to dig it out. Move your car and make way for the next customer. You don't own the street and it comes with the territory, if you own a car you are responsible for it. Turns out Bostonians are not such good neighbors as they would like to have you believe. Very kindergarden-ish behavior.

Before a storm, move all cars to a parking garage. City pays the bill for the night as long as people keep cars in garage until city says streets are clear. City plows and removes all snow. would that work?