in Southie – UPDATED (12/19)
With snow season just beginning, Southie is already in a tizzy about saving spots (just go on twitter to read the frustration). As we all know, saving parking spots has been a time-honored tradition in South Boston passed on from generation to generation. We even have some unofficial rules of saving a spot – https://caughtinsouthie.com/tips/unofficial-rules. Love ’em or hate ’em – spot savers are a necessary evil to surviving winter in Southie. Retaliation for spot savers moved runs from a strongly worded note – (see photo of note here found on East Sixth St. on Tuesday morning) – to vandalism – (see below) to assault and battery on Wednesday (see below):
So the war continues with this battle ending with a 66-year old from Mercer Street in a pool of blood. On Wednesday, December 18th, a confrontation erupted between two neighbors in Southie over a parking spot. According to the Boston Herald, Boston police arrested 32 year-old Juan Beltran-Rivera and charged him with assault and battery on a person 65 or older. We all know how it went down – Beltran-Rivera parked in the elderly neighbor’s spot. The elderly neighbor said, “Hey, that’s my spot. You can’t park there.” Beltran-Rivera refuses to move. The argument escalates with elderly victim getting punched in the face.
Here is a report from www.bpdnews.com that involves, a saw horse, a nail gun, and some flat tires:
At about 5:11 PM, Sunday, December 15, 2013, officers from District C-6 (South Boston) responded to a radio call for Vandalism in Progress in the area of W. 4TH St., South Boston.
On arrival, officers spoke with the male victim who stated when he attempted to park his in front of his residence, he observed a saw horse in the parking spot. The victim stated he did not know the saw horse was placed there to hold the spot. He then moved the saw horse parked his vehicle.
Officers then spoke to a witness who stated he observed an unknown suspect shooting nails into the tires of the victim’s motor vehicle. The suspect then took the saw horse and fled on foot towards W. Broadway St. The suspect was described as a white male with facial hair, 5’10”, 180 lbs., approximately 40 years old and wearing a black jacket with a hood. The witness also stated that he observed a blue pickup truck, possibly a Ford F150 with a company name printed on the doors of the vehicle and it had been parked in the spot for the last couple of days. Police searched the area to no avail.
The Boston Police Department is actively investigating facts and circumstances surrounding this incident. Anyone with information is asked to call District C-6 (South Boston) detectives at 617-343-4742.
Community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling CrimeStoppers at 1(800) 494-TIPS (8477) or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of those wishing to remain anonymous.
We suspect a very pissed off carpenter.
14 Comments
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You need to do a better job of getting the word out to all the Newbies and Yuppies what the proper protocal is.
Why does the city endorse this type of behavior. A parking spot is NOT yours just because you dug your car out of it.
Here’s the piece that these people who complain about “their” spot being “stolen” don’t get: Someone may park in a spot that is EMPTY (i.e. no space space there) – that doesn’t mean that THEY moved the space saver. This is the city. Cars are in and out of spots MORE than once.
It is going to be a long winter. Someone is going to end up hurt – over a parking space. And the city will be to blame for allowing people to save parking spaces. There is no 48 hour rule. Didn’t you ever learn when you were a kid … “move your feet, lose your seat”. Grow up. If you move your car be prepared to look for a parking space when you get home – in the winter, spring, summer or fall.
Why does the city endorse this type of behavior. A parking spot is NOT yours just because you dug your car out of it.
Here’s the piece that these people who complain about “their” spot being “stolen” don’t get: Someone may park in a spot that is EMPTY (i.e. no space space there) – that doesn’t mean that THEY moved the space saver. This is the city. Cars are in and out of spots MORE than once.
It is going to be a long winter. Someone is going to end up hurt – over a parking space. And the city will be to blame for allowing people to save parking spaces. There is no 48 hour rule. Didn’t you ever learn when you were a kid … “move your feet, lose your seat”. Grow up. If you move your car be prepared to look for a parking space when you get home – in the winter, spring, summer or fall.
what a peice of trash
Spot savers are out of control when there is relatively no snow fall. People, old school and new school, are abusing this policy that has worked for years. What gets me so mad is when people plan ahead for snow and leave a cone… a no no! You have to wait for significant snow fall, like when school is closed, and shovel out, then you may leave it for a three days tops! This past weekend was a wintery mix, hardly anything that warranted leaving a “space saver.” So, they should be kicked out and recycled or put in garbage. I am pregnant and have two little kids, it would be nice to have a space saver, but this “snow” we had does not warrant a spot just for you nor does the parker deserve a nasty note like that. The person shooting tires is a criminal and this type of activity should be reported. Take it easy! It’s Christmas and I will kick out your lame spot savers… pregnant and all!!
though its unfortunate the particular spot in this instance belonged to a pregnant woman, the fact that people have begun saving spots is a complete sham. we barely got any snow. no one shoveled, didn’t need to. if you simply “drove” out of your spot and then tried to claim it as your own that’s complete shit. deserve to have it stolen.
Hmmm… pregnant woman can shovel out a spot herself but can’t walk an extra 400 meters to her house???
God Forbid you walk a few extra blocks to your house. People are rediculous and this should NOT be condoned. Once you start making it slightly okay and allowing people to save spots, it obviously gets pushed beyond the limits. It should be banned competely that way there is no “buts” and “i didn’t know there was a 48 hour rule..”
Also… MOVE TO THE SUBURBS IF YOU WANT PARKING. Take the good with the bad and the bad with the good and get over it. This isn’t a yuppy or old timer issue.
I saw an argument today that if you complain about spots being saved you should move to the suburbs where you can have your own driveway. That is the most backwards logic of all time. You know what keeping the spot you just shoveled out is called? A driveway. You need to move to the suburbs and have your own driveway.
We need photos for http://savingparkingspaces.wordpress.com ! We also take photos of angry notes!
-If you are lazy and don’t shovel and then mark your spot don’t be surprised if someone takes it.
-If you take someone’s spot that they spent hours shoveling don’t be suprised what may happen next.
-Use common sense which most people in Southie grew up with. If there is little or no snow don’t put something out to save the spot. That is for the lazy folks in the North End who do it even in the middle of the summer.
-Lastly, if someone is new on your block give them a hand and explain the tradition.
Southie is a great place that shouldn’t be ruined by a handful of assholes. If you don’t like the tradition move out. We could use the extra parking spots.
Way to kind of try and simplify the problem there. You know that maybe she got someone to shovel it for her because she is pregnant. (You can read the whole comment with as much saracasm as possible but really emphasize it on the second sentence)