When Winter Brings Out the Petty: The Unspoken Rules (and Revenge) of Shoveled Parking Spots
There’s something about winter that brings out both the best and worst in people. Maybe it’s the cold, the exhaustion, or the simple act of shoveling a parking spot at 3AM with numb fingers that makes the smallest slights feel monumental. Whatever the reason, few things ignite neighborly drama quite like the battle for a shoveled-out parking space.
Recently, a Reddit post on r/PettyRevenge caught my eye because it perfectly captured the highs and (frostbitten) lows of winter parking wars. If you’ve ever found your hard-won, freshly cleared parking spot stolen by a pristine car while your own is caked with road salt and regret, you know the flavor of this particular bitterness.
The Winter Battlefield: Parking Etiquette and the Unwritten Code
Our protagonist, u/Background-Mix3337, lives in a townhouse community hammered by a relentless winter storm. As an essential worker, they were out before the sun, shoveling their car out of a snowdrift so they could make it to work. When their shovel snapped, they didn’t give up—they tossed ice and snow with their bare hands, all for the promise of a spot to return to after a long shift.
But there’s no justice in the wilds of winter parking. OP came home to find their spot occupied—not by a fellow snow warrior, but by a car so clean it looked like it had never known hardship. The parking spot thief had claimed the fruits of OP’s labor, leaving them to scrounge for a barely cleared patch elsewhere.
If you’re nodding along, you’re not alone. The comment section became a support group for anyone who’s ever suffered from “spot theft.” As u/Imaginary-Angle-42 pointed out, “It’s generally understood that you don’t take someone’s shoveled out spot… Even on a public street people generally park the same places and you know your neighbor’s vehicles.” In some places, this isn’t just etiquette—it’s sacred law. As u/RaisedByBooksNTV quipped, “‘Dibs’ is fighting words.”
But not everyone agrees on the rules. Some, like u/USS-Virginia, saw nothing wrong with claiming any open space: “If it’s the street then there are no reserved spots.” OP, ever the voice of reason (and ice-chilled vengeance), replied, “Petty revenge isn’t about moral superiority… it is in fact about not taking the high road.”
Petty Revenge: When Snow-Covered Spots Lead to Creative Payback
So, what’s a wronged shoveler to do? Our OP opted for what might be called “inconvenient landscaping,” using the opportunity to more thoroughly clear a minimally shoveled spot… and maybe, just maybe, letting some ice blocks “accidentally” end up in front of the offender’s car.
But the Reddit hive mind truly shines when brainstorming creative payback. One legendary commenter, u/kjfsub, shared their own frosty justice: “I would buy corn at the farm store and tossed corn all over the jerks’ cars. The crows would come to eat the corn and crap all over the cars… It got to the point that the crows would wait for me to put it out.” OP was suitably impressed: “I love that you inadvertently created your own crow army.”
Other users chimed in with their own tales of “accidentally” burying cars in snow, shoveling snow (and the occasional gravel) onto the offender’s vehicle, or—my personal favorite—spraying cars with water to encase them in a solid sheet of ice. As u/JJQuantum recounted with a villain’s glee, “He let a water hose trickle over the car for a couple hours until it was covered with a very thick sheet of ice.”
And then there’s the classic “neighborhood dibs” approach: place a trash can or chair in the spot to claim it. But as u/MsSamm warned, “Someone from the apartments down the street moved the pail and stole his space. He was able to pull into my driveway to park… Mysteriously, the apartment guy came out to find his headlights broken. He left the space and we saw him digging out a space near the apartments, which he could have done in the first place.”
The Heart of the Matter: Community, Courtesy, and Catharsis
For all the laughter and creative revenge, the underlying theme running through the post and its comments is simple: community courtesy. Shoveling out a spot isn’t just about clearing snow; it’s a small act of service, a contribution to the shared struggle that is winter living. OP puts it best: “It is more about courtesy, empathy, and community. Anyone can grab the spot… but maybe the world would be kinder if we recognized the efforts of others instead of seeing things as a means to an end.”
Yet, as u/poolbitch1 observed, not everyone considers common courtesy as “something to give others.” Some people just don’t get it—or don’t care. And that’s where the real salt gets poured: not on the roads, but in the wounds of those who did the work.
Still, there’s a certain catharsis in a little harmless, well-placed pettiness. As OP concludes, “No harm was done and they could still likely drive right through. It was a simple act that alleviated negative emotions and the world moves on.”
Winter is Long, Revenge is Petty, and Neighbors Remember
Whether you’re a shoveler, a spot thief, or just a curious bystander, one thing’s for sure: winter brings out our most creative (and sometimes pettiest) selves. Maybe next time you see a freshly cleared spot, you’ll think twice before sliding in—or at least check for lurking crows.
Have your own snow parking war story? A creative petty revenge you’re dying to share? Drop your tales of winter woe below—because in the blizzard of neighborly drama, we’re all just trying to keep our parking spots (and our dignity) intact.
Original Reddit Post: Parking revenge