There is nothing police can do about drivers who steal other people’s cleanly shovelled parking spaces.
That’s according to Princeton RCMP Sergeant Robert Hughes, who said complaints about poaching parking spots on snowy roads are fairly common.
“We probably get two or three during snow season.”
Last week a resident called the local detachment to ask for assistance.
“They had shovelled out the curb, cleared a parking space for themselves, and someone else had the nerve to park there,” said Hughes.
Police did not dispatch an officer, nor investigate.
While admitting parking in someone else’s place may be rude, “it’s not illegal,” he said. “The roadway belongs to the municipality, not the individual.”
Hughes said sometimes street parking complaints are the result of visitors in a neighborhood, but they can also be part of a personal dispute.
He urged neighbours to speak calmly to each other, and avoid situations where tempers might flare.
