This may be unpopular, but I do find it reprehensible. It pisses me off more than most things. It smacks of the 'huh-I-don't-need-to-help-anyone-else-every man/woman-for-hirself' mentality and I saw enough of that after Katrina. So what if I spent time shoveling out and then someone else took the spot? I see that as the rough equivalent of helping someone else shovel out, just with a delay. We're all in this together.

Those on the street parking spaces do not belong to the person parked there. I consider shoveling the space out a public service, not a claim. And I WILL move chairs. I see the act of hogging an empty space when not using it as selfish and inconsiderate. Sue me.