Resident blocks in entitled neighbor's car with snow after neighbor parked it in resident's shoveled spot: ‘Snow parking etiquette is a thing’

Author image for Bar Mor Hazut
Bar Mor Hazut • Senior Editor
Feb 5, 2026 6:00 PM EST

Some etiquette should not be said; it should be obvious to everyone around.

Just like you would expect people to respect a line in the supermarket, or to give up their seat to elderly passengers on the bus, there are all kinds of etiquette that should be considered public practice. Most actions that fall under these categories usually do not need to be explained, but sometimes, people completely miss how their behaviour contradicts these social cues. 

Take the neighbor in the story below as an example.

A resident spent almost an hour shoveling snow off their car and parking spot before heading out for the day. It wasn't an assigned parking spot, but social cues imply that if a spot has been shoveled and cleared by someone, no one else should park there. Even if you don't live somewhere snowy, you can understand the logic behind this unspoken rule. If someone took the time and effort to clear a spot from all the snow, it wouldn't be nice for someone else to swoop in and take that spot away from them.

However, that is exactly what this neighbor did. While the hardworking resident was away, someone else drove by their snow-free parking spot and decided to park their car there instead. When the resident returned home, they were shocked to see a strange car parked in the spot they worked so hard to shovel, and they decided to teach the owner a lesson.

Since there was plenty of snow around, and the resident obviously had a shovel, they went ahead and covered the neighbor's car with snow until it was completely blocked. They then drove away so that the neighbor wouldn't know who did it, but the resident was sure that this little act would teach the neighbors some neighborhood etiquette in a snowy climate.

Do you think the resident should have let this go, or do you agree that the neighbor should have known not to park in a spot that was clearly cleared of snow by someone else?

Keep scrolling to read the full story and let us know your thoughts in the comments below. After that, check out this story of a homeowner who allowed villagers to cross their private property.

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  • 01
    Snow shovel leaning against snow-covered car
    via @horia-ionescus-images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02

    AITAH for blocking my neighbors car in with snow after they took the spot I had already shoveled?

    I live in the south and we just had most snow come down in my 28 years of living.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 03
    About 8-12 inches of snow. Not a lot for some places, but around here thats nuts.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 04
    I knew this was coming so I bought a shovel, and this morning before work, at like 4:30 am, I shoveled out all around my car so I could get out.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 05
    I shoveled around my girlfriends car as well just in case she had to dip out for something.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 06
    All in all, it took about 45 minutes and a hell of a lot of effort to move all that ice/snow.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 07
    Fast forward to when I get off work, and one of my neighbors took my spot.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 08
    According to my gf, he parked there about 15-30 min before I got home. Plenty of open spots around, but bro took the one unoccupied shiveled spot.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 09
    Bruh. So I did the sensible thing and cleared out the spot next to his and dumped all the snow behind and under his car, then sprinkled water all over it.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 10
    (Quick edit. It was a single 16oz bottle of water that i sprayed on the snow behind the car) Its not some ungodly amount, but it will surely piss him off in the morning.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 11
    Second edit: I feel like its worth noting that I did not park in the spot that I cleared next to him.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 12
    I simply cleared the spot by putting all the snow behind his car, then I parked elsewhere.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 13
    Should be 0 risk of him slashing my tires or something. If anything, someone else will get the spot I cleared out of spite
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 14
    Delicious-Age3141 Snow parking etiquette is a thing. NTA. You don't park in a spot you didn't shovel out yourself.
    via Delicious-Age3141
  • 15
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply That's why I clarified the south. While I feel like its common knowledge not to take the spot, we DONT get snow like that here
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 16
    Stock-Cell1556 I think part of the problem is that people in the south may not have the tacit understanding that people with regular snowfall have, that if you clear a spot, it's yours.
    via Stock-Cell1556
  • 17
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply That's why I clarified the south. While I feel like its common knowledge not to take the spot, we don't really get snow like that here.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 18
    LegitimateMusician59 I don't live somewhere that this is a thing, but he should've parked in your spot to shovel out his own & then moved up.
    via LegitimateMusician59
  • 19
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply Hell, if bro was out there, i wouldve let him use my shovel
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 20
    Delicious-Age3141 While I get your point, it's not relevant to the OP. Snow etiquette doesn't apply days later. Of course the spot would be taken at that point. There are also always going to be exceptions. But they aren't what was asked in the post. There's no mention of the neighbor being disabled or elderly or in need of assistance or emergency situation of any kind. In this specific situation, OP should still be entitled to that spot when it's only hours later within the same day.
    via Delicious-Age3141
  • 21
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply Alsp, this wasnt a prime spot. This was pff to the side of the main walkway
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 22
    Radiant-Excuse-5285 Where's your "Dibs" chair? That's where you failed.
    via Radiant-Excuse-5285
  • 23
    KvDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply I fear I was unaware of dibs chairs lol
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 24
    mountain_life86 10 out of 10 for pettiness. I love it
    via mountain_life86
  • 25
    OkapiEli The neighbor didn't shovel it out. There were no other open, shoveled-out spots, if I am reading this correctly. Now I do wonder if the neighbor had cleared a different spot out and then had that swiped, so then took OP's - but two wrongs don't make it right.
    via OkapiEli
  • 26
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply The only spots shoveled at pur building was mine and my girlfriends. Plus the walkway that I cleared for everyone from the stairs to the lot.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 27
    Sad_School828 Depends on whether you have assigned parking spots or not. I mean if that's your spot and he parked in it because it was cleared out, NTA. If you don't have a assigned spots then YTA and double YTA for adding water to make ice.
    via Sad_School828
  • 28
    KVDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply That's valid. Not assigned spots, just clearly a spot that had effort put into it. The water thing was just a bottle of deer park water. It won't make an ice boulder or anything, will likely just chunk up some of the top bits.
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 29
    MrsRuddy It depends on how recently the snow fell and a space was cleared out, I would think. Like the first day after the storm or during a storm could cause someone to want to seek revenge.
    via MrsRuddy
  • 30
    KvDOLPHIN Original Poster's Reply Snow stopped around 10 or 12 last night. Took forever to shovel this morning. And I had my gf watching the spot like a hawk. Clear as could be all day, then like 20 min before I get home he takes it. Not a prime spot. Just a cleared out 9ne away from the main walkway
    via KvDOLPHIN
  • 31
    Cheezburger Image 10602980096
    via @horia-ionescus-images

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

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neighbors parking space snow neighborhood car neighborhood-drama Bad Neighbor payback parking entitled people shovel
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