“Dibs” is a word I’ve been saying since I was a little kid. I’ve called dibs on the slice of pizza, watching TV or the front passenger seat of a car, but I’ve never called dibs on a parking spot. There are many people who respect dibs, but there are also many who don’t.
I believe that one should enjoy the fruits of his or her labor; it is part of human nature. The questions are for how long do you get to call dibs, and what happens when someone who doesn’t believe in dibs takes your claimed spot.
There is no law that backs up dibs, so this system is seen as an unwritten rule to many people.
The hard labor that goes into shoveling out should be respected, to a certain extent. I believe dibs should be respected during the night. During the day, especially in the city, people come and go through parking spots and shouldn’t be blocked by pieces of furniture. If I clear out the spot in front of my house, I don’t care what happens when I leave to work and run errands, but I would like for it to be available for me after a long day.
Since there is no law that enforces dibs, it is commonly enforced through vandalism. Slashed tires, broken windows and even paint on windshields have greeted people who remove pieces of furniture and park.
That is where the line is crossed.
And some people claim dibs on a spot for weeks.
— Luis Valdez, Cicero
