When a Two-Car Garage Just Isn’t Enough

There are 255,794 vehicles registered in Staten Island, and as the borough’s population has taken off in the last few years, some of the local parking customs have become increasingly strained. A story published Monday in the Staten Island Advance illuminates just how entitled the people of that borough still feel to free parking — not just on their own blocks, but directly in front of their homes. It tells the story of an anonymous Great Kills resident who, when a neighbor parked in front of his house, left the following note on the windshield:

“We have five vehicles in our family and would greatly appreciate being able to park in front of our own house,” the letter writer stated. “We use both driveway spots as well as the entire front of the house so please be courteous and park in front of your own house. We are tired of getting tickets for double parking.“

The argument didn’t wash with the person who got the note:

“To the owner of the house,” the neighbor replied on the back of the note left on his windshield, “This is not a block that you can tell people not to park in front of your house. A lot of people have more than one car. But sometimes we need to park in those spaces. I know it’s hard but you do not own the street….. If you feel this way, maybe you should move upstate.”

Learning to live with fewer than five cars in one family would apparently be too radical a suggestion.