The Chair on the Corner: Understanding Pittsburgh’s Quirky Parking Space Tradition

The Tradition Explained: Why Chairs Mark Parking Spots

In Pittsburgh, when snow falls and blankets the streets, residents face a familiar challenge: clearing a parking space.

This isn’t just about digging out your car. It’s about shoveling an entire spot—sometimes several feet of snow—so you have somewhere to park when you return. It’s hard work. It can take 30 minutes to an hour of intense labor in freezing temperatures.

The tradition is simple: after you shovel out a spot, you mark it with a chair (or any object) to signal to other drivers that the space is taken.

The unwritten rule: If you didn’t shovel it, you don’t take it. If you move someone’s chair and park there, you risk the wrath of your neighbors—and possibly a keyed car or a flattened tire.

The unspoken agreement: The chair holds the spot for as long as the snow lasts. Once the snow melts, the chairs disappear until the next storm.