The Reason It Can Be Tough to Cross the Street
January 27, 2015What Greek Markets are Saying to Us
January 29, 2015In Boston, the South End just prohibited winter dibs. As one resident proclaimed “…South Enders believe that the streets are a public resource and nobody has a right to claim them.”
Elsewhere in Boston, in Chicago, Philadelphia, parts of NYC, you just have to shovel your car out of a snowy parking space and…”Winter Dibs.” You leave a marker to signal temporary ownership and the spot should remain unoccupied until you return.
Winter Dibs Markers:
The Winter Dibs Dilemma
Normally, a parking space belongs to the occupant. When “you leave it, you lose it.”
After a snow storm, in Chicago for example, the rules change. If you shovel out your car, that space is yours. By leaving a marker, you signal temporary ownership of your newly claimed property. If someone violates your temporary property rights, retribution is the norm. A nasty note, a missing mirror, a deflated tire is a possibility.
For government, winter dibs can be a dilemma. In Chicago, it appears that local officials have said it is a neighborhood issue. In Boston, the Boston Globe says the Mayor’s office approves the South End ban. Also though, conveying its tacit approval, the city has expressed a 48 hour rule as the winter dibs max.
Our Bottom Line: Property Rights
It is all about property rights. Since we began to live in communities, we have allocated scarce resources through property rights. In the U.S., Alexander Hamilton knew that a market economy required a contractual system that preserved property rights.
But we do have tradeoff. Property rights are exclusionary. What could have (and should have?) belonged to everyone now belongs to an individual or a firm. On the other hand, property rights create productive incentives. Because of winter dibs, more spots are shoveled more thoroughly.
I guess even winter dibs returns us to the timeless economic debate between equality and efficiency.