Syracuse (WSYR-TV) - Finding a parking space in many Syracuse parking lots or along streets can be frustrating. Many spaces are simply buried under mounds of snow, causing drivers to engage in a ritual dance resembling musical chairs.
Drivers should be advised, while police understand the difficulty everyone faces in finding parking, officers won't tolerate cars parked in dangerous locations.
"If there's illegally parked cars we'll still be ticketing those vehicles, but as far as towing them it really comes into play whether they're obstructing snow removal operations or actually obstructing traffic," said Syracuse Police Sergeant Gary Bulinski.
The Syracuse Police Department says the biggest problem typically occurs when the snow is coupled with an SU game at the Carrier Dome. Sgt. Bulinski says all parking regulations will be enforced during games, snowbanks notwithstanding.
The problem, however, isn't just limited to the average driver. If streets and parking lots are tight in a car, imagine negotiating them in a bus.
Centro driver Aubrey Smith is a professional, threading his bus through traffic like the eye of a needle. As snow clogs the edge of the roads, cars are pushed further toward the center of the street, and fitting his bus through the middle without trading any paint is a carefully practiced maneuver. "It makes a two-lane street into a one-lane street. It's definitely a lot more difficult," he said.
All drivers, behind the wheels of cars, busses or trucks, should accommodate each other, to keep everyone safe. Keeping up a good attitude, like Smith's, also wouldn't hurt. "All I can say is patience. Just take it slow. Take it nice and slow and you'll get through it," he said.
