Space savers are back, big time. Here's what to know.

"Boston's collective creativity shines brightest when heavy snow blankets the city, leaving residents scrambling for space savers to mark their territory. And needless to say, space savers were out in full force following last weekend's blizzard, from a jubilant chef statue to traffic cones, folding chairs, and even a commode. It's a cutthroat business, after all: those who steal someone else's shoveled-out parking space may run the risk of angry notes, slashed tires, or physical blows."

"The time-honored, if controversial, tradition is also city-sanctioned - sometimes, at least. Boston allows drivers to use a space saver only when the city declares a snow emergency, and only until 48 hours after that snow emergency ends. After calling his first snow emergency in 2014, former Mayor Marty Walsh had this to say about the ethos behind the space saver rule: "If you use manual labor to get your car out, I think for 48 hours, a couple days, you can have it.""

"This grace period, which dates back to former Mayor Tom Menino's tenure, exempts Bay Village and the South End, where parking spaces are already at a premium on narrow streets. Across the river, meanwhile, Cambridge and Somerville also bar the use of space savers. Though heavily debated, space saver etiquette generally stipulates that drivers must wait until the snowstorm actually hits before claiming a spot, shovel out a space in order to save it, and remove any space savers after the city's grace period."

Residents use improvised space savers after heavy snow to claim shoveled parking spots, ranging from chairs and cones to statues and even commodes. Taking another person's cleared space can provoke angry notes, slashed tires, or physical confrontations. Municipal rules allow space savers only during a declared snow emergency and for 48 hours after it ends, with exemptions for Bay Village and the South End; nearby Cambridge and Somerville prohibit them. Etiquette calls for placing a saver only after a storm begins, shoveling the space yourself, and removing the saver after the grace period, though many residents ignore the deadline and contest removal.

Read at Boston.com