And now, a light-hearted debate: Snow, shovelling and Chicago

[Brooke]

Here in the city of Chicago, parking space is limited and precious. For those that live in the city, a 2-car garage is a luxury if you own a house. Those that live in an apt or condo, usually have to park on the street. It's not unheard of for people to park 3-4 blocks away from their house because the streets are lined with cars and that's the only open spot.

When there is a considerable snowfall, people will shovel out their cars and shovel that parking spot clear. Then, they will put up objects to "hold" that parking spot - which is not technically theirs and is on a public street. Those objects can be anything from lawn chairs (usually), orange cones, kitchen chairs, stools, etc. It is considered illegal but nobody really does anything about it.

Thus, two things come to mind:


-Should the police/plows move the chairs and follow the law, or should they overlook it and leave them? If they overlook this, then does that set a precedent for silly things to overlook -- jaywalking as an example? Or does public safety (what if an ambulance needs to get into that spot for some reason) take over and the police should be hardasses about it?

-Is it morally wrong for you to move a neighbor's lawn chair/sawhorse from a spot and take it after they have shovelled it out? Or is it ok to do that since what they are doing is illegal anyway?

[Brooke]

And now, a pictorial to see what I'm talking about. These are all from the Chicago Tribune (http://www.chicagotribune.com).

[Brooke]

And a few more

[Danielle]

LOL Are you kidding me???? It just looks so "trashy" KWIM?

I say the police should remove the items and possibly ticket the people for littering. Also, I think the neighbors have every right to move the items and park on a public street!

[Val]

If that happened in my neighborhood the plows would drive right over that stuff- or else it would get stollen first :giggle

[Lori]

I say the police should remove the items and possibly ticket the people for littering. Also, I think the neighbors have every right to move the items and park on a public street!

:yup

We have an issue with neighbors who leave their garbage can out in street, just out of laziness, which sometimes ends up leaving us without a parking space. It drives me crazy and we move it when it snows so that at least the plow can do what it needs to do!

[Kristi]

I agree with Danielle. Since it is illegal anyways it is okay to move it. IMO and the police should do something about it.

[Kristen]

I'd move the chair and park there, thank you very much! :P Those people don't have a right to that parking place when it's shoveled any more than they do during the heat of the summer.

[Desirae]

I can see why they try to save the spots but I don't think it should be allowed.

[Jo]

I would want to run over the chairs myself. But since it seems to be a Chicago tradition and I would be afraid of getting beaten up and would have to leave them. If it happened where I grew up, that is a whole different story. Growing up in a historic district with mostly street parking, I have no sympathy. I am famous for stealing parking spaces out from under people(tourists really) and have no guilt about it.

[Erika]

I second running over them LOL I have no patience with people who try and hog spaces like this. So, nope, get rid of the litterbugs chairs and park in it. Of course, your car could end up getting keyed as result!

[Brooke]

I am just LOL at it. I guess you have to be from Chicago to know the way people feel about it. I was curious about an outsider's perspective.

I guess it's just customary to leave the spots to the poor souls who dug them out. The police and plows really don't move them, as far as I know. But if you spent 3 hours digging out a parking spot and left for work and came home and someone moved your "holders", wouldn't you be ticked? I know I would, illegal or not. LOL

What happens is that most side streets in Chicago are one-way streets. You can park on either side and that leaves room for only one car to go down the street at a time. WHen the plow goes through, it plows in the cars that are parked. So even if it snowed 6 inches, you could have a foot or so up against your wheels cuz of the plow. Then, you have the fun job of digging your car out.

Even though it's not 'assigned' parking, I'd be pissed if someone took my spot that I cleaned out. But, I'm a Chicagoan. ;)