Chair free Chicago? (houses, live in, suburbs)

[Drover]

I'm pleased to say I haven't seen any chairs or old stoves or other placeholders in my neighborhood. I saw some in Bridgeport yesterday where the practice is notoriously revered, but not as much as I had anticipated and parking was still pretty easy.

[css9450]

People who like the "chair" custom must really love winter; shovel your spot once after the first snowfall, and if it snows often enough its yours all winter! Won't get that kind of convenience in the summer, that's for sure!

[css9450]

Here's another thought: Suppose your car is parked six doors away. So you clear out the spot, leave a chair, and dash off to the store. Upon your return, a spot has opened up right in front of your house.... Do you shovel that one too, or do you go park your car back in the reserved "spot" (because after all, that's where your chair is)? Or do you go back over there and "withdraw" the chair so others may use that spot? Hey, better yet, maybe you could clear off the closer spot as well and mark it with a chair too. With enough chairs, you'll eventually have the whole block reserved!

[css9450]

What if I place a chair in an open parking spot right in front of my house before the snow starts falling? I promise I'll clear it as soon as the snow stops. I just want to get my dibs in early; say, October.

[nikitakolata]

A friend of mine parked in what she thought was the area in front of a space blocked by a garbage can and returned to find her car keyed. The scratches were VERY light, but she was pretty ticked. That kind of nonsense is why I hate the chair tradition so much... I haven't seen as many chairs on my block this year though, thank god.

[Muppet123]

I think I'm going to grab my truck and toss people's chairs in the bed. This practice is bull and really needs to stop.

You shoveled, bully for you. You couldn't have gotten out of the spot unless you did that, it doesn't mean you get to keep the friggin thing all winter long.

[css9450]

Originally Posted by nikitakolata

I haven't seen as many chairs on my block this year though, thank god.

Probably because we haven't had much snow.

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by css9450

Probably because we haven't had much snow.

It seems like we have had a lot of snow.

[williepotatoes]

Originally Posted by AmosBanks

Have you ever flattened a tire or had your tire flattened (or seen it done) for moving somebody's chair and taking their parking space? I always hear about "Ooooh, better not mess with that chair", but I have never heard of anything that happened if somebody actually tried it.

This is an old Chicago tradition that just won't die. The most popular form of retribution used to be breaking a window or windshield. Another one was to hammer out the headlights.

I think the chance of retribution is more likely in the harder edged neighborhoods.

[css9450]

Originally Posted by jwaiter

It seems like we have had a lot of snow.

It only seems that way because the media makes a BIG DEAL about every 2-inch snowfall we get (and nothing has really melted yet).