Chair free Chicago? (Cambridge, Dorchester: condo, bill, Whole Foods)

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Drover

Meanwhile, everyone on my street got out and just started shoveling out cars, whether it was their car or not. Consequently, nobody is "dibbing" on my street. That's the way it should happen but for some reason this simple cooperation is not forthcoming when it's needed most. For those whose neighbors aren't so cooperative, I understand dibbing when it's this bad even though I still think it's irritating. But I've put in 3 hours of shoveling, so I've earned my civic right to move your "dibs" crap and park wherever I like.

Amen, brother. When I came home yesterday I had a very long conversation with a fellow I saw doing some shoveling around a spot I cleared 90% of the snow out from the day prior. We had a VERY long conversation on this, which ultimately came down to, whether you like it or not, I shoveled the space, for use for public parking. Park in it as you like, but if you put junk in it or in my yard, it's going in the trash.

After this conversation I proceeded to take to the trash the garbage (some scrap lumber and a milk carton) in the other space I shoveled.

now this morning, I see another neighbor has put junk in it, so you can bank on me throwing that away when I get home as well.

this morning I see the fish-wrap quality Tribune has a story saying "Chicago officials OK Dibs" which is in fact not at all what the workers are quoted saying - they say basically they aren't doing anything about it, which is a far cry from saying it's ok.

this is just a pitiful black eye on our city.

[Chi-town Native]

...although that said, I should add I'm taking my stand simply on the spaces I shoveled, in front of my property.

as I see it, if someone wants to claim those, they should shovel my sidewalks first & then come talk to me.

[Drover]

^^ Unfortunately, what's starting to happen now is that people who live on other streets and who didn't feel like shoveling said streets are migrating their cars to our street. So all our work is starting to benefit everyone else in the neighborhood but us. Every winter I'm reminded of just how many antisocial a-holes live in this city.

If the city isn't going to do anything about dibs, they should implement a rolling parking ban so they can plow the streets all the way to the curb. A one-day parking ban on your street so they can plow it all the way may by a PITA for that day, but it will suck less than having half the available spaces filled up with snow for the next several weeks.

[ChicagoMammy]

I honestly don't know what to do. I drive my 2 and 4 year old to daycare, then to work, then back. When I get home in the evening if I don't have a spot - how are my kids going to walk far over the unplowed snow. My husband dug out our cars, sidewalk etc and helped neighbors all day Wednesday. I hate dibs and won't do it but really don't know what to do.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by ChicagoMammy

I honestly don't know what to do. I drive my 2 and 4 year old to daycare, then to work, then back. When I get home in the evening if I don't have a spot - how are my kids going to walk far over the unplowed snow. My husband dug out our cars, sidewalk etc and helped neighbors all day Wednesday. I hate dibs and won't do it but really don't know what to do.

You gotta claim dibs. Some lazy buttcrack will take your spot if you don't. Of course, some jerk might move what you use to claim your space and you might not get it back anyway, but it is worth a try.

As I said before:

Originally Posted by tonythetuna

Nobody said all winter. But I will be damned if some slacker is going to park where I shoveled out the whole spot on the street and I have to park in the uncleared spot of some moron like him that does not shovel their spot out. There are people that will wait until someone shovels out their spot and leaves, then they move their car right it. That deserves a bricking.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by Drover

^^ Unfortunately, what's starting to happen now is that people who live on other streets and who didn't feel like shoveling said streets are migrating their cars to our street. So all our work is starting to benefit everyone else in the neighborhood but us. Every winter I'm reminded of just how many antisocial a-holes live in this city.

That is what you guys get for your little socialist venture.

Seriously though,there are always trash people that do such as what is happening on your street. Your story is an illustration to why dibs (within reason) has validity in my opinion.

[ParkerP]

Should Chicagoans be allowed to use furniture to save their shoveled-out parking spots in the winter? Opposing sides weigh in on the dibs debate. - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_localto/20110203/ts_yblog_localto/should-chicagoans-be-allowed-to-use-furniture-to-save-their-shoveled-out-parking-spots-in-the-winter-opposing - broken link)

Here is the story on yahoo. Reading the guy's comments who is for dibbs was too funny.

[MassVt]

Here's a novel idea: after you shovel your car out, LEAVE IT THERE.

Some will say that they can't for reasons of work, etc, but I'll bet that many really could, if they truly had to..

If you already live in a relatively high-density neighborhood which has on-street parking, the chances are strong that life's necessities ( groceries, pharmacies, etc) are not that far away. There are just some people who refuse to walk ( or ride a bus, take the subway, etc) anywhere, and that's the real problem here.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by Drover

^^ Unfortunately, what's starting to happen now is that people who live on other streets and who didn't feel like shoveling said streets are migrating their cars to our street. So all our work is starting to benefit everyone else in the neighborhood but us.

Yeah, I suspected that was what would happen (but was hoping it wouldn't). A few people on my block tried doing that in '99 and I helped by digging out 3 or 4 spaces in front of my house. Within half an hour all the spots were taken - more than half of them didn't move again for a week or two. The rest were dibbed by the people who swooped in and took them. For the next week there was yelling every night with people getting angry about their stuff getting moved, people getting angry about people claiming spots, etc. One car had the windows smashed in and was filled with snow. Eventually everyone was doing dibs.

Thankfully I didn't really have to move my car and just let everyone else battle it out. I have better things to do than stand in the street arguing about dibs, I just dig as much as I have time to, make sure fire hydrants and storm drains are clear, help neighbors when I can, and then follow the rest of the street in what they do. In Boston in the 70's and 80's a few people actually killed each other over this type of stuff.

[tonythetuna]

Originally Posted by MassVt

Here's a novel idea: after you shovel your car out, LEAVE IT THERE.

I guess while you are at it, why even shovel it out at all right?