Winter parking BS. (Chicago: live, legally, cars)

[Chi-town Native]

Originally Posted by Attrill

It's all luxury around me, but I still don't feel safe. There's a pimped out Escalade that's been staring threateningly at my Volvo.

This thread is actually entertaining enough to warrant putting up with dibs.

[Dreadnought]

Every time I think about 'dibbers' I always remember this pic from 2000. This guy was a professional.



Not all city officials were always against the idea I guess:

A Chicago Police Department police-line barricade protect a resident''s shoveled parking spot December 20, 2000 on a Chicago street. For years, residents in neighborhoods throughout the city of Chicago have followed the unwritten law of "marking" their parking spots after a heavy snow. With folding chairs, tables, lumber --and sometimes more elaborate things such as trees and benches-- Chicagoans take part in the most communal of functions. Last week, Chicago''s Mayor Richard Daley defended the chairs as territorial markers. "It''s their property," the mayor said referring to the cleared-out spots. He said if people spend a lot of time digging their cars out, they should have something to show for their work. "If someone spends all that time digging their car out, do not drive into that spot," the mayor said.

[s0nginmyheart]

So, is it "legal" or "illegal"? I was always told it was the latter to have "dibs".

What is the legal repercussion of putting a lawn chair out?

#thingsIdontmissaboutstreetparking

[pidgeon92]

Originally Posted by justalicious6989

No, he owns a crown vic. HAHAHAHA! That is luxury to him? I guess I can say I own a luxury Kia Rio. HAHA.

Uh, no. That was a different person.

[NARFALICIOUS]

Originally Posted by s0nginmyheart

So, is it "legal" or "illegal"? I was always told it was the latter to have "dibs".

What is the legal repercussion of putting a lawn chair out?

#thingsIdontmissaboutstreetparking

It is illegal but the city will not/cannot do much, if they do anything at all.

1 - The manpower to enforce the law against dibs isn't worth the cost.
2 - Double up the time it takes to do #1 due to the fact that you can't give a ticket to a chair. So what are police going to do, wait for someone to move the chair and take the spot? If the police came by, the resident would just say, "Hey, officer, this isn't my chair, I'm just legally moving it so I can park"
3 - The police would rather spend time doing other things

[A2DAC1985]

Originally Posted by NARFALICIOUS

...2 - Double up the time it takes to do #1 due to the fact that you can't give a ticket to a chair. So what are police going to do, wait for someone to move the chair and take the spot? If the police came by, the resident would just say, "Hey, officer, this isn't my chair, I'm just legally moving it so I can park"...

"To catch a Dibber"
Hosted by Chris Hansen

[rvernsey]

Thank you for the detailed and legitimate questions.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

So let me get this straight, and if I don't get it straight, feel free to correct me:
1. You wouldn't have moved to Chicago if you knew 20ish days a year it would be hard (not easy) to find and keep (FREE!) on street parking?

Probably not. My parking spot at work is $250 and it was $300 at my last place. I'm not paying those prices, ever. I don't want to spend 60-75 minutes to commute each way to live somewhere with cheaper parking. I figured a reasonably priced place, about 30 minutes to downtown, with supposedly "easy street parking" was a good compromise.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

2. Are you aware there is the CTA? This isn't Indianapolis. Public transit is a great option to get where you need to go, especially the Loop. Some lines run 24/7, some 20-21/7, some 16ish/7?

I'm not walking 1.5 miles in -17 weather on both ends. I need my car at work. Leaving it there is an option, but I am already working 10-12 hour days and adding 3 more for commute doesn't leave much for sleep, which I also need. In retrospect I would have chosen a place closer to the lines, even though I can't move my office.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

3. Are you aware you can reserve cabs, and they will pick you up at the time you need them to? Surely someone who drives a luxury car but lives in a less than luxury area could afford to reserve a cab to get to work, and hail one to get back.

I am living in the area that I live to save money. $120/day in cabs, I may as well move back to my old neighborhood.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

4. Are you aware you could do what I do, and not move your car from your spot (just keep you car clear of snow), use the CTA, and wait for the snow to melt and not worry about "dibs"?

I need my car at work.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

5. You think it is wise for someone with a luxury car to drive said luxury car in the craptastic weather we've had lately with only ONE FUNCTIONING ARM? Sure, you could walk to whatever transit is available near you and possibly die in the process… which is sad, don't get me wrong. But you, the one-armed-man, will risk not only your life and the life of your luxury car, but the lives of others as you try to drive one handed in craptastic weather which might require the use of both hands? And the people putting their crap in a space they spent 60+ minutes digging out themselves are the inconsiderate ones? I've never heard of "dibs" losing control on a slick spot, then slamming into, and killing a pedestrian or another driver.

I don't have much of a choice. I fractured my arm pretty badly weeks ago and taking time off work is not an option.

Originally Posted by A2DAC1985

And finally, I think "dibs" is B.S. It's very "Kentucky", in my opinion.

But I'll suck it up, be a Chicagoan, realize sometimes life S------------- on you, and you find another spot, wherever that is. B-------- about it? Sure. But I think what doesn't kill me makes me stronger, and builds character. But apparently jags don't share my view on life.

I agree. I have struggled plenty in the past, I just want to go to work for 10-12 hours a day and come home, and repeat the process. At this point I am only living here to get ahead. I still own a house in another state and I could be living there in 2 weeks (queue the "go home" comments). I call Chicago "The city that has everything, and you can't have it". There are a lot of positives here, but lots of negatives too. If you grew up here, you don't notice the inconveniences because you don't know any differently.

I have no desire to park in someone's freshly shoveled spot, if I can either shovel my own spot out even with one hand or ram my car into the bank and deal with the outcome. I do call BS though when there are ALWAYS plenty of spots until "Dibs" comes around, and then miraculously everyone has a spot right in front of their house and I can't park. Last year I lived 1.5 miles to work and walked or biked both ways every day and it was great. Adding an hour onto any short trip to go get my car was less than desirable but tolerable. There were times that I parked in a garage for $36 overnight, which every now and then was acceptable and at least I had options.

[DrEarth]

What a stupid tradition. Anyway, I just got some chairs, barstools, and a couple of end tables for my apartment.

[baileyvpotter]

Originally Posted by rvernsey

I'm not walking 1.5 miles in -17 weather on both ends. I need my car at work. Leaving it there is an option, but I am already working 10-12 hour days and adding 3 more for commute doesn't leave much for sleep, which I also need. In retrospect I would have chosen a place closer to the lines, even though I can't move my office.
I am living in the area that I live to save money. $120/day in cabs, I may as well move back to my old neighborhood.

I agree. I have struggled plenty in the past, I just want to go to work for 10-12 hours a day and come home, and repeat the process. At this point I am only living here to get ahead. I still own a house in another state and I could be living there in 2 weeks (queue the "go home" comments). I call Chicago "The city that has everything, and you can't have it". There are a lot of positives here, but lots of negatives too. If you grew up here, you don't notice the inconveniences because you don't know any differently.

1.5 miles isn't a long walk & probably faster than driving - even in cold weather - just bundle up.
A bit confused that you already own a home but saving to buy one.
Life is not always fair and some times it can be inconvenient but in a couple of months snow shouldn't be
a problem.

[mjtinmemphis]

Originally Posted by rvernsey

I call Chicago "The city that has everything, and you can't have it". There are a lot of positives here, but lots of negatives too. If you grew up here, you don't notice the inconveniences because you don't know any differently.

I love your Chicago slogan.