Monday, December 19, 2005

City says to move it or lose it

Chicago's Streets and Sans Department sent out a warning yesterday: Get rid of the lawn chairs or we'll toss 'em.

"The snowstorm we had is history," Matt Smith, department spokesman, said in a Chicago Tribune article. "It's time to start pulling that [stuff] in."

After a nearly 7-inch snowfall on Dec. 8, the city at first tolerated hard-working shovelers who dug out their cars and saved their spots with anything from chairs to brooms, Smith said. But now it's time to clean up.

"The first couple of days after the storm we have other things to take care of," Smith said. "But we've had a couple of thaws and had our crews out clearing the streets. There's really not a reason to have these out."

Items will first be pulled off the streets by city workers and placed in the parkway. Eventually, unclaimed items will be thrown away.


It's hard to take these threats seriously. This is the same city department that's supposed to tow away parked cars on the city's snow routes. I took these pictures yesterday on Clark Street, which, as you can see by the signs, is a snow route (click on the images to enlarge). Ten days after the snowstorm, at least four cars are still parked on a half-mile stretch of the street, never having been moved. If I were to take a wild guess, the lawn chairs and brooms will be on the streets until the spring thaw. If I were to take another wild guess, I'd say that at least one of these cars has a dead body in the trunk.

12 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I know they didn't tow them but did they at least ticket them. I see about $400 of lost revenue for the city if there's no tickets. I remember last weeek they mad a big stink about cracking down on snow route violators Regarding the chairs. I have no problem with people marking their spots after the initial dig out but people when it's almost 2 weeks since the storm people do abuse it. If only people would get rid of their wimpy front wheel drive toyotas and buy SUVS there would be no need for the "dibs" system.

9:18 AM  
Blogger teacherman said...

You know, if we all just rode bicycles, there would be no need for "dibs" either. Plus, we'd all be in such a happier mental place ...

10:37 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Interesting, While there is such a strong reaction to the SUV comment I'm shocked that there is no reaction to the incompetence of the city for not ticketing these violators. If you look at the make of the cars stuck in the snow noone of them are SUV's. Maybe that's why they were not ticketed out of sympathy.

10:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the city doesn't care about SUV's. they actually make more money off them in sales tax since they cost more then the compact cars. John, there is no reason for you to own one since you would have driven down that ski slope no matter what car you were driving at the time and that is the extent of your off-roading. You like to bring up SUV's all the time since a) you feel like you are persecuted for driving one and b) you hope others will take your bait and write anti-SUV rants. Well, it works.

11:39 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

You're absolutley correct except for the ski slope statement the four wheel drive certainly was needed to accomplish the mission.

1:19 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Who's Mr. Molitor and what makes him so superior???
Just asking....

3:22 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

you haven't met Mr. Molitor? He is the dreamiest of the dream boats, the suaviest of the sauvers, the superioriest of the superior. And he drives an SUV to the grocer to buy his milk of magnesium and Just For Men chest hair colorant.

3:27 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

After reading my most recent posts I don't see any of my superior or inferiority complexes displayed.....Just a few observations that seemed to have gotten under people's skin. Please leave out the personal praises or criticisms.

3:47 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

all I know is that SUV make me puke in the shape of Jesus, while compact cars don't make me puke. Is god trying to tell us something?

2:48 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There's no way I'd be in a happy mental place riding my bike in this weather.

And leave Mr. Molitor alone! He still takes mass transit to work, so that counts for something.

7:42 PM  
Blogger Jonah said...

It's funny, I've been seeing a lot of bicycles in the snow. In the street they're cool, but sometimes they ride on the sidewalk and force me into the snowbanks on the side of the path.

10:09 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Winter cyclists are true American heroes! Well, maybe not ... they'd need to die in some kind of epic battle to be American heroes ... maybe they're just world heroes

3:59 AM  

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