- Credibility:
CHICAGO — The city will start clearing out “dibs” markers like chairs and tables Tuesday.
Dibs is a controversial Chicago tradition where drivers who have shoveled out parking spots after heavy snowfall put down placeholders to save their space. Dibs popped up around the city after recent storms dumped more than 17 inches of snow on the neighborhoods.
But the snow has quickly melted as the weather has warmed, and the city’s done “extensive” work to remove snow and ice, so the Department of Streets and Sanitation will begin clearing dibs on Tuesday, according to a news release. Garbage collection crews will pick up and dispose of items left in the streets during their daily routes.
Residents should remove their chairs, cones and other objects to prevent them being thrown away, according to Streets and Sanitation.
The city’s crews will give special attention to spots where people have reported issues with dibs to 311, according to the department.
Dibs is not officially sanctioned by the city, and the decades-old practice has been mired in controversy for years. Critics say it’s unfair, allowing people to hog parking spots, and creates accessibility issues. Advocates say drivers can spend hours in the cold shoveling out parking spots and deserve to return to that spot.
Regardless, Chicagoans have gotten very creative with the practice over the years. This winter, one man froze his trousers and turned them into dibs.
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