CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Warning: removed your "dibs" items or they will be trash starting next week.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation announced Thursday that crews will begin clearing objects used by residents to hold shoveled parking spaces, also known as “dibs,” beginning Tuesday. Crews will pick up any unclaimed items along their daily garbage collection routes, with special attention given to address all 311 complaints.
Given the melting snow, crews have been working "around the clock" to address snow and ice and ensure Chicago’s streets are safe and passable for residents.
"At this time, we ask residents to be neighborly and help our crews clear streets of debris by picking up any items they may have on the street," said DSS Commissioner John Tully.
Residents are encouraged to remove their chairs, cones, and other objects, particularly items they want to keep, to avoid being thrown away.
Related
“Dibs” is a controversial practice popular in Chicago in which motorists claim parking spots cleared of snow. The practice has led to confrontations between neighbors, including an Andersonville man who found his car window smashed with a “dibs” chair earlier in February.
A whopping 34 inches of snow that fell on Chicago over the past three weeks started melting Sunday when the city finally exited a stretch of freezing temperatures.
Despite crews working extra hours, garbage collection remains delayed across the city due to the heavy snowfall over the last week, according to the department’s statement. DSS crews worked extended hours last week (including Saturday) and will continue to work extended hours throughout this week. Residents are advised to treat response times as they would during a holiday week and keep their carts out and ready for pick up.
To find out your daily garbage collection route or to report a concern about debris on your block, call 311 or visit 311.chicago.gov.