“Dibs” is something my brothers and I used to yell if we wanted our chair back when we returned from the bathroom. “Dibs” was what we said when there was one cookie left in the jar. “Dibs” was for the Star Wars sleeping bag on camping trips. “Shotgun” is for the front seat of the car, but “dibs” goes for nearly everything else. You want it, you gotta say “dibs.”
When winter weather gets rough, Chicago locals take “dibs” to the next level setting out patio furniture and other items to save their parking spaces. They shovel the snow away from public parking spots and then mark their territory with lawn ornaments and garbage cans. This tradition goes back a long way despite the reality that “dibs” is not legally binding, and a local politician has asked residents to try other tactics during this recent cold spell. Read more here.
In an emailed newsletter to constituents Monday, Ald. Scott Waguespack (32nd) asked residents to resist the urge to lay claim to their shoveled-out spaces.
“The extreme temperatures today are causing difficulties for everyone. Please be patient. … I’d also like to remind you that ‘dibs’ are not allowed for shoveled parking spaces,” he wrote.
Waguespack also reminded that as Streets and Sanitation worked to clear the roads they’d be throwing away any random items left in the streets.
The alderman’s office is getting a steady stream of calls from residents complaining about parking issues, including “dibs,” blocked driveways and trapped cars. Leaders promise the roads will be cleared as soon as possible. I’m not sure patience is going to work as well as “dibs” for meeting anybody’s parking needs, but it’s worth a try.
3 Responses
Chicago isn’t the only place to use the “dibs” system:
http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/local_coverage/2014/01/walsh_your_lawn_chair_space_savers_are_safe_with_me
In SouthPhiladelphia you could furnish a house with all the furniture used to save parking spaces.
Perhaps people should “pay it forward” and shovel 2 spaces.