"I thought the blizzard was fun until now," Zylke said.
Last Friday, her vehicle was ticketed for violating longstanding Chicago municipal code 9-80-110 (a), which states a vehicle that has not been moved in seven days is considered abandoned.
"I think: A, it's not publicized enough because I had never heard of it and neither had anybody else I asked. And it seems like they did it directly as a result of the snow," Zylke said.
Unless a vehicle is clearly immobilized, it's usually hard to know how long it's been in one spot. But in the wake of the blizzard, snowed-in cars were ripe for ticketing.
Zylke, who works from home as graphic designer, has been taking the CTA to avoid snowy streets.
"I've paid my license. I've got my city sticker. It's clearly not an abandoned car," Zylke said. She plans to contest her ticket. She said "a lot of people work out of their homes, I think, and just to have to move your car on principle every seven days seems a little silly."
On Tuesday, the city warned drivers that the longtime Chicago tradition of "dibs," or saving shoveled-out parking spots with lawn chairs and other items, is over on Friday. That's when crews will remove any items left on the streets.
"It's melted. Leave it alone. Park. Everybody could park," Imelda Arroyo said.
Most folks didn't seem to mind the end of dibs. Anabell Bolanos called the city on what she calls her less-than-cooperative neighbor.
"We asked him to take his chair off the front of our house, and he said no because he was going to park there regardless of what we say," Bolanos said. "He said he didn't care. He was going to keep on putting his chair there."
If the city crews follow the plan, that chair will be off Bolanos' lawn on Friday.
