DOWNTOWN — Enjoy a last weekend of dibs, Chicago car owners, because city crews start clearing the roads on Monday.
The Department of Streets and Sanitation announced Friday that crews would start laying claim to items left in the road to save parking spaces next week.
"Department of Streets and Sanitation crews will begin to collect dibs street obstructions as early as Monday, Feb. 24, weather permitting," said spokeswoman Molly Poppe. "With the snow melting and weather conditions warming, residents should remove any debris from the public way and off the parkway to ensure it is not collected by our crews."
City workers have always picked up items obstructing traffic, but have generally been tolerant of dibs — up to a point — even as city officials discourage the practice. Other citizens, however, haven't been as tolerant, with some confiscating items in the street and selling them on Craigslist.
Still, the seasonal end of dibs means spring must be coming at some point - but maybe not next week. Temperatures are predicted to be below freezing through Wednesday, except for a five-day high of 34 Saturday.
