Shovel Or Else!
- Shovel your walk or else.
That's the message from the City of Chicago, which warns that residents face $50 fines if they fail to clear their sidewalks. Businesses can be cited for up to $500 per day.
But an analysis by NBC5 Investigates finds that almost no one actually pays. Out of 1,669 complaints at 1,411 addresses citywide, only 72 tickets were actually written. Of those, only four had been the targets of complaints phoned into the city's 311 operators. And some of the tickets led to an adjudicated fine of "zero dollars".
We didn't even know htere were rules:
- The rules state that if the snow stops falling before 4 pm, residents have just three hours to clear their sidewalks (except on Sundays). If the snowfall stops after 4 pm, or on Sunday, the walks are to be cleared by 10 am the next day.
That doesn't even take into consideration people with ...you know... jobs, might not be able to clear the sidewalks in a timely manner.
By the same token, the sidewalks of the west and south sides where unemployment is highest, ought to be the cleanest sidewalks in the city - bare concrete all around - and no one should be walking in the streets. Ever.
By the same token, the sidewalks of the west and south sides where unemployment is highest, ought to be the cleanest sidewalks in the city - bare concrete all around - and no one should be walking in the streets. Ever.
Labels: silly people
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
88 Comments:
We have to shovel our walks (most of us do our elderly neighbor's too) or there could be a fine.
What about the total lack of snow removal this winter on the side streets? Will we see a rebate?
What's good for the goose is good for the gander.
AlderAssbite M. O'Connor responded to many complaints by sending out a poorly worded email essentially blaming the people living on the side streets by not helping and clearing the street in front of your house.
She's a fucking idiot--pisses on us and says it is raining.
LOL. So the next time Rahm is out of town on vacation or a business trip, he's getting a ticket?
Seriously, how funny would it be for someone to call in a 311 complaint on him for not having it shoveled?
"Sorry, Mayor, just following orders. Unless of course you think you're above the law." That cop would become an overnight, international freaking hero.
When they plow my street under those time constraints, I'll make sure I clear my sidewalk under them.
Expect the city to have 1000 tickets written in Edison Park by morning, with the administrative judges determining each and every part guilty and responsible for the fines.
Last I checked the sidewalks were public ways owned by the city. How can you fine somebody for not clearing your sidewalk? If I'm responsible that means it's my sidewalk, doesn't it? I think I'm going to go have a beer on MY unshoveled, no longer the public way sidewalk.
yeah..
you just try and get to the orange line pulaski street station that is a mere two city blocks from the great alderman burk's mansion.
the underpass is a mound of ice and you have elderly citizens with walkers navigating this shit by walking down the middle of pulaski road.. at rush hour, a disaster waiting to happen,
go down pulaski road at 48th street and the sidewalk in front of the great chase bank and target mall are impassable. they only care about the parking lot, across the street is a little credit union that cares about the community that they do business in and the sidewalks is clear and bone dry.
looking south down pulaski road from orange line a huge citgo station with the snow pushed off their property onto the sidewalks. you can see the burke mansion from there so apparently he never looks out his window or he just doesn't give a shit.
it's the same story for most of these small malls that you see from i-55 to at least 71st street on pulaski road . snow pushed off of their property real nice but for anyone walking you're fucked.
most of the violators are companies that are national corporate chains. some of them do a half-ass job like the walgreens, cvs drugs, allstate, othersdon't even try,
what i mean by half-ass is they shovel the front walk and for the distance from the main street to the alleyway that is located on a side street the residents that have to walk there or take public transportation can just go fuck themselves i guess.
so of course we know how chicago just-us works.
for the corporations the laws don't apply. roll the tape that explains they are the job creators and you don't want to 'hurt' the job creators
these politicians need to get out more and i don't mean to tropical locations on so-called trade missions 'to create much needed jobs'
for once we can say we have shovel-ready jobs. shovel the shit out of the cta l cars. shovel the sakrete into the pot holes, shovel the snow off the sidewalks. so what's the problem. not even the so-called illegal immigrants that come here to do the jobs american's don't want to do -- want to do this work. that's hard to believe.
Government mandates that the people do something - remove snow - but fails to provide funding or equipment to fulfill the mandate, yet requires the people to use their own funds and perform work without compensation. What if a home owner does not own a shovel? Is there a law that requires home owners to own shovels? Seems government demanding that individuals use their private dollars, outside the realm of taxation and demand physical labor performed on behalf of government without compensation in order to accomplish a government mandate, in this case the removal of snow, is a violation of one's civil rights, involuntary servitude (13th Amendment) - no compensation for work done on behalf of gov - and the illegal act of government to demand that individuals fund a government mandate without due process (14th Amendment) - force individuals to spend money to buy shovels in order to remove snow or risk a monetary fine.
What's next, government requiring homeowners to clean gutters and trim trees in the parkway, or else risk fines?
Reasonable law. Enforce it. It will help the city's need for more revenue, and clear sidewalks at the same time.
Shoveling snow has a whole other meaning in some areas of the city.
Thank the lord! It gets so frustrating walking whole blocks stumbling in calf high snow! I won't be one of those people calling complaints in on "non shovelers", but once again it gets frustrating lol. Is the city suppose to deal with sidewalks under viaducts?
According to the rules set in place, work shouldn't get in the way of shoveling, unless you have some oddly scheduled full time job(and That doesn't include a night shift). It's the price we pay as home owners.
Yeah right.
Let's start seeing those tickets written up for Englewood, Austin, and all the other places no one gives a Damn about shoveling their sidewalks.
Tickets!?!?!? It will probably be Dept. of Revenue minions writing up tickets - but only in white neighborhoods.
What a joke. What a new revenue stream in the Shire of Nottingham.
Next case.
Jobs don't count, hire a gang-banger if you are at work. Of course you might find him sprawled on the sidewalk when you come home.
Wait... I can't remember the last time Rahm shoveled in front of his house... Double standard?
Illegals walk free but Old Farts Americans in our 60s have to shovel??? Kiss my Mistletoe
Not to mention the homes owned by seniors or others unable to clear walks if they are fortunate enough to spend part of this season away.
this town is goofy.
must be nice to sit around in your booth at man's country, or the Congressional shower room, or on vacation in Indonesia, dreaming up ways to fuck people with stupid fines in an already miserable situation while your own inability to manage funds leads to a town broke and desperate.
"When they plow my streets under those time constraints, I'll make sure I clear my sidewalk under them."
1/22/2014 12:20:00 AM
Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it Rahm!
Either sidewalks are public property, or they are not. But they are not both.
Churches & food pantries now need to pass out shovels at their weekly freebie giveaways. even with a free shovel, you think most 'people' would still bother to shovel? I's aint doin' nuttin!
Unless the City wants to indemnify the residents against liability for any and all injuries by anyone walking on the sidewalk, they can go F' themselves.
There's enough court cases on this, Illinois subscribes to the "Massachusetts" rule where if you do anything to alter a Force Majure created situation, and someone injures themselves - you're liable for it. Even if you go down to the bare sidewalk, and someone gets injured between your clear area and an adjacent area that's not clear - it's your fault.
Fuck it. Doing nothing means no liability (unless it's something like an ice flow created by your gutter - then you have to put up a sign or barricade).
Tell the City to piss up a rope...
Amazing how legislators can pass a multitude of meaningless laws and regulations but can't balance a budget without borrowing money. We have tried to legislate common sense, something that is always learned but never taught.
Very large apartment complex at 2321 n oak park avenue. The building managers are slumlords and never shovel. Somehow the city let's them get away with not paying fines.
I work for the city and its true only white neignboorhoods have to shovel. If we ticketed people in the ghetto Jesse Jackson would start marching in protest.
I wanted to put a small fence around the grass in front of my house.
Went to the local Alderman office and he said I can't because the City needs to approve it. He related that ONLY on my property can i do that.
So chop chop Mr. Alderman don't say the sidewalks my problem.
Plus i have a P.O. box.
So we ticket the old folks who don't want to die next to their snow shovels but Rahm can have the Bike paths cleared in the winter by the city.
Anonymous said...
Reasonable law. Enforce it. It will help the city's need for more revenue, and clear sidewalks at the same time.
1/22/2014 01:37:00 AM
I agree.
you know one of Rahms security detail shovels his walk. He wants to keep his spot.
"That doesn't even take into consideration people with ...you know..." advanced age, can't do it themselves and might already be choosing between food, medicine, or heat, little money to pay to have this done...
Help your elderly neighbors. Everyone gets old. Unless, of course, they hang on the corner by the liquor store, yelling all night.
By the same token, the sidewalks of the west and south sides where unemployment is highest, ought to be the cleanest sidewalks in the city - bare concrete all around - and no one should be walking in the streets. Ever.
---
They don't fix their houses, they don't rake their leaves, they AIN'T gonna shovel.
Maybe Obama will shovel for them.
"...snow pushed off of their property real nice but for anyone walking you're fucked..."
1/22/2014 01:09:00 AM
Leave a five-foot snow berm across the sidewalk, especially right at the curb, and watch people struggle over it to try to cross the street.
025, Pep Boys on Grand doesn't touch their sidewalks but the parking lot is perfect. Then there are all the walks past "For Sale" buildings or vacant lots, real estate speculators never held responsible...
"What's next, government requiring homeowners to clean gutters and trim trees in the parkway, or else risk fines?"
1/22/2014 01:22:00 AM
Some burbs, if you want the sidewalk (town property) in front of your house fixed, you pay half, they pay half.
Get the Sakrete, or just leave it. Me no see, me no know, me no speaka the Eenglish.
Works for everyone else, huh?
"When they plow my streets under those time constraints, I'll make sure I clear my sidewalk under them."
It's the public way. I don't own the sidewalk in front of my house. I will shovel it purely out of concern for my neighbors, mail man and the occasional pizza delivery.
Here in Lawndale the Bangers can't
be bothered with shoveling the
sidewalks. They are required to
stand on the corners and sell their
"products". So us elderly guys have
to shovel snow ourselves hoping
against hope that we don't have a
heart attack while doing so.
And with four inches of new snowfall
every two days, it's a bi*ch.
All sidewalks in Chicago should be shoveled by Welfare , Public Aid, and Food Stamp Recipients before they are paid any Government Entitlement Bribe Money. Government Entitlements = Bribes for Votes. No one on Government Aid should be allowed to Vote until off ALL Government Aid.
"Of those, only four had been the targets of complaints phoned into the city's 311 operators."
Complaints entered online on the city's so-fancy web site bring zero response, as well.
Potemkin Village -- all cardboard false-front buildings propped up with sticks.
Now Sears is pulling out of State and Madison...
Hey Rahm! Shovel a little in here, willya?
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/redeye-record-cold-brings-reports-of-feces-on-cta-20140120,0,2938649.story
This is enforced about as much as the ordinance against putting your garbage cans out in front of your residence more than 24 hrs prior to pickup. I live in a nice neighborhood where the asshole, lazy neighbor leaves the supercarts on the curb for days.
In years past we had civic pride and took care of shovelling everyone on the block's snow, cutting the elderly neighbor's grass, etc. You didn't need ordinances to do the right thing.
By the way, aren't you still required to maintain the city owned parkway in front of your property? And if some slips and hurts themselves on your unshoveled sidewalk, who gets the blame?
I'm pissed that the City NEVER plows any alley!
I have to dig my way out all the time from my garage!
If Rahm, ever used his garage or car i[if the little twerp drives] at his house, he would know how that feels rather than being driven around like some Roman Emperor, by Officers making Sgt. pay!
Oh come on - nut up, guys. Three houses on my block over in Dunning keep eight houses clear (including two corner lots) so our elderly neighbors don't have to shovel. Plus one of the guys has a plow attachment for his truck and clears the whole alley so people can get out of their garages safe.
I will shovel all frackin' day if I need to to keep the 90-year-old WW2 vet across the street from me clear. It's the rigt thing to do. If you want to bitch and moan fine but do it anyway... .
As for the (dumb) fine, we all know able-bodied people who won't do the right thing.
I don't own the sidewalk, the city owns the sidewalk!
The city wants "free labor" off its citizens!
But, I got to go to work for a living and don't have time to shovel because, I have a real job and I am not sitting at a desk on the 5th floor of city hall looking out the window, like a privileged thieving Politician a.k.a. Rahm!
So does this mean some police will be detailed to walk the main streets and write tickets to all the businesses who haven't shoveled? Because there's some serious cash to be made.
why doesn't Pam Zekman on Hutchison St ever shovel her walk? Need to do an expose NBC on her 5 million dollar mansion and still doesn't shovel her walk. I have called 311 and nothing is ever done.
what a bunch of bs. the side streets were a nightmare. the leaders of this city suck.
Don't worry about Rahm. His bodyguards, making sergeant's pay, will shovel his walk.
"must be nice to sit around in your booth at man's country, or the Congressional shower room, or on vacation in Indonesia, dreaming up ways to fuck people with stupid fines in an already miserable situation while your own inability to manage funds leads to a town broke and desperate.
1/22/2014 04:15:00 AM"
Every Christmas off to the Far East? Boy if that doesn't send up the Red Flags.
"Expect the city to have 1000 tickets written in Edison Park by morning, with the administrative judges determining each and every part guilty and responsible for the fines.
1/22/2014 12:30:00"
Revenue Reggie is up& down NW HWY everyday. Funny, never see any of his compatriots in the vicinity Madison& Pulaski?
Anonymous said...
Jobs don't count, hire a gang-banger if you are at work. Of course you might find him sprawled on the sidewalk when you come home.
1/22/2014 03:31:00 AM
You won't be able to say he abandoned his post though...at least not in body.
this is pretty much the rule everywhere and it is pretty much ignored everywhere.
In the end it's all about "dibs" with this city. Every winter this beautiful city resembles what Humbolt Park looks like everyday and nothing gets done about it. Broken lawn chairs, old doll houses, 2x4s with buckets, wooden horses and the like...And the majority of the time these "save my spot for eight hours while I'm at work" litterers don't bother to dig themselves out of the spot that belongs to everyone. But for some reason since they happen to be parked where ever they parked some how gives them the right to claim it until they see fit to give it back to the people. I say the next time you see something left on the street, toss it into the air and round house kick it straight into the trash.
We have "VRI' next will be "SSI" = Sidewalk Shoveling Initiative........... Every car will have snow shovels & walking beats will carry one as well....... Shovels to be purchased from the "Madigan Shovel Co." & they will be high quality & inexpensive....... No really they will...... stop laughing......
Don't forget the bags of "Daley Salt Co." salt to spread after shoveling.......
Wait, We are expected to clean up the city's sidewalks but we are not allowed to cut down or trim the city trees. You know the one that's branches feel through my picture window, neighbors house and car. We get ticketed for not cleaning the city's walkway. I don't get it...
I suggested several years ago before I retired that District CAPS Offices and maybe the Chaplains' Office organize something to keep watch over retired cops who might be living alone.
Invite them to outings, picnics and Christmas parties.
Check on them during extreme weather.
Just to see that they are not alone and forgotten.
At times like this it would be a great thing.
What happened to all of the teenagers who used to pick up spending money by shoveling snow or cutting lawns?
I have not seen any teenagers ringing doorbells looking for work shoveling snow.
How much has city collected from curfew , marijuana fines? Did city ever collect millions of dollars in past due water bills from some south suburbs, if not why are these dead beats still getting water service.
to 12/22/14 1230am you got that right brother i live in edison park and im sure iwill get a ticket even though i shovel my snow. but dont worry they wont be ticketing engelwood austin garfield park or 26th str but screw with the white neighborhoods,
Rahm cannot shovel snow nor do physical labor. He has been taught he has a bad back through his upbringing.
They walk in the street for safety. You have more advance notice of the banger coming at you from the gangway than when you are walking on the sidewalk. That's Ghetto 101.
I rang the bell and there was no answer. Have the next watch check it out...oh, there was no answer for when they checked, don't know what to tell ya rahm.
For the West sides etc. to have their sidewalks shoveled you'll have to pay the lazy fucks.
Just like you have to pay them to watch out for their own damn kids when going to and from school.
If you are an idiot who still comes in with a Mover and 5 Parker's a day you have no reason to gripe. You are appeasing a money hungry scumbag and should be ashamed of yourself. Rahm says thank you and asks how his junk tastes.
Civilian question:
How about ticketing "one eyed monsters?" I swear that every third car on the road tonight had one headlight out of order.
Obama will give them all subsidized snow blowers.
You can be shot if you shovel snow!!!
....more bad news the Captain and Tennille are getting divorced. When it rains it pours.
D. rizzo said...
Wait... I can't remember the last time Rahm shoveled in front of his house... Double standard?
1/22/2014 03:39:00 AM
Shoveled? They got to have the hired help come over to pick the tomatoes out of the damn organic garden in their own backyard! They can't bother their little selves to pick their own vegetables out of their own backyard! Who scrubs that assholes balls? Does he have a ball scrubber guy?
Why not give all the cops working the Safe Passage route shovels so they can clear a path for the children to walk.
Why dont the officers use their snowmobiles to help with the shoveling?!
It staggers the imagination to consider the monumental amount of waste that this corrupt city and county are capable of when it comes to mismanaging city revenues and tax dollars. Think of the fact that before administrative hearings, the city collected a small fraction of parking tickets. Anyone who could make find a guy to make a call could have tickets dismissed. A former ward superintendent used to hand out vehicle stickers to his friends gratis. Chicago has reap millions from automobile owners and all of it was found money not collected by prior mayors (prior to Shortshanks Daley) and still the books cannot be balanced despite the infusion of record levels of cash.
The Mayor should supply every city worker with a shovel and bag of salt to help out the community.
I say the next time you see something left on the street, toss it into the air and round house kick it straight into the trash.
1/22/2014 01:20:00 PM
First of all you use the term "dibs" like that is what we call it in Chicago. That term has never been uttered by a Chicagoan in my 35 years born and raised here. This has been practice long before you moved here from the suburbs to be a policeman. "Dibs" as you call it my piss you off and at times bothers me. However unless you do not shovel out your spot yourself, or steal someone else's common courtesy says leave it. You don't like it, buy a place with a garage or deal with it for 2-3 days a year. Take my spot and car keys may fall out of my hand all over the side of your car...good luck getting someone to follow up on that report.
Actually.....city property starts at the parkway which is the other side of the sidewalk.
The sidewalk is ours. Ask anyone who has had to pay to have concrete poured.
Either sidewalks are public property, or they are not. But they are not both.
exactly right.
if you don't shovel your walk, or your elderly neighbor's walk, you are a lazy asshole....but you can't be on the hook for it.
Anonymous Anonymous said...
I work for the city and its true only white neignboorhoods have to shovel. If we ticketed people in the ghetto Jesse Jackson would start marching in protest.
1/22/2014 07:50:00 AM
same goes for parking enforcement.
"...Put THAT in your pipe and smoke it Rahm!"
That's something my Dad used to say-you must be pretty old.
The greater majority of SNOW removal tickets are generated by complaints via internet or telephones, so if it appears that you are in an area that's getting slam, blame it on your neighbors, yelling and screaming about what they are or aren't doing on the West side or south side is no excuse.....no one is reporting snow filled side walks in those areas
as the great gallows writer used to say :you just harassing me about my sidewalk because my white
City indebtedness out again. better pay your bills boys and girls. HAAHAA. Tiny and the city won't pay the bills the city owes (pensions / parking meter). But hey they got you by the nuts and are just gonna just take it from you and then some by payroll deduction and suspension.
What a joke. I can't wait to move out. Water bill is up to 1200 a year with these thieving politicians.
Speaking of crooks hows the City wide team Donahue and Dougherty spinning the fuckery of the missing letter. "Its all Shields fault!" Couldn't come out to a roll call in 3 years. But hey its election time. Now they are out blaming Shields for everything. They could have came out to the membership 2 years ago when the letter wasn't sent. 2 weeks before the election they start the mud. Donahue and Dougherty have been at the trough long enough. DUMP ALL CITY WIDE
A lot of thuse 2-3 flats are owned by people who do not live in the community and they do as little maintctionenance as possible including shoveling the snow. They try to rent to section 8 and still do as little as possible except collect astronomical amounts of rent. This time you are wrong.
Plus, the gangbangers were plotting to fall in front of people's property so they could sue and get MORE free stuff.
"Why not give all the cops working the Safe Passage route shovels so they can clear a path for the children to walk."
1/22/2014 10:47:00 PM
Absolutely. After all, those hulking 19-year-olds standin two deep on the corner, wearing those lime green city-issued vests, couldn't handle it. Need to talk s__t and maybe do a little sellin as long as they're out there...
Either sidewalks are public property, or they are not. But they are not both.
Sorry but you are wrong.
This isn't enforce peomptly and properly anyways, according to City Dispatchers. According to them,
"They" [who the Dispatchers Don't know who "they' are, will investigste the complaint, When? Dispatchers don't know, [probably Mid-July] and if they observe the Violation, will somehow find out who's responsible, How? [they don't know], and will assess the Fine, [Fine= Dispatchers DON't know, of course], to the Responsible Party, [Who?, They don't know who 'they' will Fine], and on and on and on. Democrats in Action, for sure, here in the Gulag of Little Siberia by the Lake. It really Is amusing to speak with the City and NEVER get a complete, logical answer, or EVER get ANYTHING resolved correctly, ever. Passing the Buck is an Art-Form, to the Chicago Democommies.
It staggers the imagination to consider the monumental amount of waste that this corrupt city and county are capable of when it comes to mismanaging city revenues and tax dollars. Think of the fact that before administrative hearings, the city collected a small fraction of parking tickets. Anyone who could make find a guy to make a call could have tickets dismissed. A former ward superintendent used to hand out vehicle stickers to his friends gratis. Chicago has reap millions from automobile owners and all of it was found money not collected by prior mayors (prior to Shortshanks Daley) and still the books cannot be balanced despite the infusion of record levels of cash.
1/22/2014 11:19:00 PM
What are you smoking? Before admin hearings? The city has always collected a ton of revenue on tickets. Hearing had nothing to do with it. You must be new around here.
Anonymous said...
Actually.....city property starts at the parkway which is the other side of the sidewalk.
The sidewalk is ours. Ask anyone who has had to pay to have concrete poured.
1/23/2014 07:31:00 AM
Not all streets have parkway... like mine, Street - sidewalk - my front lawn. My property starts at my lawn. Walks belong to the city..
I refuse to shovel the city sidewalk. It is not my property. If the city wants their sidewalk shoveled they can hire people to do it. What next? Will they demand we shovel the streets?
Oh, and spare me the BS about being a good neighbor, it is the right thing to do, the elderly, and all that. If people want to walk let them carry their own shovels. City property means city shovels.
Actually, this is wonderful news. It means that homeowners are no longer liable if someone slips and falls due to their shoveling the walk and thereby causing the slippery condition. No more claims against the homeowner and their homeowner's insurance policy. The liability will be squarely and completely on the City of Chicago, and they can start paying out BooKoo Bux $$$$$!!! when someone slips and falls on their sidewalks, that they require us to clean for them, under penalty of law! Brilliant! We'll see how long this goofy law stays on the books. Ghetto lottery payouts galore will start, everywhere across our great metropolis, once word gets out about this nonsense! Easier than buying a weekly lotto ticket, and this won't even cost you a buck.
Ok if I own the sidewalk and have to shovel it, I get to cut down the tree that has been dropping branches for years. Right? WTF
Anonymous Anonymous said...
Anonymous said...
Actually.....city property starts at the parkway which is the other side of the sidewalk.
The sidewalk is ours. Ask anyone who has had to pay to have concrete poured.
1/23/2014 07:31:00 AM
Not all streets have parkway... like mine, Street - sidewalk - my front lawn. My property starts at my lawn. Walks belong to the city..
1/25/2014 03:18:00 AM
Actually you pay 50-50 for the cost of the sidewalk and curb replacement, but that is to help defer part of the cost of the City, does not mean you own any portion of the sidewalk. Sidewalk is all city.
city of chicago eat my ass
Post a Comment
<< Home