Local Winter Weather Law

[Caoimhin]

"If you’re thinking about walking away while you warm up your car, think again.

“There’s an ordinance against that,” Lt. Kemen said.

In the city, you could get a $76.20 fine for leaving your car unattended with the keys in the ignition, even if the engine isn’t running.

It’s up for debate whether remote car starters run afoul of the law. But the city ordinance applies pretty much anywhere that’s not your garage, including alleys, streets and public parking lots. So, authorities said you might not want to take the chance. (Last year, three people were ticketed for the offense.)

Outside the city, it’s a different story.

“There are no county ordinances about leaving your car running,” Sgt. Bill Beth. “Of course, it could be unwise. You might want to separate the key from your clicker and lock your car while it’s warming up"




A guy I work with told me a cop knocked on his door while is car was running in his driveway and told him it was illegal to do so. I couldn't believe him when he told me this until I seen this article. It's been below 0 to about 15 degrees for two weeks now and I can't even warm my car up in my own drive way. I live in a region where we can reach -30.

 

[JTM45]

Your Honor, I am pleading not guilty. When I walked by that running car it called out the inner criminal in me and told me to steal it, as a matter of fact I'm gonna sue him for malicious teasing of my inner criminal!

For Gods sake! you'd think there are other laws that need enforcing.

 

[Caoimhin]

If he leaves his car running in the street and walks up to my house then I'm going to question him.

 

[Joeydego]

I couldn't imagine getting away from a nice warm patrol car with my coffee to break someone's balls over this. Let the buffs do that shit!

 

[Fracture]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-6qFnaoLr0]Handcuffed Suspect Steals Police Car in Texas - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Joeydego]

Handcuffed Suspect Steals Police Car in Texas - YouTube

Happened to a highway guy here, too.

 

[rcole_sooner]

Watch Watch these stupid weather tricks via CNN International on demand at Livestation.com

 

[Fracture]

Chicago, in it's infinite wisdom, came up with this....
Chicago Winter Parking: Chicago Overnight Winter Parking Ban begins at 3 a.m. Thursday| Chicago Overnight Parking Ban List of Streets, Map of Route | Chicago 2 Inch Snow Parking Ban Route | abc7chicago.com


November 30, 2011 (CHICAGO) (WLS) -- Drivers, watch where you park your car this evening. Snow or no snow, Chicago's winter overnight parking restrictions go in effect at 3 a.m. Thursday.

Chicago's Department of Streets and Sanitation bans overnight parking - from 3 a.m. to 7 a.m.- on several of the city's main streets from December 1 to April 1. Cars parked on the 107 miles of restricted arterial streets will be towed regardless of weather.

The city will ticket drivers $50 and tow the cars-- which costs a $150 minimum and a $10 daily storage fee -- parked on streets that are part of the Winter Overnight Parking Ban.

Related Content
MORE: Winter Overnight Parking Ban Routes: List of Streets
MORE: Winter Overnight Parking Ban Routes: Map
MORE: Parking Restrictions for Snow over 2 Inches: Map
Also, drivers should prepare for winter weather and take note of the city's 2 Inch Snow Ban, which includes 500 miles of arterial streets.
"The overnight parking ban is in place during the winter to make sure that critical routes are up and running at all hours so that emergency vehicles, buses and other traffic can get through," said Streets and Sanitation Commissioner Thomas G. Byrne through a statement.

 

[Joeydego]

Wow, tickets and tows are a bargain in Chicago. Try that shit here. Got about 500 laying around?

 

[Fracture]

Wow, tickets and tows are a bargain in Chicago. Try that shit here. Got about 500 laying around?

$500?, Man that's stiff.
I don't live in the city, Mal does. Both my vehicles are garaged in the winter.

 

[lucidspoon]

Just start your car in your garage. To be safe, make sure the garage door is shut.

I accidentally did that once. I went out to start the car and thought I hit the button to open the garage door. I went back inside, because I forgot something upstairs. Came back down, and the whole garage was filled with fumes. I went back upstairs to check on the cat, because the room he stays in is right above the garage. Sure enough, he was stumbling around like a drunk!

 

[Byron999]

A judge lives on the street over from me. A couple of years ago I saw a story in the paper about him starting his car parked in his driveway one morning, forgot something and went back into the house for less than a minute only to return and see his car being driven away by a thief. It happened that fast.

Here, it is illegal to leave a car running unattended, unless it’s in your driveway.

 

[bertzie]

This is another great reason to love not living in the city. I could leave my car running all day if I wanted to. No one around to steal it and no one around to bitch about it.

 

[Strav]

Next they can make a law that I can't wear slick soled shoes out in the snow, oh wait that might be a law in NYC. I might slip and spill all the multiple sodas I am trying to carry and have no hands free to break my fall.

 

[cwness]

None of you guys must have remote start. You can't steal my cars or my dads cars. You
have to have the key to put in the ignition too get the car in gear!!! Without the key
your not going any place. If you leave the car on the street here it's a $10 ticket for more then
2" inches of snow. If it's more then that you must be living in lefty heaven. I'd move.

CW

 

[Publius pro tem]

What if the car is LOCKED and running?
I was doing this over thirty years ago - separate the door and ignition keys.
My 1966 Mustang had an anemic heater; if the car was shut off, it took forever to get any heat again.
Years later I discovered why - the heater core was packed with leaves.
(NEVER park under a tree, as the previous owner of this car did all the time)

Anyhow, I got a couple of handy freebie keyrings from the Snap-On Tools dealer.
Identical to this, with their bright red logo on them.

I found the red to be handy if you dropped the keys in the snow.
Ignition key on one side, door key, house key, and mailbox key on the other.

Some years later, I was looking at strap locks for guitars, and the mechanism looked awfully familiar...

I use the same system to this day for all my vehicles - and guitars.




I have found newer vehicles to be so intelligently advanced that it's hard to do this on some of them.
My 2003 GM truck would not allow me to lock the driver's side door with the key in the ignition, running or not.
Push the lock down manually, and when the door was closed it would pop back up.

I tried to get this "programmed" out at the dealership and through my own efforts - no joy.

So a nice, beautiful, 2003 GMC Sierra Z-71 4x4 (that I kept less than 2 years) is likely my last new vehicle.
I'm going Olde School from here on out.

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