Most Common Mistakes Newcomers Make (Chicago, Media: rent, to live, cost)

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Maintainschaos

Listening to people complain about getting fined for breaking the law.

Yeah I never really understood why so many people are apparently getting SO many tickets. My boyfriend has parked his car on the street in east Lakeview or Uptown every single day for 5 years and drives it almost daily - he's never once gotten a parking ticket because he stays behind the poles where it says "no parking", feeds a meter, doesn't blast through a red light (especially if there's a camera sitting there) and keeps an eye out for the street sweeping signs during the summer. It's second nature. I had a car for 3 years and I think I got 2 tickets. They were for street cleaning and I took the train to work every day so sometimes I'd just leave my car longer than I should have without checking.

[lenniel]

you can be a fan of both the Sox and Cubs (but be ready to argue about it)

The SNL skit with the Bears fans "Da Bears" is actually pretty accurate.

Don't make yourself an easy crime target by being more engrossed with your smartphone than what's going on around you.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by lenniel

y
The SNL skit with the Bears fans "Da Bears" is actually pretty accurate.

Which part of the skit? I haven't found it to be overly accurate other than people here and there actually having those accents (but I haven't run into TONS of people with that accent).

[Aleking]

don't listen to people who tell you a car is optional

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by Aleking

don't listen to people who tell you a car is optional

I love not having a car.

[Aleking]

i love only driving my car once or twice a month but i absolutely need it

[via chicago]

Originally Posted by RogersParkGuy

Not honoring "Chicago dibs" after a heavy snowfall.

It has long been a tradition in Chicago that if you do the hard work of shoveling out a parking space, you have a right to place a chair or other marker there so that no one else takes it. Unfortunately, a lot of newbies have a much more selfish, mercenary attitude about this. They have no qualms about snatching a parking space someone else has broken their back to dig out. Frankly, I think people like that ought to be tarred and feathered, and have their cars burned. But a better alternative is just to honor Chicago dibs.

Dibs is the dumbest "tradition", this coming from a 30 year resident.

Get your ugly 70s furniture out of the public way or Ill do it for you. Nothing brings me greater joy.

[RogersParkGuy]

Originally Posted by via chicago

Dibs is the dumbest "tradition", this coming from a 30 year resident.

Get your ugly 70s furniture out of the public way or Ill do it for you. Nothing brings me greater joy.

I don't care if you've been here 100 years. Chicago dibs is a way of respecting your neighbors' hard work. I'd love to catch you moving my stuff.

[jwaiter]

Originally Posted by via chicago

Dibs is the dumbest "tradition", this coming from a 30 year resident.

Get your ugly 70s furniture out of the public way or Ill do it for you. Nothing brings me greater joy.

Agreed.

[knitgirl]

[quote=snoylekim;34866040

And , 'Soft' is inaccurate when describing 16 inch Clincher right out of the box ; it takes a few innings . You're not wearing a glove, so watch the fielding heroics, or you'll be paying your orthopedist a visit . Go for your power hitting early in the game; the ball could turn into a boxing glove after a few poundings. Don't worry - you'll figure out things like 'High Arc' eventually .[/quote]

I've got a couple of fingers that are permanently deformed from a couple of bad catches.