With the Virgin Mary or a Knight in Shining Armor, Chicagoans Say 'Dibs' on Parking Spaces

There’s no question that shoveling your car out from a snowy Chicago street is hard work. Which is why people want to savor the fruits of their labors not just that once, but for days on end. Enter the wintery Chicago concept of “dibs.”

We asked readers on Facebook to tell us what unusual items they’ve seen used for dibs.

Deborah E. wrote on Lincoln Square Patch’s Facebook page: "I saw online that someone used a statute of the Virgin Mary. :0"

Leon H. also said he's seen a Virgin Mary watching over a cleared space.

On Lake View Patch’s Facebook page, Molly T. supplied the picture above of an ironing board and Justine G. added the shot of a knight standing guard if full armor.

Jim D. said he saw a coffin used once, back in the 70s. "Don't know if any one was in it or not."

Jodi M. said a briefcase, and then supplied the photo above.

Cece W. provided a picture of a kid’s toy with the following explanation: “But we're from LA and are new to needing dibs for parking. Hope it works!”

I did a quick tour of my neighborhood and found orange traffic cones, an assortment of step ladders and lawn chairs, some cardboard boxes and a beat-up upholstered chair.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen used for dibs?