Chicagoans outraged after getting parking tickets on street sweeping day

FOX 32 NEWS - You know that sinking feeling when you walk to your car and see a ticket tucked under the windshield wiper? Well, if you live in Chicago’s Ukrainian Village neighborhood, you can multiply that sinking feeling by 20.

That’s about how many tickets were written in two blocks Thursday afternoon for parking on a street sweeping day.

"Yesterday I was driving home from work and I just saw a whole orange parade of tickets on everyone's car,” said Monica Arteaga.

Rob Long posted a video to his Facebook page after he was stunned to find the city had ticketed nearly every car in the 16 and 17-hundred block of West Ohio Street for violating the city's street cleaning ordinance.

Long then takes a 30-second stroll nearly all the way down the block before he finds a sign that said Thursday was street sweeping day.

Other neighbors wondered why the city didn't post any temporary signs like it usually does the day before the street sweepers go through.

Each ticket costs $60 and at 20 tickets, that's a $1,200 windfall from two city blocks.

"Almost the end of the year and maybe they needed some extra revenue so they didn't put the signs out. Or maybe they ran out of signs!" said resident Julie Eplett.

The city responded Friday with a statement saying: “The Department of Finance is reviewing the matter to determine whether the tickets should be upheld. We expect to be able to share our findings early next week.”

Residents can also contest the tickets online.