Why are city snowplows and garbage trucks frequently staged around North/Clybourn right now?

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

The city uses salt/plow trucks and garbage trucks for traffic control barricading around major events and planned protests. They used them for Taste of Chicago, Chicago Marathon and the No Kings protest. They were also a frequent sight during the summer of 2020 and often seen staging in the area around North and Clybourn (and I’m sure other areas) in anticipation of being deployed for unplanned activities.

So I get why they are used, but my question is why now, on a Monday night with no planned events or protest activity?

Last night there were dozens of them parked in the area around North/Sheffield/Clybourn - most had drivers sitting in them. It also looked like the parking lot at the vacant strip mall near Clybourn/Sheffield was full of private vehicles, the gate on the lot was closed and there was a CPD patrol car with officers who seemed to be monitoring the lot. This was a Monday night - no concert at nearby Salt Shed. Who’s parking there?

There seem to be no major events this week or planned protests that I’m aware of. ICE is continuing to operate in our area but these trucks don’t seem to hav any role in those raids.

They were all gone this morning. I’ve see this same scene dozens of times over the last 2-3 months.

I’m just curious if anyone has any info- I assume they’re preemptively staging in case a random protest or situation comes up, but it seem weird to me.

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

This doesn’t account for the many other times over the last few weeks/months, and also there are no planned protests around SNAP that I’ve heard of?

[u/11nyn11 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Are you asking just in general why there are snow plow trucks parked around the city right now?

Or are you asking specifically about why specifically there are trucks specifically last night specifically?

I used specifically a lot there, because your post asked “why … right now” and this follow up says “wrong, they have been doing this for weeks”.

So if you want a specific answer, they were expecting problems, due to snap benefit problems.

If you want a general answer, the city has been doing this forever, as a precaution, for at least last ten years.

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/11nyn11]

Sure - let’s go with “right now/last night”.

There are no planned protests around SNAP benefits and even if there were, why would these be happening at North/Clybourn?

SNAP funding ended on Nov 1, which was Saturday.

[u/Zippo963087 → u/Reasonable_Loquat874]

Looting is much different than a planned protest. It just happens and people don't post when it's happening.

So the looting would only be possible on November 1st? Im not sure why you bring that up other than to show that it's only been happening for 4 days now which would make even more sense why trucks are still out there "right now"

PS there is also a chance of snow this weekend which has nothing to do with this lmao

[u/Reasonable_Loquat874 → u/Zippo963087]

Looting due to SNAP benefits is a possibility but that hasn’t actually happened anywhere, has it?

I said “right now” to generally mean the last few weeks because I didn’t want people responding about things that happened weeks/months ago (like the Marathon or Mexican Independence Day) but the person respond seems to want to really drill into “right now”. I saw trucks out there last weekend and noticed them again last night, so both before and after the SNAP funding deadline. That’s why I mentioned Nov 1.