'Guess What? Tomorrow Is Garbage Day': Chicagoans Want Alleyways Cleared Of Snow So Animals Don't Find Food
CHICAGO (CBS) -- One of the biggest challenges for people living in the city of Chicago is the snow-packed alleys.
CBS 2's Jeremy Ross reports from Bronzeville where the snow is piling up.
Neighbors said their alleys are low on the show removal priority list. But for so many, these are how first responders might have access to help people in great need.
If there's clear, have no fear. If not, health and safety may be on the line.
Accompanied by the hum of a snow blower, landlord John Worthy works to remove yet another round of snow. About 70 yards of Bronzeville alley separate his car and others from getting to a major street.
"My tenants and I park in this lot. So if I don't shovel it out, if we get the 10 inches of snow they're predicting, we'll be trapped," said John Worthy.
Worthy paves a way though what he describes as a pandemic, snowmaggedon and near armageddon.
"It's the zombie apocalypse. We all got to work together to get though this thing," Worthy said.
The zombie threat is an exaggeration, but Worthy said the other real danger may come days later, if Bronzeville alleys and similar neglected nooks continue to not be cleared, their garbage might not be cleared either.
"Guess what? Tomorrow is garbage day," said Worthy.
"If they can't get though, it's still gonna be there," said resident Kerry Maxey said.
"All kind of animals are just gonna tare that thing open and dig though. It's going to be a problem," Worthy said.
There were trash bins buried in Bridgeport. Elsewhere, cars parked in by the snow. For now, Worthy plows his own path to freedom in his assault against snow, zombies and whatever winter throws in front of his snow blower.
"I'm not the hero. I'm just a guy trying to help out my neighbors, that's all," Worthy said. "A hero is a sandwich, and I'm not hungry right now."
The city of Chicago is not responsible for maintaining alleyways. The alderman's office is asking neighbors to clean around their black and blue trash carts so garbage trucks can get to them, also asking if you know a neighbor who needs help doing it to lend them a hand.
