By Kevin Pang | Tribune staff reporter
3:58 PM CDT, August 9, 2007
A massive hot dog clogged Chicago's main artery Thursday morning.
In a
rare occurrence of an encased meat vehicle committing a traffic
violation, Chicago police ticketed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile for
illegal parking on the Magnificent Mile.
The incident began at 10:57
a.m. in the 400 block of North Michigan Avenue. At least two members of
the Wienermobile entourage left the vehicle in the six-lane street with
its emergency blinkers on. The vehicle is registered to Kraft Foods
under the Wisconsin license plate "WEENR."
A police officer approached the Chevrolet vehicle with the 27-foot
fiberglass sausage and removable bun roof. The officer radioed for a
tow truck.
Matt Smith of the city's Streets and Sanitation department
said the city could handle the job.
"We have access to tow trucks that
could have handled a Polish sausage, not just a hot dog," he said.
The
officer wrote the ticket and affixed it with considerable relish to its
foot-long side mirror. Ed Walsh, a spokesman for the city Department of
Revenue, said parking in a "Parking/Standing Prohibited Anytime" zone
is a $50 violation.
About 15 minutes later, as curious passersby
snapped pictures with their camera phones, the driver and passenger of
the vehicle returned before tow trucks could arrive.
The entourage got
a good grilling from the officer.
"You can't just park here!" the
officer barked.
The passenger, who declined to be identified, said
they were visiting a Wienermobile alumnus who worked nearby but was
unaware that one could not park a giant sausage in the middle of the
city's busiest thoroughfare.
Kraft Foods did not return a call for
comment. The hot dog was last seen driving north on Michigan.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-web_wieneraug10,0,6936594.story
Welcome to my world brothers, this is big news in the Midwest.
Subject: Giant Sausage Busted! 
