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How can the City of Chicago deny me access to my own home?

How, exactly, is it legal to block off whole neighborhoods and deny residents access to their own homes? Friday, August 22, 2008 the city of Chicago blocked off the whole area from West Madison Street to Van Buern and city of Chicago employees at the road blocks refused my plea to allow me, a disabled resident, access to my home, which was a quarter block from the road block... A full half a block before Jackson Blvd, where all races and other bullshit usually take place! We had to drive around and around our neighborhood for over HALF AN HOUR before whatever the hell was going on in our neighborhood ended and we were allowed to go home. We stopped at each road block and tried to talk to the people guarding the road blocks to ask if we could go the quarter block down the road to the alley way we need to enter to legally park at my residence. I showed them my handicapped sticker, they refused to listen and threatened us with ticketing if we stayed there any longer… I showed them my crutch and the handicapped sticker the next loop around the neighborhood and again, they said if we stopped them one more time, we would be ticketed and they would call the police. We were totally denied access to our home! They said to park where we could and walk in. The only problem there is that the streets were blocked off for four blocks north and south and six blocks east and west so I would have to walk at least half a mile, if we could find parking, just to be able to get to my apartment. As a person that is disabled, I can tell you right now that it would have been an impossible task without having to go in to storage and getting out my wheelchair. How the hell is it legal to totally deny residents access to their homes? How is it legal to allow the people directing traffic to threaten arrest if we attempt to simply go home??? Will this require a lawsuit against the City of Chicago? Because I know a minimum of 10 MASSIVE apartment buildings that would love to join in to a lawsuit for being denied access to our homes on top of at least a dozen small businesses that were forced to shut down due to City Interference. I'm going to write my alderman, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Tribune, and as many forums as I can find to try and get this bullshit to never happen again... This happens CONSTANTLY in the summer! Whenever the City wants to throw a Race, Block Party, "Taste of" whatever... They just block off all major streets in and out of the neighborhood... Before, they have never denied me access to our homes... But this year, this is the 2nd time that we have had to drive around and around our whole neighborhood just TRYING TO GO HOME!! How on earth is this legal??? PLEASE tell me what you would do in my situation!!!

Public Comments

1. You choose to live in one of the most corrupt cities in this country and then ask what to do about a situation you don't like? I would have moved out of that city a LONG time ago!
2. You answered your own question after all the ranting. Write your alderman, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Chicago Sun Tribune and as many forums as I can find to try and (I change the wording here) solve this issue of the City of Chicago blocking my access to my residence (and not considering my disability). Another option you may want to look at is an advocate group for the disabled. If you are permanently disabled then this would be applicable. I do not think the look at temporary as falling within this component. Calm down and be proactive to prevent it from occurring again and not reactive - something such as a lawsuit and a letter from the mayor (which can be gained after the lawsuit is settled - before it goes to court - presuming your case has merit) would allow you access to your home when events such as these occur.
3. Chicago is not going to change, so you might as well just move to a better location to accommodate your needs.
4. I really doubt that the city will stop blocking off streets for these events. They generate too much revenue for the city. Also I am sure there is advance notice given that this is going to occur. You need to plan ahead when this is going to happen. I realize it is inconvenient but I really doubt that you will get anything changed. It does seem excessive that they would not let you go half a block but not knowing just what was happening at the time, You driving might have endangered some else.