It's gon' be hot!!!

Get ready for the heat this week. NBC 5 Weather Genius Andy Avalos says Tuesday and Wednesday's temperatures will climb into the 90's for the first time in 2009. What happens to your car when it's that hot? Well, I hear a lot of this on the scanner when we're kickin' it in the Traffic Lounge...

"Yeah, I got uh overheat on the inbound Ike. Lady's pretty mad."

Okay, so maybe not so much the second sentence, but a lot of the first one. Your car goes through hell when you live here. From waking up to -15 degrees in January to 95 degrees in June, think about how hard it is for your engine to adapt. What about the brake fluid, the engine coolant, and the air conditioner that I'm sure you'll have cranked way too high more often than not? They all take a beating.

So take care of your ride and here are couple pointers:

-always check the gauges: transmission fluid, washer fluid, battery level and tire pressure
-make sure to start the car with everything off. Start the car, THEN turn on the AC, the radio etc.
-finally, don't leave living things in cars alone, period!

That last one is kind of important. We see this every year. Don't be dumb and leave your kids in a hot car with the windows rolled up. Think about how fast the temperature goes up in that incubator  you call a car? Even if it's to run into the local Casey's General Store to get a pack of Marlboro Reds, take your four-year-old with you and the German Shepard barking obnoxiously back of the Z-28.

Thank you.

**Taste of Chicago street closures are all set up, the (sweaty people eating) food fest.begins on Friday. Columbus is closed between Monroe and Roosevelt. Congress and Jackson are closed between Michigan and Columbus. Got that? It stays that way until July 5th.

Best day to go to the Taste and avoid the idiocy: Monday early afternoon.

**More free parking is disappearing. My condolences to folks on the Southeast Side.

**However, cabs will now be forced to take credit cards. Only because I'll be able to do it myself.

**Otherwise, it was a pretty quiet day in the Traffic Lounge. Some of us were reflecting on Dance Friday, if you haven't seen it. Take a look here. We're getting ready for the Taste, Sox-Cubs on the Southside, and some real interesting street fests that I'll show you on Friday. So be sure to tune in towards the end of the week.

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