4 Tips on How to Hold an Umbrella in Chicago
The other day, I was walking home in the rain and wind, getting tugged every which way by my umbrella, and the thought struck me, “I wonder if anyone has any tips for carrying an umbrella, especially here in Chicago.”
So I did a little research and the only information I could find was this thread on Yelp! asking what the umbrella ettiqute is on a crowded street.
So let me share the wisdom I’ve learned about Chicago and the rain (Note: these can be applied anywhere, not just here):
- Point the tip of your umbrella INTO the wind. Most tourists forget about this and stubbornly try to fight in order to keep their umbrella totally upright. I laugh at those dimwitted, non-Chicagoans (I feel sorry if they are a real Chicagoan). It’s ok to hold your umbrella at an angle. Any angle!
- Loosen your wrists. If your in one of those “swirling winds”, remember to roll your wrists. Stay loose. Yes, you may get exposed to rain when a huge gust comes. It happens. You won’t die and your umbrella will still be in it’s proper position, not inside out. Locking you arm will, without fail, cause the umbrella to turn inside out.
- Always watch the runoff. You have to remember the rain runoff. Holding the umbrella too close to the body will cause your lower half to get soaked. Be cognitive of this at all times, especially times where there are other people around.
- If you forget one of these rules and do end up with the totally embarrassing, inside out umbrella, don’t panic. Calmly turn around and use the wind as your friend. Point the end of the umbrella directly into the gust and Mother Nature will fix what she had done. This is imperative! DO NOT try to fix the umbrella on your own. You’ll look like a total idiot, and chances are, it won’t work.
