Mayor Rybak uses Twitter poetry to spread word about Minneapolis snow emergency

The Minneapolis impound lot has been a busy place Thursday after the city declared a snow emergency and parking restrictions went into effect following Wednesday's snow storm.

Anybody who did not move their car and had it towed apparently is not following R.T. Rybak on Twitter. (As of 11:30 a.m., 489 vehicles had been towed to the impound lot at 51 Colfax Av. N.)

The city's outgoing mayor composed a string of clever catchy poems to get the word out and tweeted them last night. Here is a sample:

Day 2 Snow Emergency parking rules now in effect till 8 pm. No parking on EVEN side of non-Snow Emergency routes and both sides of parkways.

Here in Fun City/ Rock out, wine and dine/ But from snow emergency routes/ Move your car by nine

On snow emergency routes:/ Here's your motto/ By nine o'clock tonight/ Please move your auto

Snow plows are putting/ Blades to our streets/ Move cars off emergency/ Routes---Toots Sweet

The mayor's term ends at the end of the year. Perhaps the city ought to name him its poet laureate.

Rybak's amusing tweets complimented the myriad ways the city spreads the word about snow emergencies. Just last week it upgraded its mobile app so smartphone users can get instant information on parking restrictions that go into effect when the city declares a snow emergency.

Available for iPhone and Android devices," the new app contains detailed, timely and useful information including if a Snow Emergency has been declared, and puts detailed parking rules right in the palm of your hand, the city said in a news release.

The improved app tells drivers where they can and can't park on Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 of a Snow Emergency. It also allows drivers to sign up for email and text alerts and features a quick call button that connects to the Minneapolis Snow Emergency hotline.

Minneapolis residents have additional ways to get the word when the city declares a snow emergency.