Citizens Disconnect: Bake Sale Saboteur!
With the Citizens Connect app and website, Boston allows its residents to take a picture of a problem, send it to the city along with their precise location. The site is filled with complaints about trash on the sidewalk, potholes, and dead trees. It also contains the occasional oddity. Welcome to “Citizens Disconnect,” the series wherein we round up our favorite few from the past week:
Bake Sale Saboteurs!
Concerned Citizen: “A Marty Walsh campaign van is parked in the pathway in front of the poll doors, blocking handicapped access. They are also giving out free pastries and coffee in front of the Curley School bake sale, which is not very nice. Please ask them to move and clear the doors.”
City response: “Closed. Case Resolved. Vehicle gone ramp clear.”
There were a few hangover mayoral complaints this week, and this one is as good as they get. Undercutting the bake sale seems like it’s also undercutting the campaign effort, but obviously it didn’t do too much harm.
And in the interest of fair air time
Concerned Citizen: “Campaign staffer attached campaign sign to City Property (fence) at corner of South & Centre. This blocks the view of traffic at intersection making it extremely dangerous for drivers.”
City Response: None.
Okay, so this isn’t that exciting a complaint, but it wasn’t just Walsh opponents on Citizens Connect is our point.
The Porn Epidemic Continues.
Concerned citizen: “porns is all the rage. catch this tagger!”
City response: “Closed. Case Resolved. This request has been completed and 482 commonwealth avenue was done.”
Last week brought news that someone was tagging the word “porn” all over town, and this week brings several more complaints of the same nature, as well as some sleuthing to determine the tagger’s identity. Just keeping you updated on the town’s porn craze.
Mixed Signals
Concerned Citizen: “Not to be picky, but seriously?! Who approved a sign that contradicts the act of recycling ON a recycling container the city spent extra money on in gold faith? Come on now people….”
City response: None.
We’re pretty sure that’s the point of the sign. They’re not saying “Don’t recycle,” they’re just trying to surprise you into lingering on the ad long enough to realize what they mean: The Economist doesn’t run recycled news. Which, we don’t know, it’s a news weekly so they probably have to recycle some news, but whatever, it’s a good ad campaign is the point.
Oh, That’s Where I Left Them!
Concerned Citizen: “Halloween leftovers. Three pairs of shoes are about to snap this power line.”
City response: None yet.
It’s just a lot of shoes. That’s all.
