Photo by PoPville flickr user ekelly80
Wishing everyone a peaceful, tasty and Happy Thanksgiving! I’m grateful to all the incredible residents of PoPville who make everyday an interesting one for me. Hoping your day and time off is filled with fun! Safe travels to those on the road. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures!
Photo by PoPville flickr user Sanjay Suchak
Dear PoPville,
I live on the 800 block of Rock Creek Church Rd NW, near the Petworth metro. It’s a small 3 story building with a patch of gravel along the side big enough for a few cars to park there. Along the side of the building there are signs that say “no parking, private property, violators towed.” My boyfriend, who lives with me, has been parking his car out there for months because we got the approval of one of our neighbors who is also the “groundskeeper” so to speak. She takes care of the building – cleans it, keeps it in order, etc.
When I came home from work today, she left a note on my door saying that the landlord came by and said we couldn’t park there unless we paid a fee (first time hearing about this fee). I looked out the window and my boyfriend’s car and not only a huge tow sticker on the window but also a $250 ticket!! The violation states: P344 Veh Pri/Pub Prop w/o Consent – but we got consent from our unofficial building manager.
One thing I don’t get is that our landlord came to our place this morning (11am) to leave this note, but did not call either me nor my boyfriend to warn us. Instead he must have called in the car to the police because by the time I got home from work (2pm) the sticker and ticket was already on the car. Is this allowed??
Do we need official consent or is word of mouth from the building keeper enough? Shouldn’t the landlord have called us first instead of reporting our car? In addition, there were three cars out there – one only got a tow sticker and no ticket, and the other car didn’t get anything!! Is this personal?? We’ve been great tenants, I don’t understand. Thanks for any input/advice you have to offer.
How awesome is this?
The Kennedy Rec Center is located at 7th and P St, NW. The horseshoe pits are located behind the tennis court on P Street. One needs a bit of repair but the other one is ready for a game!
Photo by PoPville flickr user quemac
Dear PoPville,
A brief story that makes me so proud of my neighbors in Shaw. A guy was walking home from 7-11 on Monday night when he was assaulted by two or three teenagers. They jumped on him and started beating him in the face and body for no reason. He stumbled out into the street, screaming for help. A neighbor who happened to be driving down our street at the time stopped and honked, frightening the attackers. They took off sprinting down the street.
Another neighbor who was apparently in his front yard heard the commotion and jumped out into the street to see what happened. Bravely or stupidly, or both, he chased down the attackers, tackling one from behind putting him face first into the sidewalk. The guy doing the tackling looked like a former linebacker.
A number of other neighbors immediately called the cops, who showed up within one or two minutes and put the guy in handcuffs. Thanks to everybody for helping to make our neighborhood a safer place.
Thank you to all the Veterans and their families. Your service is not forgotten.
Photo by PoPville flickr user blueiris2006
Dear PoPville,
I am a resident of Cleveland Park. Last night after hopping off the bus, I was approached by a woman who explained to me that she had been in a car accident, her car had been towed, she lives in Stafford, VA, and is newly employed at the National Zoo in communications. After a long back and forth with me about her situation, which included having recently moved here from Atlanta, people at work and in the city not being friendly, her mother being a cop without a cell phone number she was “allowed to have”, her daughter being stuck in daycare in Stafford, and not knowing anyone in the city, she asked me for $140 to take a 2 hr. cab ride home to VA.
I know in writing this whole thing sounds ridiculous, and anyone would have said no and walked away, but I felt terrible. She was crying, and genuinely seemed lost and helpless. I suggested several alternatives, like asking her daughter’s daycare to foot the bill for the cab (especially since she pays them every day to take care of her daughter), but she insisted the nanny would not comply. After I kindly refused to give her the total sum, she asked for any cash towards a ride home. She even offered to let me pay the cab driver directly, and give me her ss# to track her down at her work tomorrow! She was even wearing a work badge! Still, something didn’t feel right, so I apologized again and went on my way. She closed our conversation with some mention of knowing that there are other good Christians like her out there who would be willing to give her the money, and that I’m the one who will have to live with this.
I noticed as I was walking away that she had immediately approached another young woman to explain her situation to new ears. I am wondering – did anyone else speak to her last night in Cleveland Park? Did anyone give her any money? I am feeling guilty but of course did not want to be naive and give cash to a stranger. Thoughts?
Thanks to a reader for sending the video from outside Metro Center yesterday morning.
A reader finds a turtle wedged between his lawn mower and AC unit in upper Petworth.
Turtle understandably freaks out a little:
Good Samaritan releases a very thirsty turtle that drinks for 10 straight minutes:
Then off for a leisurely swim:
Thanks to the reader for documenting the adventure. And farewell turtle.
Photo by PoPville flickr user Mr. T in DC
Dear PoPville,
There is a man in our neighborhood who walks his pit bull daily up and down our street with no leash. The dog hasn’t attacked a person or another animal as of yet, so that’s not the immediate issue (we’ll save that for another day). The problem is that the owner allows his dog to crap anywhere and doesn’t even attempt to clean it up. Now let me clarify; when I say anywhere, I mean anywhere, which includes people’s yards, the middle of the sidewalk, and even people’s front stoop steps! This is no small dog and thus no small load of crap. It’s absolutely disgusting! This issue was recently brought up at an HOA meeting and while everyone has seen the perpetrator at one point or another, no one has seen him recently (though the crap out front lets us all know he’s around) and no one knows where he resides.
I’ve contacted 311 about this issue and was told to contact MPD (via 911) the next time he is seen so that they can issue him a ticket for walking the dog without a leash and failing to clean up after the dog. The problem is that 1) I think calling 911 over this issue is a bit extreme and 2) it’s highly unlikely that they’ll make it there in time to catch the guy. Should I call 911 and report these incidents anyway just so there’s a record of such transgressions or are there other alternatives that I could explore? Yes, I could stake out the front of my house and then have a conversation with the guy but since he seems so elusive at the moment, I need other alternatives while I continue to clean up dog crap from the yard and walkways. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Dear PoPville,
I live off the U Street corridor with my hubby and two kids–5 and 1 1/2. We had our pumpkins, that my daughter lovingly picked from a pumpkin patch, outside (not yet carved) inside of our small fenced in yard. Someone stole all 4 of our pumpkins in broad daylight. I was so upset, I put up a sign saying “To the person who stole our pumpkins, we have a very sad 5 year old. Please return them.” Jump to 8:30 pm, my doorbell rang.
There was a woman in a wheelchair–had to be in her 60s or 70s – who read our sign and was so upset, she went to the store to buy a pumpkin for my daughter!! A huge pumpkin! That this poor woman had to carry from the store in her wheelchair to our house! I was taken back by such a kind gesture. I told her I couldn’t accept, but she insisted, and I asked if I could please, please give her something (as I didn’t mean for someone ELSE to replace the pumpkins!) and she just said that I should do something nice for someone else.
My daughter told the story last night to her grandparents. When they asked if she knew who the woman was she said, “an angel.”
Thought it was amazing! Faith in humanity restored.