“Dear PoP,
I got an email last night on an anti-littering campaign being rolled out.
Then, this morning, I snap a video of a lady in a DC Office on Aging van littering right in front of my house.
Not a problem like stabbings or shootings…”
But still def. a problem, personally I find this behavior maddening. I feel like we also need a serious education campaign to take place in DC public elementary schools.
“Dear PoP,
Can you get the scoop on the construction on Rock Creek Parkway? My normally hellish commute has become twice as hellish because of the construction on the south bond Rock Creek Parkway during the morning rush hour. What in the hell is the Park Service thinking doing construction during rush hour? Why not in the middle of the afternoon? Or at least way early in the morning? It seems that they do the construction between 8am and 10am during the week (correct me if I’m wrong but I only notice when I’m on it, which is every morning and evening and sometimes on the weekend).
Please find out. I called the park service and they said that the construction would go on for 18-20 more months. I don’t know what I’m going to do.
I enter Rock Creek parkway from 17th St NW in Mt Pleasant. They have been closing the right lane starting on Calvert St, causing a gigantic backup.
When I talked to someone at the Park service, (the superintendent maybe?) he stated that that they were replacing pipes and then installing handrails. (I don’t remember much of the conversation). He stated that in about a 18-20 months, Rock Creek will look “really really nice.”
In any case, I understand that they are just doing their job. But I just don’t understand why they have to do it during the morning rush hour commute, when closing that lane will cause the most headaches to people.
Why can’t they do this construction work when it’s not rush hour?”
Anyone know why construction has to take place during rush hour? Is it because it would be too difficult to remove/cover the areas under construction? Anyone else experience this back up?
From a DDOT Press release:
To prevent the notoriously unpleasant odor of the popular ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba) from overtaking city streets, the District Department of Transportation’s Urban Forestry Administration (DDOT Trees) will begin spraying the unsavory smelling female ginkgo fruits tonight. DDOT Trees will use the same spray that has been used for the past several years, Shield-3EC 24(C).
Spraying will begin in Wards 1, 2 and 6, where female ginkgo trees are most prevalent, and continue through Wards 4, 3, 7, 8 and 5. Spraying will occur overnight for the next few nights and there is no need to move vehicles parked on streets.
For additional information please contact DDOT Trees at 202-671-5133.
Matt lamented this unpleasantness a couple of years ago. Anyone notice the smell this year?
“Dear PoP,
What are you supposed to do when someone’s car alarm goes off, on repeat, all night long??
The one in question is currently parked on 15th and T st NW and has been going off every 30 minutes since 2 am. Obviously preventing me from falling asleep for anything longer than 15 minute intervals.
any tips/ideas?? i am getting desperate.
it’s been going on for three days and the car already has two tickets.
We all have been calling the cops about the car, but the cops tell us they can’t really do anything!!!
so we are all very frustrated and don’t know how to make it stop.”
Ugh, this sounds brutal and extremely frustrating. Anyone have any success in dealing with a past situation like this?
“Dear PoP,
My partner and I live in Columbia Heights. We live on 13th St NW near the Giant grocery store. Last year we noticed that the landscaped area on the Holmead St side of Giant had turned into one large trash area. This spring, Giant had a crew come out, clean up the trash, trim the rose bushes and put down new mulch. It looked nice again. Then we noticed that people started to throw trash in this area again. So we decided one day that every time we walked by this area we would pick up at least one piece of trash. Mind you, we walk by this small landscaped area on the way to work, home from work, on the way to the gym, walking home from shopping, etc. etc. We soon found ourselves picking up a lot of trash.
It really opened our eyes to how much people use the street/sidewalk for a trash bin. Each time we would only pick up one or two items, but slowly the place was cleaned up again. In honor of Earth Day I wondered what would happen to our city if everyone of us just picked up 1 piece of trash on the street in which we lived on our way to work, or coming home from work, or on our way to the shopping store, etc. Maybe in some small way all of our “little corners” of our great city would become cleaner. We found it quite easy to simply stop, pick up an old beer can, banana peal, empty potato chip bag, discarded lottery ticket, etc. Why not give it a try in your neighborhood? It might just change how you view the place you call home.
Happy Earth Day!”
I think it’s a great idea. If we all pledge to pick up just one piece of garbage a day I think our combined efforts can make a bit of a dent. It’ll be a Sisyphean task but as long as we do it everyday I hope we can make a small difference like you and your partner have done in the photo above.
Who else is in?
Photo by PoPville flickr user Lauren PM
“Dear PoP,
I’m not sure if this is going to the right place, but on my bike ride home from work, a cab clipped me. I was riding up 14th somewhere between Clifton and Fairmont streets and a cab seemed mad that I was on the road and went right by me, hitting my left handlebar with his side-view mirror. I didn’t fall, luckily, but I easily could have. He just as easily could have gone around me, but chose to go so close as to hit me bike. I got the license plate, and I think I know what cab company he was with.
I want to find out how I should go about reporting him in a way that will actually get something done? Maybe your readers will have suggestions, or can share their experiences?”
Do you think an incident like this is worth reporting? If so, anyone know which DC agency should be contacted about this?
“Dear PoP,
I’ve got a bit of a neighbor dilemma, and am hoping your readers should shed some light on the situation.
I live next to two elderly ladies — we have a cordial relationship that I would like to maintain. Their son (let’s call him Sam) visits every couple of weeks and tends to things around the house. We also have a good relationship. Last year when the city went around and planted trees, a tree was placed in the tree box in front of their house. A few weeks later, I noticed the top of the tree had been cut off (effectively killing it.) Another one of my neighbors (no longer lives on the block) mentioned Sam had killed the tree. I was perhaps a bit peeved, but no big deal I suppose.
Now this year roles around and the city once again plants a tree in the tree box in front of my neighbors’ house. Yesterday I am in my back yard gardening and Sam mentions that he plans on killing off the tree. He notes that he generally hates trees and is convinced that the tree will eventually damage the water intake pipes to the house. I uneasily suggest that he should not do this. But. admittedly, I don’t press him. Today I am leaving for work and find he has once again decapitated a city planted tree (see picture attached.)
What should I do? Should I do anything? Who would technically enforce this type of violation? I have had disappointing experiences with the DC Department of Forestry in the past, so I’m not sure they would be of any help. I’m not sure talking to him will do much good, if he is convinced that this tree was going to be ruinous for his future inheritance. Also, if I do ‘tattle’ I am certain he will know it is me. Is it worth it to kill this relationship over a tree?”
It’s very rare that I’m speechless after receiving an email – but I am stone cold speechless. I am genuinely eager to see what others think because quite frankly I’m unable to give helpful advice that is not skewed by the emotions I have after seeing the above photo. For those who give advice – obviously there is an emotional reaction – but try to keep in mind that the reader needs to maintain neighborly relations. Keeping that in mind – what would you do in this situation?
Photo by PoPville flickr user fromcaliw/love
“Dear PoP,
I have a public health / pet question for the blog: Is it legal to let your dog go to the bathroom in the middle of the sidewalk? I saw a woman letting her pup poop on the sidewalk on 15th St NW, as if that were perfectly normal. There were plenty of available tree boxes nearby. If it’s not illegal, it’s certainly disgusting and unsanitary… it’s bad enough to track dirt back into your home, but that?! Just wondering whether there were something I could say to her (e.g. “You know, that’s illegal”) to discourage her from allowing it again.”
I guess we’re looking at two issues here – first is it legal? I gotta think as long as the owner cleans it up it is legal, right? Second – if it is legal, should it be legal?
“Dear PoP,
The street I live on is absolutely INFESTED with mosquito’s. I was told by a long-time resident that this has just been getting worse every year. I have a pretty bad allergic reaction to mosquito bites and last summer it was to the point that I could not even run from my car parked right out front of my house to the door without getting bitten at least twice. I thought about paying to have the area sprayed before they come this year, but since I live on a street of rowhouses, would that even help since the houses that are not sprayed are so close by? Do you or anyone else know if there is anything that can be done so I can actually enjoy our front porch this year?”
Every year I fear their arrival. I have found nothing works for me except a full dosage of leaded bug spray or skin so soft. I look like Willie from the Simpsons after he says “grease me up!” (minus all the muscles of course). Aside from tipping over standing water I don’t what else to do. Except hope we have more bats this year… Have you guys learned any new methods to avoid/mitigate this pestilence?
“Dear PoP,
Just a heads up on the Graffiti Removal Program under Fenty. When someone tagged buildings in the past, you just needed to call 311 and Fenty would have it removed within a day. This was great because when graffiti is not removed immediately, a “tag war” often occurs where a competing vandal then tags the building, and so on. As always, the Fenty administration was extremely responsive whenever we called. We have called three times in the last 2 weeks about the graffiti in our alley (and yes, a tag war has erupted by now) and were finally told today that “The Mayor’s Office no longer removes graffiti.” I’ll leave the editorializing about Gray to the commenters….”
In early Feb. I asked if DC’s graffiti problem had reached epidemic proportions? Unfortunately, I don’t think the question can be debated anymore. Unfortunately I hear some of these jackasses who are doing the tagging don’t even live in DC. Anyway, have others noted a more difficult process to have graffiti removed?