The Matrix. Banana Phone.
As the non-consent towing horror stories get aired on the Humphrey Institute listserv, I do get some other feedback, as well. Here is what Peter Dahlberg suggests could be done to reform the issues about inadequate street sweeping notice...
Peter says...
You should tell people to call 311 and their city council reps about the lack of advanced notice for street sweeping. This is what 311 is for, and they actually do list.
[Let me just inset here...yes, they've done a fine job LISTENING to my complaints about the known and notorious pimps and prostitutes who stand on a street corner within site of the property I purchased in North Minneapolis. Yes, 311 does a fine job LISTENING, I must say.
But I don't need somebody to LISTEN and SYMPATHIZE like a therapist. I need somebody to actually DO SOMETHING. But I'm happy to give a forum to these thoughts about calling the 311 system, for what it's worth]
I called 311 the other day to complain about this very issue. They asked me if there was anything I would recommend they do, and I said they should send out notices to households letting them know of their cleaning day, or at least put the signs up 72 hours in advance instead of 18.
They say they do it 24 hours in advance, but I have documented on my street how they actually put the signs up at about noon instead of by 8 am the day before.
They said there is actually an issue in the signs not being up soon enough, and that they would "look into it." Perhaps if we can get a mass of people to complain to the city in a non-hostile, constructive manner, they will actually listen and make some changes.
I agree street sweeping is essential to having a nice city and clean lakes and rivers, but they could do a better job of it.
[To this I would add: I think the best way to approach the city is to keep contributing the stories to Towing Utopia Dot Com. Then call the city up via 311 or your city council rep. Tell the city your issue with something like inadequate notification of street sweeping. Tell the city in addition to the call you have just made they can read all about it on Towing Utopia Dot Com.
From where I'm sitting, there will be an actual brothel constructed on my street corner, complete with Amsterdam-style windows and flashing red neon lights before the City of Minneapolis gets around to saying, "Oh, gee, the prostitutes have really gotten quite thick where Lyndale Ave. N. meets 31st Ave. Maybe time to pull a few sting operations]
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