DPW Gives No Citations and Inspects TWO DAYS AFTER Tow-Away Permit Expires for Champion Cleaning

Before you start reading this blog entry: If you haven't read the entire saga, start with the initial story, the laws I reference, and a first update.

Calling 311 for a Case Update
After I filed a report with 311, and was forwarded to the Department of Public Works for an inspection to be completed, I didn't hear a peep until I called 311 for an update this evening.

The update I was given by the 311 operator about my case, the DPW inspector went to the location on JULY 29TH.  That's TWO DAYS after the construction signs expired and the construction crew finished the job; this meant the DPW inspector could not site Champion Cleaning for breaking multiple laws, including the Transportation and Public Works Codes (click here to review the laws I cite for this particular incident).

Also, didn't the inspector notice the traffic cones with the signs on them too?  The cones with the signs are still on the streets today (July 30th).  The laws explicitly states it must be posted on wood, metal, a construction fence, and a wood/metal pole (e.g. telephone pole and parking meter pole).  Putting it on a traffic cone is unacceptable.

The watch says 7/28. It's an atomic watch. Click to enlarge.

I should also note, as the tow-away signs are still on the streets and was not removed after the tow-away period ended (July 27th), Champion Cleaning also broke another law, Public Works Code 724.3 (a) states: "...and shall remove it immediately upon termination of the permit."  The signs, a-frames and cones are still on my street on July 30th, and the inspector missed that one too when inspecting the location on July 29th.  See photo with the watch.

It begs to ask the question, why did DPW take so long to investigate this?

Here's an example of a situation where DPW fails at their job:
Today is Friday, and a construction company wants to do some underground work on my street. The project is going to happen on Saturday and Sunday, and I witnessed the tow away signs are being posted this morning, and the signs states the tow-away is effective on the upcoming weekend.

I call 311 at 8AM and complain to the city that the construction company placed the signs with less than the mandatory minimum of 72 hours notice, and they forward my case to DPW. However, the DPW inspector doesn't go on Friday, they go on Monday when the construction project is already completed and the tow-away permit has already expired; therefore DPW cannot cite the construction company for violating the law.

It's the same exact situation to me.  I complained to the city on Thursday morning, and they don't send an inspector until Monday when Champion Cleaning is long gone and the permit for the tow-away is expired.

If DPW doesn't quickly investigate citizen complaints of construction companies posting tow-away signs giving less than 72 hours notice, any construction project that lasts 3 days or less can easily get away with breaking the law multiple times and not get caught; this is because the agency won't send an investigator for a few days.  By the time DPW investigates, there's nothing to find, therefore no citations issued.

When I called DPW on Friday morning, the lady said it's likely an investigator won't show-up until Monday; I even told her that by Monday, the construction crew will be LONG GONE.

A Horrible Conversation with the 311 Operator
When I was having a conversation late this evening with the 311 operator, he said that if someone's car was towed away, the person could argue at a hearing that 72 hours notice was not provided, and the car should be released at no charge.

Does this 311 operator know how annoying it is to get your car towed all the way across the city to a lot next to the Hall of Justice, and hassle with getting a hearing at the SFMTA office on Van Ness & Market?  There is the possibility the city may say the tow was valid when you know it isn't, and you'll be paying over $400.00 for the tow fee, plus any possible storage fees at the lot.  But don't forget, if you have a job, taking time-off to go to the tow lot and get that tow hearing means lost pay or losing your vacation time you've saved.

If one of my neighbor's car was towed the same day they plopped that sign on my street, you might expect the the owner of the car to have a fistfight with the constriction workers the next day for calling the tow truck.

If Champion Cleaning gave the required 72 hours notice, this means none of my neighbors' cars would be towed (unless if they can't read).

Note: I do not know if any cars was towed on my block or not.  I have to assume it didn't happen.

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Hello, Police?
I also have to ask the question.  As I was present when an infraction was committed (watching Champion Cleaning crews placing the signs), why did the police refuse to help me by telling me to call a different city department?  Why didn't the officer at the Taraval station let me file a police report, or why didn't an officer drop by and talk to me so I can sign a citizen's arrest card?

A crime was committed, and if I read the state laws about citizen's arrest correctly, a citizen can sign a citizen's arrest card if the citizen personally witnessed an infraction, misdemeanor, or felony was committed.

Yeah, it makes me look like an asshole by calling the cops and if they arrived to give them a ticket, but at least Champion Cleaning would know that you don't mess with the neighborhood residents, especially those who left their car on the street and took Muni to work.

Don't mess with Akit, you'll get nailed on my blog.

The Lesson?
So what should the city government and construction workers learn from this?

1. Champion Cleaning must respect the laws regarding 72 hours minimum notice.
2. Do not put signs on cones.
3. DPW needs to respond to these allegations much sooner.
4. The police needs to respond if a person witnesses a crime.
5. Stop making citizens call in circles to get the proper people to respond to this problem.  I shouldn't have to call three city agencies and be told it's "somebody else's problem."
6. Don't fuck with Akit and his neighbors.  If Champion Cleaning continues to do the same practice they've done on my block and others nearby, expect another angry blog entry and a phone call to the Mayor.

Lastly, a commentator said I'm "a pain in the ass," in a good way!  Thanks Mike!

The War Against Illegal Tow-Away Construction Zone Signs (Champion Cleaning)

Hello assholes!

The saga continues.  Get yourself up to speed by reading my first blog entry about this, and the second one.

On Friday morning, I decided to make a call to San Francisco 311 for an update.  The answer I got back was the same old thing: They took my report, passed it on to Department of Public Works, and that was it.  I asked the operator to transfer me to the DPW and I spoke with a female staff member on the phone.  I explained the situation to her, provided my 311 case number, and said an inspector will be investigating it three days.

Three days?  I told the lady the construction signs and crew will be long gone within 48 hours.  I tried to put some pressure on her to get the shit done, I also asked her what DPW will do if Champion Cleaning calls for a tow truck when they failed to provide a minimum of 72 hours notice of posting the signs.  She couldn't answer.

It seems every time I call the city, many either don't give a damn, don't want to be helpful, or just pass the buck onto some other department.  I work for the State of California, but I don't treat people like crap; I treat them nicely as best as I can, and make sure if they contacted me by accident, I put them back on the right path to the right people who can answer their questions.

On Saturday (today), I went out in the morning and on the ride back on the 6-Parnassus, I noticed a white van parked in the middle of the block on 9th Avenue.  I decided to hop-off the bus and take a look around.  Other than the van in the middle accessing the sewer opening, I saw one of their employees sitting on someone's property and having a smoke break.

Now I'm wondering if any cars got towed or not.  Since it's after 5PM and the signs are now expired, parking is now restored.  But if they try to pull another fast one and throw some more tow signs without advance notice, I'll be hounding DPW again.

As for DPW, I'll be calling them again on Monday for an update.

In-Depth Research: The Illegal Tow-Away Construction Zone Signs in the Inner Sunset

Since I had to quickly write the blog entry about the illegally posted tow-away signs in front of my house, I decided to spend this evening doing some further research about this matter.

My late grandmother taught me to raise hell and advocate for what I believe in.  She sure did that by demanding redress for all Japanese Americans forced into the Japanese internment camps during World War II, and after many years of working hard and being a leader, all survivors received a $20,000 check and an apology from the President of the United States.  Now it's my time to raise hell against Champion Cleaning, the people who thinks it's totally okay to put tow-away signs and blatantly violate several laws in the process.

Here's what I did after filing a complaint with the city:

I gave a call to SF 311 for an update about my complaint and was told the message was passed-on to the Department of Public Works' street use department, but didn't receive a response back.  The next time I can get in contact would be as early as 8AM on Friday.

I decided to call the SFPD Taraval Station and spoke with a desk sergeant.  I explained the situation and he told me to get in touch with DPT (SFMTA Parking) about the matter.  I asked if I had the right to file a police report for a company violating traffic code 33.1, and he said I can't.  I also asked him if the station had a copy of any paperwork regarding any temporary tow away zones in their jurisdiction and he said they don't have materials about that; unlike what the officer at the SFPD Richmond station told me.

Seeing no purpose of trying to call in circles, it was time to look around the city law books online.

First stop: San Francisco 311's FAQ section about construction zones

Quoted directly from the website:

How far in advance should I apply for a tow-away zone permit? 
Tow-Away No Stopping signs must first be registered at least 72 hours in advance of the effective date and time. Once registered, the signs shall be posted at least 72 hours in advance of the effective date and time in order to give the public sufficient notice.

Since the construction workers placed the signs LESS THAN 72 HOURS, it's illegal.  If you recall, the construction workers placed the sign on Thursday, July 25th at 8AM; the posted sign said: 7AM-5PM and is effective from 7/23/13 to 7/27/13.  The construction contractors should have placed the sign no later than 7AM on July 20, 2013; therefore it's a violation of numerous city laws.

But there's more from the 311 site:

What do I need to know about posting tow-away zone signs?
Tow-away signs for construction zones shall be posted in accordance with the provisions set forth in Section 33.1 of the San Francisco Traffic Code and in accordance with the following criteria:

1. Signs shall be posted only within the limits of construction.
2. Signs shall be posted every 20 linear feet of occupied space with at least one sign at each end of the occupied space.
3. Place signs on wood or aluminum backing or approved equal.
4. Mount the signs securely to existing poles, posts, on Type II barricades per Caltrans specifications, or on construction fences.
5. The Contractor shall maintain the signs on a continuous basis and shall replace damaged or missing signs daily.
6. Contractor shall remove the signs and mounting materials immediately after construction has been completed.

Okay, let's do a little in depth about this one.  They followed #1, #2, and #5 correctly.

And the rest?  #3 #4 is in violation because while they did post the signs on A-frames, they broke the law by posting some of them on traffic cones.  #6 can't be determined until the project is done.

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Second stop: San Francisco's codes and laws posted online
As per San Francisco Transportation Code, Article 1, Division 3, Section 3.4, Subsection (b) it states:

"Building Construction, Maintenance or Repair. Any temporary Parking restriction or prohibition related to building construction, maintenance, or repair in the public right-of-way shall be posted in compliance with Article 15, Section 724.3 of the Public Works Code."

This basically means the construction signage under the Transportation Code must comply with the Public Works Code or it is a violation of Section 3.4(b) of the Transportation Code.

Let's go to Article 15, Section 724.3 of the Public Works Code.
Subsection (a) basically states 72 hours advance notice must be provided when placing the construction signs.  It also mentions:

"The placard shall contain the following information: name of the permittee, a telephone number where the permittee can be reached during the hours of the permit, the duration of the permit including start and stop dates and hours of use, a geographic description of the street space occupied under the permit, the permit number, and the Department's street space hotline telephone number. The Department shall provide a placard to each permittee."

Subsection (b) basically states the proper posting of signage, such as on a-frames and poles.

Let's do a little analysis about the posted laws I'm referring to on the "second stop." Champion Cleaning who posted the signs have broken numerous codes under the Transportation and Public Works Codes:

1. They DID NOT provide 72 hours notice.
2. DID NOT provide further information on the placards (items failed to mention: geographic description of street space occupied, permit number, and street space hotline number).
3. POSTED SIGNAGE on non-approved items (traffic cones).

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Last stop: SFMTA's "Blue Book."
Since so many of these construction zone parking laws cross between Public Works, Transportation Codes, and many others, the SFMTA published a "Blue Book" as an easier way for people to understand all laws and regulations.  It basically sums up everything I've mentioned above.  If you would like to read it, click here and review section 4.

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My last words:
I've done my research, which means I have the ammo (the laws) to unleash hell.  If the city officials don't want to do their job to enforce and place a $1,000 fine against Champion Cleaning (a subcontractor of PG&E), I'll start making the round of phone calls, starting with the supervisor of my district.

If ANY CAR in my neighborhood gets either a ticket or towed in the next few days, I will fight back hard because you bastards NEVER gave minimum 72 hour notice.

Construction Tow-Away Signs Posted Without 72 Hours Notice in Inner Sunset District

UPDATE: I've referenced all applicable laws about this matter.  Click here to read.

Just this morning just before 8AM (on July 25, 2013), I left my home in the Inner Sunset District and noticed a white van in my neighborhood blocking my neighbor's driveway.

What I saw was shocking.  These two guys wearing bright yellow vests started putting up these tow-away signs on portions of my block (see photo).

When I read the signs in detail, it said construction zone is effective from July 23rd to July 27th, and during the hours of 7AM to 5PM.  The company is Champion Cleaning and their plates are definitely out-of-state.

A few things seemed very wrong about this:
(1) It's 8AM, and I know my neighbors park their car on the street and take the bus to work.  Therefore, there is the possibility their car may be towed.
(2) Today is July 25th, and the signs says the construction zone is effective two days prior.

Being overly concerned, and my morals and ethics kicking into high gear, I started making phone calls.  Here's how inefficient and stupid the process went:

(1) Called SFPD Taraval station.  The officer on the phone really didn't give a damn and told me to call SFMTA Enforcement (formerly known as Department of Parking and Traffic).
(2) Called SFMTA/DPT Enforcement, said I was referred by SFPD Taraval, and person also didn't want to be helpful and referred me to the Department of Public Works.
(3) Called Department of Public Works three times and all I got was a generic voicemail line.
(4) Called San Francisco 311, explained the circle of phone calls I've made, and the lady took down my information, the full story of the situation, and forwarded it immediately to DPW for follow-up.

While I'm currently waiting for DPW to investigate and call me about this problem.  I decided to contact a different SFPD station for more information.

Calling the SFPD Richmond station, the officer on the phone told me the following details about the laws regarding construction zone signage and enforcement:
(1) The signs must be posted at least 72 hours prior to the start of the construction zone.  In this case, it should have been posted on my street no later than July 20th.
(2) It can only be towed if the construction company requests for it.
(3) No private towing company can tow the car.  Only an authorized SFMTA tow company can do it.
(4) Permits must be on file with various agencies, including the local neighborhood police station.

So while it seems that only the construction company can request to have a vehicle towed; if they decide to go the very ugly route of calling to tow cars, there would be some very angry neighbors because there was NO ADVANCE NOTICE of 72 HOURS as per city law.  It was important for me to notify the city of the blatant violation of the law so that if a tow happens, it's on public records that I registered an official complaint against the company in question.

If you see these signs in your neighborhood and 72 hours notice was not given, please dial 311 and file a report.  If you notice cars being towed or the construction workers threatening drivers about possibility of being towed, please call SFPD dispatch at: (415) 553-0123.

After Waiting for More Than a Month - Donation Bins Finally GONE

It's finally GONE!  Took you long enough.

After an entire month of waiting and some heavy handed persistence to the city government to do something, the donation bins blocking public a parking space and meter have finally been moved away.

Initially when I reported on the bins at the corner of Evelyn and Portola, I got a surly response from San Francisco 311 that they want me to call the donation bin company for blocking a city parking space, therefore the SFMTA makes zero revenue on the parking meter.  After giving the 311 folks a kick in the shin, they forward my request to DPW to get the ball rolling.

Three weeks after my initial request, the bins still remained and the city "escalated" the issue because it was taking too long for the task to be completed.  The city contacted the company on February 11th and demanded for them to remove the bins.

Sometime within the last seven days, the bins finally departed.  I know for sure they were still there on March 2nd because I always pick-up some lotto tickets at the market on the corner.

I'm happy that the city took action to get the donation bin company to move their bins off of public property because on some weekends, the lot can get full, and the city doesn't make any revenue on the parking meter.  But I'm very disappointed at the long wait because DPW should have moved it themselves after giving a week's notice and send the bill to the donation bin company.  Those donation bin companies knows they are NOT supposed to put those on public property and should only be on private property with the permission of the land owner.

Update: After Three Weeks, Donation Bins Still Blocking Parking Space & Meter

Taking photos of the bins as proof the city has done nothing

Three weeks ago, I reported about two private donation bins at the corner of Evelyn and Portola that's blocking a public parking space and parking meter.

My argument for getting these bins removed is very simple, it's on public property and the city is generating zero money on the loss of parking revenue since the meter is literally unusable.

As citizens, when we want to report on problems, we simply contact SF 311 on the phone, file an online report, or their Twitter account @SF311.

When I first reported it to 311, their response wasn't that friendly; by asking me to do the dirty work of contacting the private company to remove it.  But I know that if the city makes the call to the company, they'll have to listen because it's the city government demanding removal.

I sent a message back to 311 asking them to do it, and they promised to handle the problem by having DPW issue a correction notice to the company within five days.  That was January 28th.

Expecting the city to do their job in good faith and get those bins removed, I visited the exact location on February 9th, two weeks after my initial report to 311.  They were still there.  Here's proof:

@sf311 RE: SR#1944688 I took photo yesterday & donation bins blocking city parking meter still there. Follow-up? twitter.com/AgentAkit/stat…
— Akit (@AgentAkit) February 10, 2013

311's response on the failure of removal of the bins:

@agentakit Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We have escalated this matter over to DPW to investigate. ^ mm
— SF311 (@SF311) February 10, 2013

So the folks at 311 promised me an escalated response, which means this is being given priority.  I've been taking photos of the bins on a regular basis just to show as proof the city hasn't been forcing the company to remove the bins, or that DPW should be confiscating them in the name of the public interest.

But now it's February 17th, and just last night, I reported to 311 that the bins are still there, and provided photographic proof (as seen on the top of this blog entry).  Here's 311's response to the matter:

@agentakit Please call 311 so we can discuss this issue with you more in depth
— SF311 (@SF311) February 17, 2013

I just called 311 and here's what they are telling me:
The last entry of the report is that on February 10th (after the case was "escalated") DPW accepted the request, and a DPW supervisor of the Bureau of Street Use contacted the vendor demanding removal on February 11th.  The 311 operator noted my call and update that the bins are still there.

Now it's February 17th, AND IT'S STILL THERE.  Do I need ask Stanley Roberts of KRON's "People Behaving Badly" for help?

Clothing Donation Bins Blocking City Parking Space & Meter - SF 311 & DPW Doesn't Care

For the past month, I've been noticing these white donation bins at the corner of Portola and Evelyn.  There used to be just one bin dropped off, but a second one showed-up just a couple of weeks ago.

What's unusual about this is the bins are dumped in a city parking space and in front of a city operated meter.  Since both bins take over a majority of the width of the parking stall, no vehicle can park there, therefore the city cannot generate any money on the meter.

My basic knowledge about these donation bins is they are supposed to be on private property with the permission of the land owner.  But this is on public property and I know the city would not welcome this, especially if its blocking a parking meter that makes money for the SFMTA.  If this bin was in a public metered parking space on Irving Street, you'd get a lot of ticked off people.

Contacting 311

I sent a tweet to San Francisco's 311 with the same photo you see on this blog entry.  I was expecting the city to give a proper response to get those bins removed as soon as they can... But here's the response I got back:

@agentakit As per SF DPW, they don't go out and collect the bins. You can call the 800 numbers on the bins. Thank you.^KH
— SF311 (@SF311) January 28, 2013

Seriously?  DPW wants me to call the bins in?  Wouldn't it be more effective for the city, SFMTA or DPW to make the phone call and demand it to be removed from public property?  The city's voice is much more powerful than a citizen making such a request.

311 got on my nerves.  Here's my response to those lazy pricks at 311 and DPW:

@sf311 I'm not calling them, the city should because they are losing parking revenue on a city meter.
— Akit (@AgentAkit) January 28, 2013

UPDATE 8:27AM:
It looks like I got the city's attention real fast:

@agentakit Issued SR#1944688.The City's goal is to inspect within 5 business days and require the responsible party to correct
— SF311 (@SF311) January 28, 2013

@agentakit immediately and/or issue a Correction Notice or Notice of Violation of the Public Works Code.Thank you. ^jr
— SF311 (@SF311) January 28, 2013

Akit's Opinion

I'm very disappointed at 311 for their laziness and DPW for making me do the job of calling them.  I reported the problem, and they should make the effort to remove it.  For all I care, get a forklift and remove it if the company who dumped it there in the first place doesn't take it away in 24 hours.

I don't know what kind of people the city hires to respond to 311 requests, but I've had my share of idiots responding back.  Here's one idiot who can't read where exactly the problem is:

@agentakit Please let us know which N stop specifically, and what type of pavement defect. If a pothole, how large, deep etc.Thank you.
— SF311 (@SF311) December 22, 2012

Upper Great Highway Closed - No Reason Why from City Officials

UPDATE: SF Appeal reports it was pranksters who shut-down southbound Upper Great Highway. Thanks Eve! Hopefully, the city will confiscate the cones so nobody can pull this stunt again.

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(Original posting)

If you commute on Upper Great Highway, you know the road can be closed for issues such as sand on the road due to high winds or a bad rainstorm flooding the intersections. More often, southbound between Lincoln and Sloat gets frequently shut-down because they are next to the beach, while northbound is closed less frequently because of the protection of the beach plants that keeps the sand off the roads.

The general rules the city follows during a closure in either direction is to lock the metal barricades that prevents vehicles from entering the road, and switch the signals at either Sloat (northbound) or Lincoln (southbound) to 4-way stop so drivers can turn away from the closure safely and use Lower Great Highway.

This morning, southbound Upper Great Highway was closed at Lincoln, but it's a little bit odd. The metal barricades was in the open position, and there was only a bunch of traffic cones blocking the entrance to the stretch. Also, the signal was still running on red-yellow-green cycle when it was supposed to be operating in 4-way stop. The signal problem alone forced four lanes of traffic to turn left into two lanes and raises the risk of a collision.

I called 311 this morning to find out information, and the lady on the phone could not find any information about why the road was shut-down. I soon after called the Taraval SFPD station to find out if they knew anything, and they are usually told by the city if that stretch of road is ever closed. The nice sergeant informed me an officer is going to take a look into what's going on.

After this little fiasco, there is only two reasons why this road closure happened with all the oddities:

1. A prankster thought it was funny to shut down a major road.
2. Incompetent city officials failing to lock the metal barriers, switch the signals to 4-way stop, and failure to inform the police.

Thanks for making me arrive late to my destination. Grumble...

Fast Food Tax in San Francisco?

If you thought our city has gone insane with new fees and existing ones going up the roof (like a $15 hike on a Muni Fast Pass), try this one for size: Would you pay a tax when buying food from a fast food restaurant?

Well, get ready San Francisco, you could be paying taxes for the "pickup" of the fast food trash.

The Department of Public Works wants to tax citizens for the litter on our streets, other than cigarette butts which will have a tax imposed soon for "cleanup," they claim it's the fast food.

In my opinion, I think it's a stupid idea to add additional taxes. We already pay 9.5% sales tax on the food we purchase at any establishment, so why the hell should I pay extra just because some irresponsible person littered their burger wrapper on the ground? If I bought something from a non-fast food joint, so I don't pay the tax?

Doesn't this just seem to just be a way to tell fast food establishments that they are not welcomed in our city? We don't welcome big box retailers in our city, and that plastic bag ban doesn't help too; so they spend their time opening up shop down in Daly City and Colma where the local government welcomes them with open arms, and also snatches taxpayer money from San Francisco citizens who decides it's better down south than in our city.

So what is the definition of a "fast food" chain that would be taxed? Could Costco's food court be in the same category as McDonald's, Burger King, and Carl's Jr.? How about Noah's Bagels? They serve their stuff fast and have multiple locations in the city.

OK, the city is poor. Do what you should be doing city government clowns, chase down those who didn't pay their property taxes, have multiple parking tickets, and start making your employees drink tap water instead of that bottled crap. And while you get a chance, why not take a bigger pay cut?

Hell, I'm doing all my business in Daly City. My office is just a few minutes away from the border.

Bad San Francisco DPW... Go to Time Out!

Since yesterday afternoon, the city closed down Upper Great Highway in both directions from Lincoln to Sloat. While I haven't heard any reasons why, it's likely due to the heavy winds from Sunday and Monday that caused the beach sand to pile up on the roadway. At this time, both directions are still shut down and most are taking Lower Great Highway.

As usual procedure, if DPW must shut down either direction (or both) of the Upper Great Highway portion, the city must always put Lincoln and Sloat on 4-way stop. They do this so drivers become aware of the steel barricades closing-off the road.

When the city fails to do their job and keeps the intersection signals on a three color cycle, it puts drivers at higher risk for collisions and cars making the left turn going west on Lincoln to go south on Upper Great Highway won't notice the barricade until it is too late (a huge blind spot).

I've warned the city multiple times of the dangers of not switching to 4-way stop when that road is closed, and it happened again. When it was closed yesterday afternoon, I called the DPT hotline and the call was forwarded to "public safety" where I informed the lady why I was calling and expected someone to fix it as soon as they can.

When I arrived at Great Highway & Lincoln at 8AM today, the signals were still running on three colors and many cars were running the red light to make the turn. I called DPT again and got someone from the signal shop to explain the issue. Even then, the guy didn't even believe me that both directions of Upper Great Highway was shut down and he said that DPW is responsible for fixing the signals in the event the road must be closed.

For the love of god, I've had to tell the city over a dozen times in just a year about this exact problem. This city government is an insult and there are no excuses for continuously screwing up.

Sunday's Marathon Signage on Upper Great Highway makes NO SENSE to Drivers

The Upper Great Highway in San Francisco is one of my favorite roads to drive on. There's never any traffic jams, never too many cars going bumper to bumper (unlike 19th Avenue and Sunset Boulevard) and the signals are always synchronized so you can drive a smooth 32 MPH without stopping.

So this Sunday, the Kaiser Half Marathon will be happening in the morning hours until about 12 noon. The SFMTA says the event will close northbound Great Highway including the "upper" portion from Sloat to Lincoln and the [regular] Great Highway portion from Lincoln to Fulton. (See race route map)

The city also placed signage on southbound Great Highway to tell drivers it is OK to drive southbound, but drivers will be unable to turn left on Fulton and Sloat due to the marathon routes.

Well... here's the problem. The city says no left turn on Sloat from Upper Great Highway during the marathon, but for the past few weeks, all drivers going south on Great Highway are FORCED to TURN LEFT onto Sloat because of the massive shoreline erosion happening on Great Highway between Sloat and Skyline.

That doesn't make any real sense. So I can drive southbound on Upper Great Highway during the marathon, but I can't turn left on Sloat, nor can I continue driving south towards Skyline due to the road closure? Our city government officials are a total bunch of idiots for forgetting the beach erosion road closure.

If the city was to really not allow people to make left turns onto Sloat, the city would then have to close southbound Great Highway all the way from Fulton to Sloat during the marathon, making the road literally useless.


Who else but to ask the experts? (Uh-huh)
I asked 311 on Twitter, and they are not the smartest bunch of city employees who can provide answers. Take a look at the conversation: My initial question, their response, my feedback, and their lazy response.

In response to their total stupidity and basically telling me to f-off, they gave me the number to the Taraval police station. I gave them a ring and the officer on the phone was really a cool guy. I explained to him the entire situation and he totally understood that the signage is totally wrong. He asked his fellow officers if they knew about this and who installed the signs; he told me it was not them. He told me to call the DPW.

Screw it, I'm not making any more phone calls or tweets. F.U. DPW and SFMTA. Use your pea brains once in a while. At least the city's intellectuals (like myself) and the police are smart enough to understand when something stupid is happening.

Why so many illegally dumped Christmas trees on SF streets?

If you drive around the neighborhoods, it's common to find a lot of Christmas trees illegally dumped on the sidewalks and near public trash cans (it's an eyesore). It makes me wonder what the city has done to stem this problem.

I always remember that Sunset Scavenger (now goes by the name Recology) would tell everyone that they will pick-up the trees on a designated week (usually the same day they pick-up your black, blue, and green bins).

What makes it a little strange is why weeks after Christmas ended, there is so many trees out in the streets. Which agency is now responsible for picking up illegally dumped garbage?

Is it DPW's responsibility where it costs us taxpayers thousands of dollars (or even millions) a year for picking up illegally dumped trash off our streets or is it Sunset's responsibility?

Here's a question for Sunset Scavenger, if a person wants to dump their old tree (legally) , how can they do it? Do they just throw it in their compost bin or leave the tree next to their cans during pickup day?