Boston under a Steady Stream of Crap and Piss

I was surfing through Universal Hub when I came across this gem of a picture taken on the Tobin Bridge which connects Boston to points north and east of the Mystic River.



The picture came with this complaint: "These cows just pooped all over the lower deck of the Tobin Bridge. Got on cars. Could someone please cleanup? Rain won't get there. Thanks."

I live across the Charles River from Boston, but will given them this sage advice based on over 50 years experience with cow manure: "Don't worry, it will powder off."

It turns out the city has a website called Citizens Connect devoted to the self-reporting of these gems. Some examples of the crap citizens using their Androids and iPhones to send in, just from today:

Curb cut fills with water. When it freezes this becomes a dangerous slip hazzard.

The last "parking space", L side on Brimmer @ Pinckney is probably illegal but badly marked and curb paint gone. Cars parked there like dark blue one in photo prevent garbage, fire, lg. delivery trucks fm turning.

283–339 Boylston St, Boston. Throughout the common and public garden all of the fences are broken, missing parts, unpainted etc. they look third world. How about a new design that doesn't look horrible and is vandal proof ! It really looks like crap everywhere ! ...

On the Inbound side of Centre St just before you enter the rotary, directly in front of police district 5, the road significantly dips. Please level and grade it.

That's all well and good, general constructive comments on how to improve the city, but many of the complaints take a more personal turn:

50 Garden Street. Trash out on wrong day.

47 garden street. Trash on wrong day.

46 Garden St, Boston. Construction trash and household trash on sidewalk for 48 hours, not a pickup day

2–8 Utica St, Boston. Public Urination. Man exposed himself and urinated behind 107 South Street

You can see where this is going, getting people to report their neighbors for minor code violations (although you'd have to be braver than the average officious asshole to take that last picture). It goes on for pages and pages, and the city of Boston pays someone to read through and forward each report to the appropriate commissar department for action. And maybe they do take action, although I somehow doubt it.

Still, I'm adding Citizens Connect to my blog list for a good laugh now and then.