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Meat pies KOed in South Boston today
By adamg on Tue, 02/06/2018 - 12:34pm
UPDATE: KO Pies reports the blocking was by a contractor working for Verizon, that the shop will be able to re-open today and that Verizon swore that, in the future, any similar work would only be done when the shop is normally closed.
KO Pies reports it had to close its South Boston outlet this morning "until further notice" when an excavation contractor showed up and blocked off all access, with no advance notice.
Needless to say, they're not very happy:
The frustrating thing is the lack of communication/advanced notice so we could plan accordingly for our staff, customers, delivery vendors, catering, etc. We can't plan when we're blindsided. No business should encounter this without notice an acceptable advance plan.
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Comments
Sounds like a lawsuit
They have every reason to sue these morons for disruption, etc.
But without government
Who would completely screw up the simple task of writing a letter and/or making a phone call?
Who says the excavation is being done by government?
At least as likely to be a utility company. They are excellent at screwing up simple tasks like notification.
If it's a private utility
Then why isn't the business just telling them to screw? What armed force is affirming the right of the utility company to block the street?
Tell them to screw?
What, go threaten the utility with a knife? Tackle the tradesmen? They have no more legal authority outside their building then the utility. A baker isn't a cop.
Anyway, the city (AKA, "evil government") responded to the complaint and made the utility unblock their sidewalk. Government solved the problem someone else created.
Well, I sure hope so
Whomever made the utility unblock the sidewalk gets paid whether they perform the task or not.
Are you new here?
Utilities have license to rip up the streets completely without supervision in Boston. The city lets them operate that way. They're supposed to repair the damage, but IME they do a shit job.
How has the government screwed up writing a letter?
That's pure nonsense.
You can mail a letter anywhere in the US for less than 50 cents.
You : the point ::
Oil : water
That’s pretty rich coming from the guy
arguing that the government is abusing its monopoly of state-sanctioned violence because a Verizon truck blocked the entrance to a restaurant.
Call Verizon
They are the ones that received the approvals to open up the street per the signage.
The city issued the permit, and the ones who put up the no parking signs out front on the pole. They usually go up a day or two ahead of time. Call BTD and ask.
If it is for duct work into the new building next door, which it might be doubtful based on where they are in construction, call Spaulding and Slye, they are the developers of that building.
I feel bad for KO, but as far as vendors and customers go, you can't park on A Street anyway. You can park on West Third. It looks like your sidewalk is open though.
No Sidewalk
The sidewalk is blocked too. Look at the tweet.
HAAAHAAA!!! CALL VERIZON????
HAAAHAAA!!! CALL VERIZON????? AND GET WHAT HUMAN THIS YEAR?? LOL
lazy
I mean, I can see the temporary NO PARKING placard from across the street in this picture.. anyone in boston knows if they see a new one pop up they best be checking the dates/location/etc.
the pole is right in front of the store!
Not a matter for parking
This is a matter of getting out their front door.
You are lazy
It says "no parking" not "we are blocking your front door and you can't get in and out of your business".
Lazy people make assumptions like you just did.
We had the same thing happen
There were "no parking" signs on our street for construction. I came out one morning and my driveway and the width of the street was completely blocked with construction equipment and materials from a utility company. I asked the construction crew to move their shit so I could get my car out and go to work. They said they wouldn't, because they had posted signs to give notice. I told them the signs they posted gave them permission to take up parking spaces, not to block off my driveway or make the street unpassable. Ended up calling the city, talked first to several people who were condescending and told me I should expect that construction would entail blocking the whole street and the driveway, and gave me a bunch of mansplaining bullshit about letting working people do their jobs. Didn't seem to care that I needed to go do mine. Finally talked to someone who said they did not have permission to block the road or block driveways. They ended up sending a cop out to make the utility company move their stuff.
The really aggravating thing about these situations is that they pretty much get away with doing whatever they want. I lost money from having to cancel my first hour of work. The only way to recoup it would have been small claims court, which I wasn't going to bother. This pie business surely lost a lot more money than that. People in lines of work that involve official-seeming large vehicles and equipment seem to be able to just do whatever they want. I wish they'd be held personally responsible for going beyond what they have permits to do, just like those of us in other regulated professions are.
Suburban contractors
If you live in Wilmington, you generally don't have the slightest clue.
They go home and tell tall tales about scary black people they met in the evil city.
Just to be clear
before I call you names–you are trying to blame the restaurant here, correct?
Looks like a great place...
...but please tell me there's no barbershop upstairs.
Reopened
Just looked at their Twitter account. Boston Police got the sidewalk open so they can have customers again. They've advised caution and care to get in. And that there is no parking.
There's never parking in front of the store
Can see the no parking sign in the picture
side street
I believe there is parking on the side street, W 3rd. And I suspect that it what the KO Tweet referenced.
https://twitter.com/KOCatering_Pies/status/960932717658558464
Utility
It's possible and probable the road work is blocking side streets too which where their customers would otherwise park.
Park what?
They get a lot of foot traffic.
At that time of day, there is plenty of parking within a short distance.
Double Parking is a thing
A Southie tradition too, seen it here countless times.
In other news, three people
In other news, three people were stabbed in Southie last night. Can we talk about that? Maybe even report on it?
Or do we just care about pies?
Who died...
...and made you boss of what other people discuss?
This happens to residents all
This happens to residents all the time. Why should KO Pies get any special treatment here? If the work needs to be done, it needs to be done. As it is, we've seen an example of them overreacting with hyperbole in these Twitter complaints.
I have no horse in this race, but refusing to sell to the developer of the property that's taking up the entire rest of the block is completely fine. But don't then complain about the any construction or utility work that might be related to that. Oh, and of course, isn't the building for sale now? So the block will have some sort of oddly shaped eyesore with a block-long building surrounding it. Southies (!) always want to complain about new construction looking junky? Perhaps they should be aiming their fire at KO Pies rather than developers.
Residents lose the ability to
Residents lose the ability to walk down the sidewalk to their homes all the time?? Definitely not true, sorry.
Yawn
Lovely bit of victim blaming you got there. KO Pies is a business. If this happens to non-business, they should also contact the city.
Sheesh - you need to get out more.
Permits
This isn't about special treatment. Anyone can apply to block off parking and it's whatever, but closing off access to someone's property unannounced? Permits are not issued for that.
Excavation permits from the City are different than Occupancy permits (moving, tool truck, etc). Especially for utility companies, they just apply for a location with a vague description of work and promise to set up their work zone using the typical detail. As we can see here, they tried to use the one size fits all approach and failed. It's hard for a property owner/resident to complain when there are big trucks everywhere, a hole in the ground, and a police detail on site that is being paid for by the utility company itself. Usual response: "they have a permit for this". Reality: they have a permit for something or other and I'm just gonna take their word for it that they're doing it right even though I have no idea.
How often have you been
How often have you been randomly, without any notice, barricaded inside or outside your home? Remember, the sidewalk was closed.
I'm excited for the building that will eventually replace the KO one - It will make a really interesting focal point for the street, one of those funny little architectural details that people love.
If they were barricaded
If they were barricaded inside, how did they get this picture?
The employees weren't
The employees weren't barricaded inside as they have a back exit, but you cannot bring your customers into the shop via the kitchen...
"Anon" know-it-all
Full disclosure: I work with KO Pies in a consulting capacity.
"This happens to residents all the time" does not make it 'right.' With all of the technology available in 2018, barring emergencies, advanced communication with residents and businesses would make life a lot easier for everyone so they could plan accordingly. A "No Stopping" sign IS in front of KO always, but the new, vague construction permitting signs (thru 2/15) states nothing about blocking access to the sidewalk or the building. Access to the front of the building and sidewalk was barricaded this morning. With advanced communication, a compromise could have been reached to have the contractors work from 7am to 11am on weekdays, and full days on Saturday, with no disruption to the business or impediment to access. (As Adam indicated, Verizon agreed to change the schedule of the work around KO's operating hours. That compromise could have easily been arranged in advance.)
For someone who has "no horse in this race," assuming that KO's position was/is "refusing to sell to the developer of the property that's taking up the entire rest of the block" is entirely misinformed, careless, and inaccurate. And it's completely irresponsible to make that 'anonymous' statement in a public forum.
Oh, Patty Boy, Lighten up. If
Oh, Patty Boy, Lighten up. If you're so informed, then enlighten us on KO Pies battle vs. the big, bad developers. Otherwise, you'll allow "misinformed, careless and inaccurate" statements to be bandied about.
If KO Pies lost more than a dozen customers for their overpriced mini pies, I'd be shocked. They're struggling and they needed someone to lash out against, so they chose Verizon in a very public manner.
What's with all the asshole anons lately?
And you've got the crust to tell someone else to "lighten up"? What a schwanz you are.
Ok chief, to what end?
Whats the end goal of this? Lashing out at Verizon helps a struggling business how? What method are they allowed to complain through that meets your approval?
Blame Verizon
Just updated the original post with info from KO Pies.
Because of all the
Because of all the development, it is more than likely a relocation of utility easement. There should be an agreement or easement of record with the registry of deeds by and between the developer and Verizon. This happens a lot.
Not the first recent illegal action by Verizon contractor
At a non-profit where I volunteer a Verizon contractor came onto the grounds and starting digging to lay their FIOS line. Private property, not even city property. They asked no one for permission.
This was criminal trespass and destruction of private property. Fortunately a member saw the activity and stopped them. The lying claim was that Verizon had an easement. But there was nothing that proved they had an easement; the reality is that they do not have an easement. Had the sent an in house attorney to determine whether there was an easement the attorney would discover the answer is they don't.
Whoever in Verizon is managing this project is choosing to authorize criminal violations of private and public property for installing the FIOS lines.
We don't need no steenkin' easements
When I bought my house it had a phone cable bundle running from the street, through my basement, into the alley, and from there branching out to about 20 houses. Absolutely no easement on record. Because I love my neighbors more than I hate the phone company, I refrained from taking a hacksaw to it and tossing it in the trash. Judging by the age of the cable and the technology, it had to have been there for 50 years, which means they probably had rights by adverse possession anyhow. Eventually they upgraded the cable plant and I got them to take the cable out. The cable workers guessed that in 1920 or so they just showed up, rang the doorbell, handed $10 to whoever answered, and put the cable through.
Exurban idiots
Probably don't even know what a sidewalk is used for and didn't bother to check if there was a business at that location.