Stop complaining about the latest structural annoyance in your neighborhood. Or at least aim your complaints in the right direction. The point is to get the irritating thing fixed.
It seems like a no brainer, but many of us don’t actually do something about things that irk us, even if they might be fixable. Me? I have a habit of grumbling about things until I forget about them. Then I am reminded, grumble more, forget, repeat, grumble …
On a busy main street near me, for example, there was this No Parking sign smack-dab in the middle of the sidewalk. Leaving my Lake Highlands neighborhood, it was on a downhill slope, so my dog and I would get a good pace going before, bam, tangled on this sign, or at least interrupted as I try to figure out which side of the sign he will choose (and he frequently changes his mind mid-stride and at the last second), or forced into the street. Grumble grumble.
A neighbor who makes more sense than me most of the time, James White, says he too was annoyed by these middle of the sidewalk signs. He took a photo of said sign and posted it to the City of Dallas’ 311 app.
Shortly after, he notes, someone from the city called to inform him the situation would be fixed within the next two weeks.
Then, get this, it was.
Before: Photo by James White
After: Photo by Mark Williamson
Use the 311 app, which you can download here, to report litter or dumping, loose animals, street obstruction, graffiti, and street problems such as potholes.
