The Squeaky Wheel

This is an older feedback adventure. I sent an email to the San Francisco parking and transit authority about a dangerous intersection near my law school. A few weeks later, I received this:

Thank you for your inquiry regarding the intersection of Fulton, Parker, and Shrader. We are pleased to inform you that this intersection has been included as part of a traffic signal upgrade project that will install pedestrian countdown signals and also modify the signal timing. As part of the signal timing change, we can also implement the “all red” signal timing phase that you mentioned in your e-mail.

We do not have a schedule yet on when the construction will begin at this intersection but it will most likely be later this summer or early Fall. Assuming no unforeseen delays, activation of the new countdown signals and revised timing should occur by the end of this year or early next year.

The Squeaky Wheel

I'd like to introduce a new blogging segment here on Webbed Footprint. I'm calling it The Squeaky Wheel because these posts will be about successful feedback.

Here's my latest adventure. YouAreYou and I are recent converts to composting. Here in San Francisco we have one option for bags that are compostable, allowing you to throw you kitchen waste into them before transferring them to the large bin for pick-up. These are BioBags. Several things about these bags irked me, including: 1) they compost too fast, 2) they aren't tall enough, and 3) you have to pull out the whole roll to unravel one bag. So, I went on the company website and sent a Contact-Us email. Just a few days later, I got this response:

[Sansserif], Thank you for your feedback. If we put some elastic on the top of the bag, that would not biodegrade, defeating the purpose of the bag. There is a product called the "gripper" which is more or less a large rubber band to hold your bag in place. Our bags have a standard(ASTM D6400) that in order to comply with have to biodegrade within a specified time. Your best suggestion is the more user-friendly box. Why didn't we think of that? I will pass that along to the powers that be. Thank you for your support!

I'll let you know when it happens...