I wrote an article about during my first year of working for Street Sense Newspaper about the “The Beautiful Sidewalks” in Washington, D.C. Today, I am going to re-write and title it the Dangerous Sidewalks of Washington, D.C. because no one seems to care I wrote online numerous times to the people who fix potholes in the streets. Still no one has answered back to me in a email nor has anyone come out to fix one little square of a sidewalk that quite a few people have actually fallen to the ground over or where barely able to hold their balance to keep from falling.
I try to help both women and men up when they fall and ask them “Are you ok”? Do you think you might need medical attention? Right off the bat those who have fallen to the ground ALL say, ‘I am ok’ and ‘no.’ Their pride and the embarrassment is so overwhelming that everyone has seen them trip over a square sidewalk that isn’t their fault.
I sells the paper right in front of this broken square of a sidewalk on 14th-unit of 900 and I (Eye), unit of 1900, Street, NW. right across the street from Franklin Park on 14th Street and on Eye Street right across from McPherson Square Metro Station and Five Guys Sandwich shop. I have complained to the security guard there about this one square of sidewalk for over a year and half.
Sometimes I sit my orange carrier bag on the broken square to have the same security guard to tell me I can’t sit my bag their. Only once did he ever put an orange cone over the broken sidewalk. And it turned out he’d taken it from someone else who eventually took it back.
I’ve tried to alert this security guard and to the City about this dangerous broken sidewalk for over a year and half and still this square hasn’t been fixed yet. I worry someone will really get hurt and will need medical attention from tripping over that one loose square of sidewalk. I will testify if someone needs me to that this one little square has been broken for a year and a half. I’ve been a Street Sense vendor on that corner for 4 years to present day, just paces away from this dangerous spot.
