What a story. And Brooklyn Paper has bragging rights. The story spread from coast to coast. A summons for chalk drawings on a Brooklyn stoop? Come on.
A 6-year-old Park Slope girl is facing a $300 fine from the city for
doing what city kids have been doing for decades: drawing a pretty
picture with common sidewalk chalk.Obviously not all of Natalie
Shea’s 10th Street neighbors thought her blue chalk splotch was her
best work — a neighbor called 311 to report the “graffiti,” and the
Department of Sanitation quickly sent a standard letter to Natalie’s
mom, Jen Pepperman.Can somebody stop these bureaucrats before they Kafka again?
“PLEASE
REMOVE THE GRAFFITI FROM YOUR PROPERTY,” the Sanitation Department
warning letter read. “FAILURE TO COMPLY … MAY RESULT IN ENFORCEMENT
ACTION AGAINST YOU.”
At our last stoop sale, a friend wrote in chalk on the sidewalk something like “Stoop sale this way” with an arrow. A very crotchety old lady came out of her apartment, reprimanded her for defacing her property and made her go get water to wash it off. Ridiculous.
Two rains and the chalk will disolve…city is losing its marbles,,I give tours of park slope and prospect park and it (the chalk) didnt deter our wonderful time……
The whole event was a mistake, for a neighbor to be passive aggressive about a child exploring her creative side outdoors and enjoying life. It’s not like she is or ever will be a “tagger” in the neighborhood.
Bad call by the neighbor and bad call by 311.
I agree with Bob. It’s not 311’s fault that they responded to a complaint. How about taking to task the people who are really responsible? How ridiculous are this kids’ neighbors that they would complain about some sidewalk chalk? (which incidentally, psychos, washes aways when it rains!)Just because you paid a million dollars for your house doesn’t give you the right to act like an ass. I wish all these uptight, insane people would go back to their apartments in Manhattan where they never made eye contact with their neighbors. We’d all be better off.
What does this incident have to do with 311? If the idiot who complained had e-mailed the DOS directly, would you have asked if e-mail works? I don’t follow the logic Louise.