Sep 19, 2012
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A restaurant owner in Corpus Christi, Texas is furious after city officials threatened him with a $2,000 fine for using a garden hose to wash away bird droppings on the sidewalk in front of his business.
“They told me I can’t wash it off because I’m polluting,” said John Webb, general manager of Crawdaddy’s, a family-owned restaurant in downtown. “It’s like they want me to go out of business.”
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Webb told Fox News that his troubles began a few days ago when a city official showed up and demanded he stop washing away the bird droppings. The restaurant is just a few blocks from the waterfront on a dead-end street.
“For the last 18 years we’ve just been washing it off with a water hose,” he said. “But a guy from the city came out here and told me if I washed my sidewalk off again I was going to get a fine.”
Webb said he was threatened with a $2,000 fine.
“He said ‘Well, you can’t wash it off because you’re polluting,’” he recalled.
The city official reportedly told Webb that he had two options – he could either hire a professional cleaning crew to remove the bird poop – or he could just let the rain wash it away. Webb said he was dumbfounded.
“So the rain can wash it off and that’s a natural occurrence but if I wash it off with my garden hose I’m polluting?” he said. “I asked him if that made much sense.”
City officials sent a statement to Fox News defending what they called the “need for sanitary sidewalks.”
“The recent incident regarding cleaning sidewalks in Corpus Christi has brought a very important issue to light in regard to bacteria entering our bays through what seems to be common sense activities,” the statement read. “ However, we also realize the need for sanitary sidewalks. The City of Corpus Christi values the health and safety of our residents and visitors. At this point we will re-evaluate our ordinances and make changes as necessary in accordance with state and federal regulations.”
Webb said he was told that civilians cannot wash away bird droppings because it was “against city, state and federal law – I was polluting the bay.”
The restaurant, which specializes in Louisiana cuisine, is now in something of a pickle.
“We have excellent food and we pride ourselves on how clean our place is inside – and used to be – outside,” Webb said. “Now I can’t wash the sidewalk off so people are going to get a bad first impression.”
And he doesn’t have the money to hire a professional cleaning crew.
“How much is this going to cost me to have somebody clean the bird poop off my sidewalks?” he wondered. “I’m not going to pay to do that. That’s foolish.”
Instead of risking a big fine,Webb is going to take the city’s advice and let nature take its course and allow the rain to wash it away.
“We keep this place sparkling clean,” he said. “But it’s real ugly in the front of my building, sir.”
FOX News Talk
Is this really something we want Government to do, become petty tyrants over every trivial aspect of our lives? Glad to see the city has plenty of taxpayer money to pay idiots to serve as the bird poop police force.
Seems to me that if it is a sidewalk then it is city property. Therefore, the city is responsible to keep the sidewalk clean and sanitary.
Seems to me that if it is a sidewalk then it is city property. Therefore, the city is responsible to keep the sidewalk clean and sanitary.
Seems to me that if it is a sidewalk then it is city property. Therefore, the city is responsible to keep the sidewalk clean and sanitary.
Seems to me that if it is a sidewalk then it is city property. Therefore, the city is responsible to keep the sidewalk clean and sanitary.
Why fine the restaurant owner, have the idiot bird poop inspector fine the birds. They're the ones polluting the Bay.
So, why doesn't this dude go throw a few hundred pounds of birdseed around City Hall one night and see how they like it? Or, what they'd do to clean it up?
What are they going to do about the bacteria from the poop birds directly aim at the bay?
The birds poop in the Bay for crying out loud! What ever happend to freedom?
This is what you get electing liberals to run your city – mass stupidity. An awful lot of seagulls poop in the bay.
WOW! Your tax dollars at work. Stupid is as stupid does. Good luck with this 'mess', Mr. Webb.
Will someone please tell the birds here, stop pooping in my pool?
We are sorry to inform you, common sense died.
I would rid myself of the birds.
pigeon traps are very easy to build.
I would come back with a snarky comment & say to the city "DO YOU WANT BIRD FLU DISEASE" or do you want to SHUT DOWN MY BUSINESS so I can blame Obama for destroying 1 more person's HOPE & CHANGE? Give me a howling break!
So will tell the Gulls and fish to stop polluting the water?
Yet another one of these stories out of Texas that makes me go "Wait, I thought we were a Hate Big Brother Poking In With Useless Laws state?" so much for that.
America…a land ruled by IDIOTS.
Does anyone still wonder why America is the laughing stock of the world?
that city imbecile should be fired on the spot and any city moron that backs him up.
Hose it down. When and if the city take action let the ACLU take the case to court. But then you"re a business owner ; not a minority member–[robably better off with a sign.