I get it now
I actually owe an apology to the Kent security guards. It just dawned on me that these guys are trained security guards, not information booth people. Their job is security. They were thrown into a weird situation where they are sitting in booths that say "Information" in huge letters on them.
The solution may be to take the word "Information" off the booths and come up with another word and then the guards can actually be guards and if people do have questions, they can try to help, but not be expected to help since they are guards and not info people.
That's why the poor guy was saying, "I don't live around here, how do you expect me to know where things are?" He was totally right. Imagine you are a security guard, you get an assignment and are put in an info booth. He was probably expecting to be guarding something and providing security, and he now has to inform people of where the closest bathroom is. Very frustrating for him. I see that now.
Maybe he should have punched me in the nose. I won't harass them anymore. I may start harassing City Hall and the people responsible for the whole stupid program.
The solution may be to take the word "Information" off the booths and come up with another word and then the guards can actually be guards and if people do have questions, they can try to help, but not be expected to help since they are guards and not info people.
That's why the poor guy was saying, "I don't live around here, how do you expect me to know where things are?" He was totally right. Imagine you are a security guard, you get an assignment and are put in an info booth. He was probably expecting to be guarding something and providing security, and he now has to inform people of where the closest bathroom is. Very frustrating for him. I see that now.
Maybe he should have punched me in the nose. I won't harass them anymore. I may start harassing City Hall and the people responsible for the whole stupid program.
posted by Tom Falco at 11:29 AM
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24 Comments:
Ouch. This string of posts about our information booths is beginning to hurt.
To be honest, I believe the black menacing kiosks look like something I'd expect to see in East Germany, not Coconut Grove. That they are manned by security guards makes me wonder many things.
I like Tigertail's suggestion that community members man them. I'd volunteer. I love the suggestion that they be painted by our kids.
My real suggestion is that we admit that we made a mistake and take them down. And, yes, I would hold our elected officials who put them there (one commissioner comes to mind) responsible.
Grape, I hate to take you to task because I think you do so much good. Seriously. But we can't harrass the people who man these eyesores. They have jobs just like we do.
On the other hand, it seems to me that we can legitimately ask who are these boneheaded people that put them there.
Yeah, I'll sign my name.
Bob Coultas
It take a big man to admit he was wrong, and THE GRAPE is a big man. Let's give these kiosks a chance and hopefully it will work. I've never figured out how a cop on a horse helps except he has a radio - well so do these guys - is the mounted cop going to hop off his horse and leave him there while he runs after someone? And as for person who says he will volunteer, how reliable would you be to show up once a week or are you just offering to do it once?
AnnaMaria Windisch-Hunt
I got to meet them last night. I thought I was back on the cruise ship with officers, they were very spiffy, clean and had smiles. They are not only manning the booths and attempting to satisfy the info part , they are also to stroll through the Grove at scheduled times and make their presence known.
The booths are airconditioned.
That still is a lot of money for those structures. Maybe we can make them into
mini galleries after all they are temperature controlled or cigar humidor .
THE GROVE NEEDS ANYTHING IT CAN GET FROM THE CITY..I LIKE THE BOOTHS IT MAKES IT SEEM TOURIST FRIENDLY AND BELIEVE ME THATS WHAT THE MERCHANTS NEED!!!!!!
I am baffled that the Grape and many commenters on this blog take so much offense at the very concept of information booths in what purports to be a tourist destination. The complaints started when the things were being installed and have continued since, including the childish antic of long-time Grovites playing Stump the Chump with anyone sitting in the booth. If you truly cared about the community, instead of looking for something else to blame on Sarnoff, you might start by dropping by the booth and giving the attendant a quick rundown on things they might need to know. As things have unfolded thus far, you seem more likely to ask the attendant the atomic weight of beryllium and, when getting a richly deserved blank stare, rushing to post some peevish comment on how everything is a waste of money and everyone is an idiot except your own enlightened self. Talk about user friendly.
The Coconut Grove Collaborative has been trying for five years to get kiosks along Grand Ave. in the Village West so that entrepreneurs and artists can sell crafts and jewelry to tourists.
I think that the best thing to come out of Sarnoff's mistake is to donate these kiosks to the Coconut Grove Collaborative and let them use them for their entrepreneur program. What better way to make a difference in the Grove that really matters?
Lets start an online petition
Grapevine - on your blog, to donate the kiosks to Jihad Rashid's Coconut Grove Collabortative.
He already has a business plan and eager residents who want to participate in the Collaborative Kiosk program.
He has been trying to get the city to fund the program for five years!
How rude that the commissioner would ignore the Collaborative and put these kiosks where they are not even needed or wanted.
Will you consider an online petition to donate the kiosks to the Collaborative on your blog Grapevine?
They belong to us - the tax payers.
We have the right to decide where they should be.
Love the idea. When is the last time anyone did anything big like that for the Village West? Lets do it.
There is a difference in kiosks; Rishad is talking about the ones like they have in Cocowalk where people can display their wares, not just peer at them thru a glass window. Let's make the area safer before we set ourselves up with vendors who will be robbed for the few dollars they have earned that day.
The kiosks can be retrofitted to meet the Collaboratives needs. Jihad will love the fact that they have AC. Let’s ask him what he thinks. As for the area not being safe enough for business, I frequent the businesses on Grand Ave. in Village West everyday and have been for years. I have never been robbed. I go to the coffee shop on Grand and Douglas daily. I go to the Business Exchange and several other shops in Village West regularly and I make it a point to support those businesses. I am amazed that other white people are scared of the Village West. I think Sarnoff is promoting scare tactics with his security booths. I think Sarnoff is scared of black people and his security booths say a lot about who he is. We need to take positive, proactive steps to revitalizing Village West. Donate the kiosks to the Collaborative.
Bob's right.... Let's move on.... I got one: Does the trash need to picked up EVERY Friday so that the crane trucks block our narrow streets and make us turn around? Wouldn't twice a year be frequent enough? After all, most of your trash fits neatly into the huge green container on wheels, anyway. You can put ANYTHING in there.... Or how about this one: Has anybody noticed that you can hardly see the bay from Bayshore Drive? It's blocked mostly by bushes (no, they aren't mangrove trees).
Right, then they will want security guards to guard the vendors. And who's going to volunteer for that?
I will.
I agree Roberta. It takes a village. I'll sign that petition if the Grapevine will post it.
No, I think that is a tacky idea. Selling trinkets on the street out of gulag booths and/or push carts? I have an idea for artists I will post this week.
To anonymous no. 3. If you are a merchant, why are you not putting your business signature on the posts? You actually think these big black ugly booths with military looking guys in them (with or without guns) is tourist friendly? You don't get out much, do you? As far as I see, they are scaring the tourists to death, they think the Grove is a war zone and needs protection.
Push carts? In West Grove? Not a bright idea.
I agree with the people who said to stop this nonsense of quizzing the people in the booths. I wouldve told you to go F yourself as well. Its just annoying and reminds me of the Seinfeld episode where Jerry gets heckled by a woman at his show and then decides to go to her office to heckle her. Give it up already. Oh, and ideas for artists? Come on already. The Grove has enough art. The 2nd floor of Cocowalk has 3 friggin galleries side by side. Roberta makes a decent point about West Grove. When do they get thrown a bone?
The booths are cool with me. I have been a south grove resident for more than 15 years and decided to open Butter Gallery in the grove instead of the design district or the wynwood area because of my love for this place.
Granted they are not the most beautiful of booths and the one on main is in the middle of the trail?? but if i have learned anything in this my first year as a merchant here is that we are on our own and if the city throws something our way, we take it.
This time it came in the form of information booths. Great! I will rather the city spend the money in the grove than in downtown or brickell. So lets try these booths, lets use them. Tomorow im going by the other galleries in the grove (i am good friends with all of them) to collect flyers or any promotional material they might have and im going to give it to the them to put in the booths. I know we could all use a couple of tourists interested in art.
And YES we can all use security in the grove. If you are a visitor this place can be scary. And we do have some sketchy characters lurking around all the time. Im an old grove dog and know my way around, but the grove is not safe. The things ive seen in the alley behind the gallery you wouldnt believe... and thats with the security guard that John has for Christabelles and Mr. Moes who is constantly checking...
This is my first post on the grapevine! Yeah!
And to all the grapevine readers and grovites.. please come visit anytime... ill pour you a glass of wine.
Peas. Paco. Butter Gallery 3135 Commodore
Grape - I'm so proud of you!
I like the positive attitude - coupled with humility on this post.
Positivity!
One more thing... to the people that think the kids should paint the booths... we have some amazing local artists that could do that instead. I would rather have them black than with some kids doodles... sounds cute but it wouldnt look so cute...
Grapevine, you surrendered faster than a Frenchman on this. I thought that your earlier crankiness was the proper attitude toward this idiotic waste of public funds.
I am against the booths, I just thought I was wrong to question the Kent security guard since he really has nothing to do with it. He is more confused than anyone. He's dumped in a booth, thinks he is there to protect people and finds out he is there to give info out on a village he has never even visited before.
Its about time you "Get It"
Now you can pick another topic and bitch/complain about that...
yeah how about the treatment of Don by the Woman's Club after all the the hype of getting ADA compliant
remainds me of the ad " not exactly "
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