October 24, 2007
San Francisco's 311 Gets Its One Millionth Caller
"This is Gavin Newsom, what the hell do you want?" Newsom (might have) said when he answered yesterday's one millionth call to 311.
Since its launch in April, 311 helps SF residents bypass "over 2,300 telephone numbers that existed previously to access city services...[and] reduces calls to the City’s 911 center, where over 50% of calls received are for non-emergency services." (Really? Like, "Hi, I just called to chat, is all" or "I just saw Loni Anderson over on Chestnut!" kind of non-emergency calls? Because there should be an eleven-number just for those. That would be awesome.)
And what was the one millionth call concerning? A report of upturned newspaper racks at Geary and Kearny. Newsom told the man that he would make sure the problem was fixed right-quick, and to have a nice day. Us, we would have asked him if his arms were broken.
San Francisco's other and inferior eleven, 511, has no comment as of this time.
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Go figure. 65% of all calls to 311 are MUNI related.
I remember calling 311 to tell them to scrape a dead bird that's been on the road for three days... a week later, I called them again to tell them: YOU DIDN'T SCRAPE IT UP YET! A week later, still there, and finally when the Nike Women's Marathon came by, they finally got it away.
Same thing with a dead raccoon on Lake Merced Blvd. called the day it was hit, then called again five days later.
No offense, but the 311 folks are not always smart. I had to ask for advice to get from the Richmond district to the Criminal Court House on Muni for Jury Duty. It took them five minutes to get the information, then what it would take the regular muni telephone folks (pre 311) to get it to you in less than a minute.
Yeah, I called them at the same time I was looking for info online for options on buying Muni tickets in my neighborhood with Commuter Checks. Even with the terrible way the websites offer information, I got it faster than the lady on the phone.
I called about some homeless issues, and was told to call the cops. First and last time I called them.
511 has no comment - LOL!
Muni sux, but Gav sux worse for turning a blind eye to it.
Makes sense, zippy, San Franciscans interact with Muni (and DPT) more than any other government service.
Unless they fixed it while I've been in Portland, it has been 8 weeks (9 maybe? I'm losing track) since I reported a street light out on Main Street just south of Folsom, and the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission hasn't changed the light bulb yet .... and McGoldrick thinks San Francisco can maintain a Wi-Fi network if they can't change light bulbs? HAHAHAHAHA
Eh, I called DPT or whomever about a burnt out street light... was fixed by the next night. Now maybe 311 sucks, but SF can surely manage to keep its street lights on.
I never said 311 sucks ... I think it is a fabulous service, and I hope they stay on their toes.
I'm pissed at SF PUC for not coming to Rincon Hill to change a damn light. I'll give them credit .. they changed one other street lamp's light about 4 or 5 weeks after I first reported it via 311. However, the other street light (and I'm not talkin' about a traffic light, just to be clear, I'm talking about a simple light to light up the sidewalk and surrounding are that's on a wooden pole 1/3 south of Folsom on Main Street's west side (on the Embarcadero Postal Center side)) STILL doesn't work as I just confirmed with a quick walk up the street.
Do I need to invite a strip club or some other unsavory business in order to attract SF PUC folks to come to my neighborhood and fix shit? What the heck?!