February 6, 2008
Downtown Lawyer Sues SF Over That One Guy Who Beats Those Plastic Buckets and Metal Pots at the Ferry Building
60-year-old attorney William McGrane is fit to be tied. Why? Because of noted Ferry Building street percussionist John King's daily performances. It seems that his groovy beats, which stem from the many plastic buckets and pans and whatnot he uses as instruments, are flowing into the Ferry Building and disrupting the work flow of the hardworking lawyer, okay? (We always forget that people work on the other floors of the Ferry Building in offices. It's like realizing that people live above Forever 21 on Market Street. Freaks us out a tiny bit.) Now he's suing the city of San Francisco for $100,000, claiming the sounds hinder with his work.
Old man McGrane tells the Examiner that he has since dropped the complaint, which he filed in November, but according the the Ex:
McGrane declined an Examiner invitation to listen to King’s percussion from inside his office. The 60-year old lawyer told The Examiner he has "abandoned" his claim, but did not provide The Examiner with documents to show that the claim was no longer being pursued.
He also refused the Examiner's invitation to listen to King’s beats from inside his office. Hmm.
An aside:SFist works a scant six yards away from a under-construction overpass and the constant -- yes, constant -- ogling from sweaty blue-collar worker men with unusually large hands. And we have filed zero lawsuits against the city as of now.
Anyway, King won't stop playing for he's got the music in him. What's more, things are going to get worse for McGrane, noise-wise. The Sacramento-based musician says he plans to collaborate with other artists on the plaza later this year, including circle drummers, a clarinetist, a saxophonist, and a jazz guitarist.
Altered image credit:Cindy Chew/The Examiner
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that is awesome!
i've often thought of suing the city or maybe the homeless coalition for ruining my quality of life by making me deal with so many derelicts in this town.
I'm totally behind this guy. That fat fuck who plays the theme from the Godfather over and over again would be the first on my list for a good suing. We once had to pay him to fuck off when we were filming on the street (with a very expensive city permit BTW). Crappy street musicians (and they are all crappy except for that soprano chick) need to remember that other people have to unwillingly endure their special talent day in and day out.
Frivolous lawsuits ....
I'll be dropping a $5 for Mr. King the next time I pass him. I love the talented street musicians .... we need more along the waterfront!
Yay! I hope this turns into a class-action suit. This guy has ruined my morning several times.
Why doesn't San Francisco require street "musicians" to have permits? Nearly every other major city in the world does. Anybody?
I'm with this guy as well. Imagine listening to some jackass pounding no pans outside your window all day. What an irritating nuisance.
It was bad enough living across from the panhandle where that dreadlocked idiot was always pounding on his bongo. I didn't want to sue that guy, though. I wanted to handle it OJ Simpson-style.
Er, pounding "ON" pans. Obviously if he was pounding nothing, that'd be okay.
I really don't think you can consider something that sounds like an off-balance rock tumbler to be "music."
They should require a permit per drum hit. At $50 each.
These street drummers have GOT to go.
SF Street musicians wouldn't be so bad if they knew more than three songs.
Are there noise ordinances that would include drumming? There's a guy who drums in Dolores Park, same beat over and over, any time it's sunny, for hours on end. I don't even live along the Park and I can hear it. So I called 311, and the (nice helpful) lady didn't know... I can see why the lawyer filed: it's like water torture (the dripping kind, not the boarding kind).
can I sue the city for all the whining that goes on in this town?
Hmmm...then there is that whole noise vs. music argument.
Quick! Somebody call a whaaaaambulance!
Greg:
No you can't. If the whining and NIMBYism stops, we'll run out of power to run the Muni electric buses and trains. You thought we got power from the Hetch Hetchy? You were wrong: we're powered by whining and angst.
I'll take a guy pounding on dry wall buckets over those douche bags in GG Park that insist on a free-for-all drum circle every saturday. Sheesh! And if that's not bad enough, everyone who played saxaphone for a minute in middle school joins in to create a cacophonous swirl of shit notes.
I totally sympathize with this lawyer. My office has a beautiful view of Union Square and a front row seat to all the noise in or near the Square -- both buskers and 'officially sanctioned' performances (children' choirs, football pep rallies, etc.), and crazies, of course. Christmastime also brings a separate bell-ringer on every single corner (not just the four closest), none of whom can be bothered to give any thought to rhythm.
I'm just glad my job is mindless enough that I can still get work done with all that racket.
@pdx: ha! good one!
If noise significantly reduces your quality of life, there's always the suburbs. Same goes if you're bothered by dirty sidewalks, homeless people, bicycles, graffiti, flyers, human interaction, eye contact, etc.
Great paperballoon, let's just turn the City into a huge toilet, that way only you and your fun friends will be left to enjoy it.
I never got that whole mindset of "well, it's a city" as if that is an excuse to completely blow all all laws of common decency and civility.
I've heard that excuse to excuse people shitting on sidewalks, drunken bridge and tunnelers puking on my doorstep on their drunken ambles up to Coit Tower, and most irritatingly, to excuse car alarms.
Geography is no excuse for being an inconsiderate asshole.
That being said, I love the street performers. I always give money to the singers, the violinists, guitarists, etc. but mindlessly pounding on a pan is not "performance," it's just annoying and rude.
I don't even mind the bush guy, once he figured out that jumping out at to scare my dog was a very, VERY unwise move.
Jesus.
when did everyone in SF become my parents?
Oh, right.... 2001. Nevermind.
We should stop live music south of market, too. So the half a mil studio condo dwellers can have their "friends lifestyle" they came here for without any disruption.
the opera lady should can the arias and start singing show tunes.
I guess it's a slippery slope from street musicians to giant toilet.
Thanks for the suggestion, Chris Weekly. Bring on the toilet! Bring on the funk!
Bluecanary, I agree with you about the need to be considerate, but I personally wouldn't automatically prioritize the lawyer's needs over the needs of the street drummer.
BTW I've watched that particular drummer a few times and I don't consider it mindless pounding.