Photo Of The Week: Yet Another Use For The AAM/NPG Steps

I don’t understand why people hang out on those steps so much. It annoys me. And now, the cops have pushed all the annoying kids to the steps.

Steve, it seems you’re an angry person. Ya can’t let all the little things in life frustrate you. Just let it go and you’ll be happier. I find the fence more disturbing. It makes it look like a prison. If it’s open, why the need for the fence.

lol maybe lately – I haven’t really slept in 3 weeks – finishing grad school monday, had to deliver a work project last week, and i closed on a house on wednesday and have been traveling back and forth to reston twice daily to deal with contractors!@#!@# blah

Steve701Penn — You are leaving the ‘hood for Reston? Could be another reason for the negative vibes

What I find fascinating is that it is fine for people to randomly congregate on the steps, but when a local org approached SAAM about using them for a program (screen late-night movies on the Phone Booth wall across the street), the idea was denied for “security and trash issues.” Funny since the sponsoring organization offered to professionally clean the area before and after the event, and provide off-duty officers to manage the crowd. A program which would have cost SAAM/NPG $0, using a public facility in a creative way squashed. But squatters trashing their McDonald’s bags and Dunkin’ cups are OK.

As far as the gate, when it was open, I used to take the dog there — it was a decent-sized grassy space. I never left without cleaning others’ trash, and always left the space in better condition than when we entered. Now that the fence is up, the trash collects and the yard looks messy. Nice neighborly thinking, SAAM/NPG.

Not to jump on the negative bandwagon hear, but has anyone else noticed the increasing amounts of trash left on these steps? I walk by nearly every morning to a disgusting mess of fast food trash. When I first moved to the neighborhood about 4 years ago, this board provided what I believe was the exposure to the ridiculousness of the McDs and Chipotle trash/disorderly conduct needed to remove the tables outside Chipotle, and pressure McDs to become a better neighbor. What can we do about the steps? I think the area is great for kids and adults alike, so long as trash (leading to more RATS), and other problems do not beging to build up.