Annoying companies

Where supply doesn't meet demand in Boston

adamg — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:32:11 +0000

Sara photographed the cab line at Logan around 12:45 this morning.

Stupid billboard isn't falling down - it's supposed to look like that

adamg — Sun, 06 May 2012 18:37:59 +0000

Apparently, people keep calling up McDonald's to let them know a billboard of theirs in Somerville is collapsing. In fact, AdRants snootily informs us, that just shows the public's ignorance of "billboard extensions" - the effect is on purpose.

Via Steve Annear.

Citizens Bank to pay $137.5 million to make lawsuit over questionable overdraft fees go away

adamg — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:44:11 +0000

The bank declined to admit it jiggered its transaction software to increase the odds patrons would rack up overdraft fees, says it's pleased to move forward and "provide our customers with choices to help them manage their accounts and their finances," the Globe reports.

Citizen complaint of the day: East Boston sick of Western Union

adamg — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 19:31:09 +0000

A fed-up citizen complains about the Western Union flyers now found all over the neighborhood advertising money-transfer services to Latin America, to the point where they've gotten more annoying than the omnipresent phone-book stacks, because at least those stay in one place:

The streets are dirty enough, can't the city fine them for these blowing all over the neighborhood?

Dunkin' Donuts driver achieves the Masshole trifecta

adamg — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 18:30:12 +0000

It takes skill to block a bus stop, a bike lane AND a hydrant simultaneously. Well, that, and an 18-wheeler. JP Biker was on hand to chronicle this achievement, on Centre at Seaverns.

NStar to waiters, small businesses: Suck it

adamg — Sat, 17 Mar 2012 14:00:53 +0000

NStar has declared the Blackout of 2012 a "normal" event and won't pay anybody for their losses due to it, the Globe reports. "People normally have their own insurance," the company CEO said.

Too many damn banks

adamg — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 23:16:51 +0000

West Roxbury bankitis, in which the number of bank branches rises higher than the number of pizza places, is spreading. John Ford reports the building housing the Purple Shamrock near Faneuil Hall has been sold and that the new landlord's plans call for the bar to be replaced with a bank. And Ford says he's had enough and has just bought the domain name notanotherbank.com:

I'm mad. To give you another example: A large national bank wants to move into my neighborhood on Charles Street on Beacon Hill. As a result, a small food store business in operation for over 20 years may go out of business. I'm very connected to this neighborhood and I can tell you nobody wants this bank to occupy one of the best corners on Charles Street. But all indications are that this national bank has the political strength to make it happen, and so it more than likely will.

As stated – another large banks wants to take over The Purple Shamrock Pub, which is in one of Boston's best tourist locations. I say hell no.

State official proposes withdrawing state money from banks that don't offer free checking

adamg — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 13:18:53 +0000

The Boston Business Journal reports that Secretary of State Bill Galvin will ask for legislation requiring state agencies to withdraw all their money from banks that continue to try to find new ways to charge residents for access to their own money, such, as oh, Bank of America.

Mayor has angry words for bank threatening to foreclose on historic Roxbury church

adamg — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 13:01:32 +0000

The Herald reports on Tom Menino's ire towards the bank that's scheduled an auction of the Charles Street AME Church, whose pastor Menino appointed to the School Committee.

Boston hates phonebooks

adamg — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 12:35:03 +0000

Heather Vandenengel has posted a collection of photos of stacks of unclaimed phonebooks around Boston, under the headline "WHY DO PHONEBOOKS STILL EXIST?"

Ernie Boch Jr.' s assy ad

adamg — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 23:14:03 +0000

The Dig analyzes Mr. Auto Mile's latest ad, which highlights some royal ass.

Sal LaMattina dishes it out in East Boston

adamg — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:06:29 +0000

City Councilor Sal LaMattina wants to slap some sense into Dish Network: Either they voluntarily clean up the eyesore East Boston has become with their goddamned satellite dishes haphazardly hanging everywhere or he'll introduce an ordinance to make them try to install the dishes somewhere other than the front of buildings across the city, the East Boston Times-Free Press reports. Apparently, the company was on the verge of joining a pilot program to de-uglify the neighborhood when Philadelphia moved to ban dishes from the fronts of residences and now the company is refusing to do anything at all until the FCC rules on the matter.

Nasty yellow water pouring out of the ceiling puts damper on Allston man's party

adamg — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 14:00:28 +0000

The Daily Free Press gives us a taste of life in some of Allston's lowlier student apartments, of the sort that gives one reason to describe Allston as a student ghetto. Illustrated with a photo you probably don't want to look at while eating lunch.

City sweep finds numerous code violations in Allston apartments following near-fatal two-alarm fire

adamg — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:45:06 +0000

The mayor's office reports inspectors swarmed the areas around Ashford and Linden streets this week and found 40 serious code violations in 25 buildings.

City officials launched the inspection blitz in reaction to last month's Linden Street fire that left one BU student in critical condition with head injuries after he jumped out of a window to escape the flames.

Among the violations found in buildings on Gardner, Ashford and Wadsworth streets: Non-functioning or missing smoke and carbon-monoxide detectors, faulty heating systems, rats, illegal basement and attic apartments, blocked exits and too many students.

"We will not allow landlords to take advantage of students by neglecting their properties and putting people at risk," Mayor Menino said in a statement.

Urban Outfitters too sexy for Dedham?

adamg — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 12:38:47 +0000

Dedham Patch reports on one Dedham mother's efforts to get the clothing store to put the sexy books (yes, of course Urban Outfitters carries books about sex) in an "adult" section where the teenlets who flock there from as far away as West Roxbury can't have their impressionable minds sullied by titles such as Sex Tips for Girls by Guys and Get Laid.

She has, of course, set up a Facebook page.