The Globe’s Andrew Ryan recaps recent North End/Waterfront neighborhood meetings regarding the segway tour operator, Boston Gliders, and their pending C.V. license (food and non-alcoholic beverages) for 75 Commercial Street.
“Unhappy residents accuse the company of hogging pedestrian space and using sidewalks on Commercial Street and the nearby Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway to teach the equivalent of Segway driver’s education. At its core, though, the dispute is about more than longtime residents bristling at a newfangled gadget; it is an age-old dispute over what it means to be a good neighbor.” Read the full article.
See these NorthEndWaterfront.com posts from last week on both the NEWRA and NEWNC meetings.
I welcome anyone who would like to offer suggestions on how to be a good neighbor. So I have been branded a bad neighbor Ok, due to I refused to move my car one day or rather it was an employee of the store. No I know it was the day we were moving in to our new home at 82. Sorry to try to save a spot for the moving truck maybe it was a mistake not to get the permit or the sign, try to remember when you first moved to town. Was it so easy? Did you know all the rules? Did you know all the unwritten rules? Did you know that if you did not give in to where someone told you can and cannot park that it would blow into this?
Then there is the issue of Safety with the Segway, Ok what safety it’s been over 2 years now. I continue to hear I almost this and almost that? What you almost, is someone playing horseshoes? We have an awesome safety record. Yes we train on the sidewalk. If I honestly thought it would solve the problems I would train them inside. Will it? Keep in mind you learn where you will spend the time. Did they teach us to ride a bike indoors? Or run in the living room? Or play baseball in the garage? No they thought you where you where expected to learn the principals of use.
In the end it comes down to we are a community based business, we have done a lot for nonprofit groups from programs here in the North End to things for Pine St Inn, Boys and Girls Club, Courageous Sailing, Sturbridge Village Historic Committee, and many others.
I would challenge people to think about what role we do play in the vibrant tourism business, what it would be like without the hundreds of people we bring a day to the North End. Imagine we moved our shop the segways would still come through the North End. Most streets we do not even go on mostly Salem St and then down the back side of Hanover back to Commercial St. For the most part we avoid the North End due to the Sidewalks being small.
I welcome positive and constructive feedback.
Understand I just like you when attacked will defend my point of view. I’m offering to come to the table and talk productively about issues.
Maybe this forum will act as an open and even forum to help come to a better understanding and position.