This weekend I called 311 and it all worked out well. The problem, at the house across the alley from me where the guy has been working off and on was shoveling something on concrete with a metal shovel around midnight. Ya know how loud that is? Legally he isn’t supposed to work after 7pm. Sometimes he’s been working out there till 9pm or so and I’ve let it go. But midnight is silliness. So I called 3-1-1 the DC non-Emergency number. As this wasn’t the first time I’ve had problems with this guy I knew what his address was and gave that to the dispatcher. He told me that they’d send someone out. Uh, yeah. Experience has taught me that these things are hit or miss. Sometimes you see the police come out, sometimes you don’t. At least I didn’t get any flak from the dispatcher like I did once who supposed that maybe he had a permit to work after 7 when I called to complain about some 11pm hammering.
About 10 minutes later I get a call back from 311 (I had left my name and number). They were confused. The cops were out at the address I’d given. They thought I lived at the given address. No. So later two officers came over to my house and told me that the guys over at the offending address were “just finishing up.” I bet they were.
All in all I’m happy with my 311 call. Hopefully this posting will balance out those other postings when 311 has been a major let down.