This is a story of a different manner. I was contacted tonight by one of the direct abutters of the pier. This person is a good friend of mine, who frequently has to come and go multiple times during the day. She, perhaps more than any other person, has had to deal with three months of constant construction within an inch (and sometimes on) her property. Tonight, one of the construction workers on the pier was extremely rude and inappropriate toward her. After she told me about the incident, I asked her to put it in her own words. Here it is.
I pulled in to the White Street lot and was getting out my car with my dog. A construction worker was stepping down off the ledge of my driveway (after having walked across it) and he smiled at me. I didn't smile back. Perhaps I should have, but he was a young guy who was strutting along like he owned the world. Also, I was exhausted from a long day of work, and after waking up to construction and then coming home to construction, and after having multiple construction workers use my private parking lot as their own parking lot/staging area/changing room (without ever bothering to ask any of the residents of our building) I wasn't feeling very smiley. (Editors note: every day for 3 months) When I failed to smile back he said, "Do you have a problem?" and smirked at me. I said, "Well, yes, actually. All of you are parked in my driveway and using it as a staging area." He said, "Well, have you ever had to load a 15-ton [blah blah blah]?" And I said "no". He said, "You know, your attitude sucks. Everyone else here has been really nice but you're a fucking cunt."
So, apparently having your life turned upside down for 3 months for this project, and I kid you not when I say that the residents of this condo building have construction going on on three sides of them, from 7AM until well into the evening every day, isn't enough insult. Apparently a city-hired contractor believes it's OK to call those taxpayers a "fucking cunt." Is that really what the city thinks of us?
I advised this young woman to contact Kathy Winn of the Planning Department, as well as the mayor's office, but that won't undo the disgusting words flung at her because she dared to betray her frustration with this seemingly unending work.
I have never understood how that expression came to be considered an insult. Setting that observation aside, however, I would hope that that young man's boss will take him aside and wash his mouth out with soap. He also ought to be asked to apologize to the lady in question. I would hope that this incident does not result in the young man losing his job, however. I blame his parents.
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