Washington's first sidewalk cafe
Greater Greater Washington has a great article about the history of a piece of property near the corner of 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW. Which I'll highlight a short bit around the protests of the sidewalk cafe (reminds me a bit of complaints about bike trails, bike lanes, or traffic calming)
As reported in the Post on March 17, 1961, an assortment of D.C. government witnesses outlined a litany of perils that would befall the hapless citizenry if sidewalk cafés were allowed in the District. These hazards included the following:
- Pedestrian traffic would be disrupted. People would be forced to walk in the streets and probably get run over.
- Food would be exposed to dust, dirt, and "windblown foreign matter," creating a health hazard.
- Hungry birds, insects, and rodents—especially squirrels—would discomfit patrons, and the city's rodent control problem would be "multiplied many times."
- Chairs and tables would interfere with the laying of hoses during a fire.
- Street litter would be exacerbated.
- Street-spraying trucks might splash water over the curbs and on to customers.
- It would be harder to do utility work, which might require tearing up the sidewalks.
- The cafes would be a "potential source of disorder" because café patrons might brush against sidewalk pedestrians, possibly leading to fisticuffs, etc.
- Passersby might steal pocketbooks or other valuables from café patrons.
- And finally, according to Deputy Police Chief Howard V. Covell, "this type of operation would provide a favorable setting for ladies of easy virtue as they ply their trade up and down the street."
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