Alley Maintenance

I just ran across this link from the city of Seattle
http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/alleys.htm

The city states 'Property owners are responsible for alleys next to their property. (Alleys are defined as any unopened street areas next to their property.'

I guess I assumed this, but it is nice to get confirmation that this is actually the law. Keep in mind however that most of the dumping that I list on this site is actually on AM/PM's property, not just in the alley behind their property.

Keep in mind also that they own a dumpster, it would only take them a few minutes a week to maintain their property and the public access next to their property, but they still refuse to do this.

Google adsense comedy

As part of the blogger deal Google puts little advertisements on the right hand side of this blog. I was looking today and noticed that the ad was for Arco! How funny is that? Please feel free to click on it over and over again as it will cost them a quarter every time you click on it.

trash still sits

I can't even remember when I first took a photo of this TV someone had dumped and Arco had decided not to pick up. Maybe they are waiting for it to biodegrade? It's been sitting on their property for a long long time. It's Chinese new year and the neighborhood temple is really hoping, I love all of the life and good will for this Columbia City Neighborhood, it's too bad that Arco does not take better care of their property.

View Larger Map

Ha! I was looking at Google maps for something else and realized that they took photos of the arco am/pm with trash, so now you can visit the virtual trash at any time.

pissing on Arco

I was leaving my house yesterday when I noticed a young man pissing on the fence that surrounds the Arco AM/PM. When I approached him and asked him to not piss on my neighborhood, he instantly got very defensive. 'whats your problem? why you getting all up in my face? I will piss wherever the hell I feel like!' I tried to explain to him that this was my neighborhood and it would be nice if he didn't piss on it, how would he feel if I came and pissed on his neighborhood? 'this is your f__kin hood?' he pointed to the empty lot full of trash and weeds surrounded by barbed wire that Arco owns 'this aint nothin but a sh_t hole!'

How could I argue with him? the Arco AM/PM lot is a sh_t hole! Why should I expect anyone in seattle not to come over and piss all over it?

more proof of how much arco sucks

I'm not sure if Arco expects these tires to grow feet and walk off on their own, or are they actually going to pick up their property? More proof of how much they suck.

Trash Trash Trash

I wish I had something new to report, but it is the same old problem at the same old location. Trash, trash and more trash being dumped at the AMPM on MLK in Seattle and the owners still not doing anything about it. Here are some photos.

I think that the thing that is most sad to me is that the whole neighborhood is improving. New business are moving in, new family's are moving in and fixing up their homes, a new light rail line is going in. An only AM/PM seems to be the business that is missing the boat and holding the rest of the neighborhood back.

I have to keep documenting all of the trash that is being dumped at this location because I have caught AMPM employees dumping their trash on other peoples property in the past. Lets hope they don't try to do it again.

crack

The Arco AMPM is the center for drug trade in my neighborhood. It is difficult to go near the place without someone offering to sell you drugs and people are often doing drugs all around the store parking lot. It is amazing to me that a national chain of a well established business is allowing all of this to go on right under their nose. Although I don't know a lot about drugs, I understand from a neighbor that has had problems with AMPM for a long time that crack is sold in little 'dime bags' that are often decorated with popular logos (playboy, nike, mercedes etc) these empty bags can be seen scattered all over the parking lot of the Arco AMPM. Too bad that they don't even bother to try to clean the place up. Here is a photo of some of them that I picked up while walking my dog this morning.

AMPM, the armpit of my neighborhood

Remember yesterday when I was gushing on about how AMPM was actually being a good neighbor and cleaning up their property? Well guess what? When I went by the property this morning while walking my dog I realized that they took all of the trash that had been dumped on their property and simply dumped it in the back yard of a nearby abandon house! Not only is AMPM not helping with the problem, they ARE the problem! Unfortunately they are so dumb that they don't realize that I have posting photographic proof on the web for over a year now (including a photo of the guy that actually did the dumping) and I am going to of course call the police immediately after posting this. I'm so frustrated with this businesses total lack of respect for the community that I don't know what to do. I've contacted Carol Lawson (lawsocl1@bp.com) their local community relations consultant, I've contacted Richard Smith (smithrl22@bp.com) with website community relations and I've even tried contacting John Browne, the group chief executive of BP Global, AMPM's parent company (brownej@bp.com). Not only have they not cleaned up the problem but the only written response I've ever gotten from them has blabbed on about trying to be a good neighbor and then stated "while our efforts have been to maintain our own property we respect your concern as a neighborhood resident, with collection of trash on the city street". Guess what AMPM? It is clearly defined by law that in the city of Seattle that the property owner is responsible for maintaining the 'parking strip' or area between the private property and the road. I would think this would count double when you have been caught red handed dumping trash. Obviously AMPM is not taking my threats seriously so I hope that anyone that reads this and is concerned about the neighborhood takes a minute to email the people above and to let them know that this will not be tolerated.

AMPM is a dark hole in the universe

I know that this is getting old, but I am just on a role today and I can't believe that after working on this for a year they are still not picking up their garbage. Here is a copy of emails that I sent to Richard Smith at BP community relations (AM/PM's parent company) which they still have not even bothered to respond to. Try to keep in mind that AMPM brags on their website that " At ampm, we believe in giving back to our local communities" Giving What?!? Trash? Urban blight? Underage drinking? What a bunch of hypocrites.


Hello Richard,

It has now been over a year since I first contacted you about the trash problem at the AM PM at 5620 Martin Luther Jr Way. In this last year I have not seen any improvement in cleaning up of the area. As a matter of fact I have seen the area get worse and worse, is there nothing that can be done to improve this store? I travel extensively for business and I have noticed clean and well landscaped AM PM's in many cities that I have visited as well as many well kept stores here in Seattle. Why is it that this particular store is so neglected? I'm attaching a photo taken today behind the store of some old chairs and a shopping cart that have been there over a week (please excuse the phone camera quality). Simply adding trash cans, reporting illegal dumping and doing some basic landscaping would make a huge difference. There is even a stump lying on the side of the store that has been there for well over a year. Taking pride in your business would help others to take pride in our neighborhood.

Thank you,

Joel L

Joel wrote:

> Hi Richard,
>
> Thank you for your prompt response. I live in a neighborhood that has an AM PM at 5620 MARTIN LUTHER JR WAY
> SEATTLE, WA 98118-2239. Along the edge of the property is an empty lot which is also owned by your parent company which you have chosen to fence off. Unfortunately this has created a situation where people feel comfortable dumping abandon cars and piles of trash along the side street South Findlay . This has become a hazard to my neighborhood and is attracting other crime including homeless people and even now people abandoning animals in the abandon cars. I realize that you can't control the actions of others but I do feel that your company can do more to help clean up this area and make the neighborhood safer for everyone including your customers and employees. At the very least I think that your employees could be reporting abandon vehicles and trash to the city rather than leaving the task to others. I think that it also might a good idea to post no dumping signs along your property rather than the beer and cigarette advertisements that you post along your fence now, these banners only provide more cover for people engaging in illegal activities and make it harder for neighbors to keep an eye on what is obviously a problem area. I am open to any other suggestions on how you can help deal with this situation and I wanted to give your company ample opportunity to respond to these problems before it needs to be dealt with by the city and with the press.
>
> I am enclosing a photograph of how the side of your property appeared just the other day.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Joel
>
>
> Smith, Richard wrote:
>
>> Please mail to this email address.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: WEBSITE - DO NOT REPLY [mailto:aweslowski@rpa.com] Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2005 10:45 AM
>> To: sohailtest@yahoo.com; Smith, Richard
>> Subject: ampm Website Customer Relations Feedback
>>
>>
>>
>> MLK, Seattle, WA
>>
>> Comments:
>> I am having an ongoing problem with one of your stores and I have some
>> digital pictures that I would like to send you but I need an actual
>> email address that I can send them to.
>>
>> Thank you

AM PM Minimart, worst neighbor on the planet

Ok, it's been over a month now since I posted about the trash behind their building (but still on their property!!) and guess what?!? Even after writing several letters to their corporate headquarters and telling the clerks that work there, the same trash is still there! Please excuse the crappy cell phone photos but you get the idea. And as a bonus other people have started dumping trash across the alley. Why shouldn't they? If it's ok to dump trash on AM PM property then for sure it is ok to dump trash out in the public alley! AM PM Minimart is the worst neighbor on the planet and getting worse every day