Simply recording a broken street light on your local web site can help get it fixed. In London’s Kings Cross William had been trying to get a stubbornly broken street light fixed by the council for several months. He hit on a new angle by attacking the performance targets the council might have and comparing them to other councils. By making the problem public and not just a private exchange of emails and phone calls with the council, William managed to bring some passive pressure to bear. The light got fixed.
Telling people that you are reporting something can reassure them that some one is actually taking the trouble to report stuff and get it fixed. You could also try the excellent Fix My Street service that takes some of the hassle out of reporting things to the local council.
In the same area, William uses his website to draw attention to another broken light in a high crime area. There’s nothing elaborate about this – just a simple picture and a few words. Making it public can help get things done.
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