Continued Inconsistency from Xcel Energy on Shoe Removal Policies
I first became interested in shoes hanging from power lines after spotting a pair hanging near my home. I reported them to Xcel Energy and asked them to remove them at their convenience. I realize this isn’t the biggest issue faced by a power company, but I figured they’re responsible for the lines, so should keep them clean.
A week or two later, a second pair popped up at the same intersection, near my home. At that point, the issue became more interesting to me. Here’s a link to a little history of how I got involved with this, going back to before the coining of the term, “shoefiti.”
Basically, Xcel Energy has been inconsistent in their response to requests for shoe removals. In the past 14 months, four pair of shoes have been reported to Xcel Energy at 46th Ave S & E Lake St in Minneapolis. And four pair have been removed in a timely manner. Usually in under a week. However, other areas of Minneapolis have had shoes hanging for more than seven months, and continue to hang after repeated requests to Xcel.
Why the inconsistency? Xcel Energy provides power to the the entire city, yet seems to be treating customer support requests differently based on geography. That geography also happens to represent a significant difference in average income, race, and crime rates.
Is it just for Xcel to ignore the exact same type of customer support request based on the location? In Xcel passively contributing to the blight of some neighborhoods by failing to address a form of litter on their power lines that is often associated with drugs dealing, prostitution, and possibly homicides?
What’s your take? What are Xcel Energy’s responsibilities in this situation? Who should be accountable for removing the shoes? What’s a fair amount of time to expect the power company to respond within? Should they they be responsible for shoe removal from their lines?
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