Over the weekend I had the chance to enjoy the Washington City Paper's coverstory on on the bullet-resistant glass barriers that adorn the insides of so many of DC's businesses. We see plenty of these things on H Street & they range from the partial barrier to the complete enclosure (like at Sun & Moon). People tend to have a pretty viseral reaction to the enclosures. When Taste of Jamaica first opened a resident complained on the listserv about the newly installed protective glass. The owner, he said, claimed not to understand the objection (the owner also claimed that he had seating & tables on the way, but months later the place is still standing room only). Once you start talking about the barriers you can't help but think about the overall vibe you get when you walk into any given H Street establishment. As an example, compare the experience of buying bread at Me & My Supermarket versus making the same purchase at 1101 Conveniance Mart. Neither store features the glass, but the narrowness & the layout of the first option can make you feel trapped (particulary since you have to squeeze past both the customer lines & anyone buying singles to depart). The second store is larger, the beverages are away from the register & you actually have space to breath. Thankfully we're getting more places on H Street where you feel welcome when you walk in (as opposed to feeling trapped). I don't know when all the glass will come down, but I think we'll get there.
13 comments:
While the safety of store clerks is certainly important, the absence of bullet proof glass really does help the shopping experience. We have 2 local markets just a few blocks from our house, D.C. Supermarket and Adams Market. D.C. has glass, and Adams doesn't-- and that's the main reason my wife and I always go to Adam's. When lack of glass translates into more business, that's when change will happen on H st.
FYI, Stanton Park Neighborhood Association has file an appeal with BZA over the "carryout" certificate of occupancy issued to Taste of Jamaica. This is the same issue as with Blimpie: fast food/carryout operations are not "matter of right" on most of H St. (in the C-2-A zone), and require a special exception approved by BZA. Instead of imposing this requirement (which gives the community an opportunity for public input), the Zoning Administrator issued the C of O over the counter.
TOJ's owner is supposedly working with the Administrator to reform his operation (e.g., by changing to a primarily sit-down eating setup) so he can qualify for a true "restaurant" C of O (which is matter of right). At the October ANC6C zoning committee meeting, the owner acknowledged the problem with the current C of O.
When I see the glass. I take my business elsewhere. Case in point the 3 drycleaners on H Street. Smile and Empire(?) will always get my business. The other one with the bulletproof flor-to-ceiling glass I went to once and will not go back again.
We have a dry cleaner with floor to ceiling glass? I generally use Madison Cleaners at 11th & H. I know that Smile is part of the H Street Connection. So is the bullet-proof glass drycleaner the one in the 1300 block?
Has anyone been to the Subway sandwich shop next to Galludet University? Now THAT is safety glass run amok....
If the Subway keeps any sort of late hours -- unlike Litteri's, which is security-free once you get in the door -- I can almost sympathize with the glass run amok. I've been accosted by too many characters at the nearby Hess station, which I refuse to patronize in the late evening hours because it's so creepy.
I think this neighborhood, in its present state, warrants bulletproof glass. I say, "let you be the first one to be completely unprotected late night near H St. NE". If you are doing this just to show others how safe it is and to put on a good face for the area I think it is foolhearty. It is a good way to get killed.
Um, except that lots of places already don't have bullet-proof glass. I don't recall any robbery/homocides in H Street businesses in recent years.
Yes, the one in the 1300 block is full glass, w/two windows for receiving/paying. They give you your clothes back through a "closet" that lets them put the drycleaned items on a rod from the back, close the door and then you take them from the front -- Voila! Minimized human interaction.
The other two have no glass whatsover, and the proprieters both are v. friendly and warm. Plus Smile cleaners does $0.99 shirts with a minimum of just three...
Never been in, so I don't know if they have glass. But a little perspective is in order here about what stores are facing.
From this weekend's police report --
"1451 Md Ave - HaHu MArket - 1850 hours - owners of store report that two males entered store at gunpoint and demanded their money -gave over $1600 and the two fled Eastbound on Maryland Avenue"
Store employees do face risks. Anyone who follows the crime reports will know that. I think the City Paper article had it right when they said that most store employees will give it up with or without the glass. Also, stores everywhere get robbed. I'm not arguing that it is unreasonable for H Street store owners & employees to fear robbery more than their counterparts in Georgetown, or Dupont. I'm just saying that H Street is not a war zone.
Huha has glass.
Sounds like a Dr. Suess title...
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