Date: 11 May 2010

Street Address: Scott Street, Baltimore, MD

Location: Circulars left on railing of front steps.

Number of Circulars: 2

Discovery of Circulars: See image below.

Circular 1

Business: Pizza Time,

Address: 2511 Washington Boulevard

Actual advertisement is photographed below.

Circular 2

Business: Wings Things “N” More

Address: 3170 Wilkens Avenue

Actual advertisement is photographed below.

One of the things that continues to vex me as a resident of Pigtown is the number of advertising circulars left on my doorstep. You know the circular to which I am referring: the glossy advertisement containing photographs of menu items and listing the specials of a local pizza or sandwich shop.

The law was changed a few years ago to make this practice illegal.  Specifically, Article 19 of the Baltimore City Code addresses this.

§ 1-2. Placement prohibited without permission.
A person may not affix, place, or cause to be affixed or placed any advertising circular:
(1) in or on any vehicle in the City, except with the express permission of the owner or operator of the vehicle; or
(2) in or on any residential property in the City (whether in or on a fence, railing, door, porch, lawn, sidewalk, or otherwise), except:
(i) with the express permission of the owner or occupant of that property; or
(ii) by placing the advertising circular into a door slot or a nonlockable bin consistent with federal law.
(City Code, 1976/83, art. 19, §1A(b).) (Ord. 87-890; Ord. 06-205; Ord. 07-507.)

There are, however, multiple issues with its enforcement:

1. When an illegal advertising circular is found, it must be kept in its place, and, following a report to 311, the Service Request number must be affixed to the circular.
2. There is a gap from when the violation is reported to when a city official is able to investigate the violation.
3. Distribution of these advertising circulars varies from neighborhood to neighborhood in the city.  In other words, the more tony the neighborhood, the less likely such circulars are distributed.
4. Leaving the reported circulars out front does not guarantee they will still be present when the city official investigates.  Weather and other elements occasionally conspire against the circulars remaining on, say, a front railing.

Given these issues (and the rather cumbersome nature of the City’s 311 online reporting service), I am going to make an effort to report these violations on my blog.  I will include a photo of the violation, a photo of the advertising circular, and a closer photo of the business advertised in the circular.  I will also include in these reports the date of the violation, the approximate location, and the time the circular was discovered.

I hope that this is at least useful and potentially easier than the “preferred method,” and I hope it results in the action I would like to see.