Florida Keys News - Key West Citizen
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
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Ford films ad tonight

KEY WEST: Ford Motor Co. will film a commercial in parts of Old Town from 8 to midnight tonight starting at the Southernmost Point. Most of Whitehead Street, one block of Caroline, Lower Duval and part of Front streets will be closed as two Ford Focus GTs "race" to Mallory Square. The cars will not actually be speeding.

There will be no bus service west of Simonton Street after 9 p.m., says city spokeswoman Alyson Crean.

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Triple Six & followers

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 10:34am by EYW Dude
They he go, double talkin again just like a Dem-operative. KW is going to get some nationwide exposure that just might attract tourists who roll down in their new Fords-- instead of coming down on the cruiseships that you hate with a passion. So what if it’s Short-term inconvenience(s). I’m a laugh at you when the FDOT throws up that barrier when they redo Roosevelt long-term. Stop crying cause it about to get worse foo. Dwell on that on your break. Ephesians Six v. 1-2

You remain one of the most

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 11:06am by 666
You remain one of the most ignorant, self centered posters on this board. If you can not see the difference between a transportation project and traffic issues, and filming a commercial that disturbed the peace in a residential area for 5 hours and went past midnight you are even more stupid then you sound, and that is pretty stupid. Finally, someone like you, with no empathy or concern for their neighbors should hardly be quoting The Bible.

C'mon Man

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:05pm by EYW Dude
You just mad cause I callt you out as a Double Talker hellbent against cruisefolks, entrepreneurs, Panicos, Toppinos, Spottswoods, FKCC, Scott, soup kitchens, yahoos from Miami, everything under the sun. Bottom line is everything is an inconvenience to you. Oh yeah, a traffic issue is a traffic issue regardless of its root cause. Yall survived weeks of Spring Break ruckus, yalls could survive a couple days of Ford filming. I have plenee empathy and concern for my neighbors. That's why I point out you's a foo for complaining about stuff you cant control, and why you on meds. Dwell on that on your next break.

Perhaps...

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 8:18pm by Mac

Perhaps you should drop the faux ebonics. You're obviously using that as a diversion from what is clearly a higher intellect.

You do occasionally make good points. We'd be more responsive if you dropped the masquerade and wrote in your own voice.

Not the City's to Approve

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 8:47am by marajade8
Apparently the City of Key West and all involved didn't even know that a big chunk of Whitehead St belongs to FDOT, not Key West. I heard the City was paid A LOT of money to allow this filming. I think the state should fine them for using FDOT land without permission. Would FDOT have approved this ... if they had been asked?

Abnormal Mentality in Key West re: Residents Rights

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 1:12am by _+_
I'm happy for those who made money off of this production. However, it cost others a peaceful night in a town that is becoming more and more loud. The fact that this happen is a symptom of a diseased philosophy that exists in this town. This mentality that the rights of others do not matter when a commercial opportunity presents itself is not the "norm" in other towns with leaders who respect the rights of the residents and astounds even some tourists. This mentality poisons our town and will one day make more of Old Town unlivable. I choose New Town for that reason, but I feel for those who have already bought a home in Old Town & worry about loud businesses moving in. When are we going to hold ourselves to a higher standard of treating our own residents? Every City Commissioner's motto should be: RESIDENTS FIRST. Thanks to this fiasco, the next time "filming" is mentioned as an agenda item, residents will hopefully speak up or ask questions. Even better would be if the City Commission can promise never to do that to residents again and apologize at the very least. They are elected to protect us and use proper procedure. And when you do reach out for input next time, please explain the fine print of the filming, not just roads will be blocked, but the volume of the noise and for how long.

Beyond Disturbing & Unreasonable Noise

Submitted on Fri, 05/18/2012 - 12:42am by _+_
Shame on the City Commission for passing this. A complete slap in the face to the residents and disregard for their rights to enjoy their home peacefully. The City did not notify the residents because there was "not enough time" to send out a notice. They claim there was a notification in the paper regarding the agenda item, but who knows if anything about low-flying helicopters for 5 hours straight was mentioned. Many residents do not get the newspaper. The City should have told the production company they would need to compensate ALL residents who were in the line of that helicopter, especially since they did not notice this meeting properly. This went completely against City policy. One police officer on duty actually asked a resident: "did the City give you permission to get to your home?" It was absolutely ridiculous. City Commissioners you have no right to disturb residents like that. Shame on you. Any money the City received from this production should be given to the residents who were underneath that helicopter. The sound from the residence I was at was incredibly loud, the helicopter was directly overhead. Call the Commissioners and complain. Otherwise, this will happen again.

For Sale

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 10:44pm by
Sorry folks. If you hadn't figured it out by now I'm truly sorry. Everything in this town is for sale especially your peace and quiet. The citizenry is the last concern of those whoring this town out to every suitor with a sack full of sheckles. Grab your pitchforks, slingshots and recurve bows. Let it be known you are tired of being trampled on.

How could you NOT know?

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 3:47pm by Sunny K
I live 1525 miles away from Key West and even I know about the filming of the Ford commercial. It's been mentioned or posted in the Citizen's News a number of times.

To those of you who do not

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 1:12pm by 666
To those of you who do not live near this. I want you to imagine when mosquito control fly their helecopters low over your home. Now imagine that happening several times an hour for more then 5 hours and going on past midnight. What would your reaction be? This was a whole new level of disrespect for residents in our quest for press and tourism at any cost.

It was pretty bad, actually. Plus the cop cars playing with

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 8:35pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
their blue lights. However, these two helicopters were back and forth every few minutes, not several times an hour. And since it's at night, I can't imagine it really being all that good for KW since at night it's not recognizable.

Free Nationwide advertising

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 10:37am by david2009
Free Nationwide advertising for Key West and they are complaining about it. Just think about all the additional people who will envy you for living here. Doesn't that make you feel better about this?

Its not too late

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 8:21am by Silence Dogood
Please. Get 100 of your village buddies and lay in the street this afternoon. Who cares if they aren't filming.Maybe we can get the Chamber to sell tickets. I'd be more than willing to pay to see you guys dodging delivery trucks. HURRY!!

It's after midnight and the

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 12:12am by Me
It's after midnight and the helicopters are still buzzing around. So much for being at work at 6:00 a.m. So what will Ford give all of us BV residents who had no warning, no place to park and are being kept awake? God forbid someone let us know this was going to happen. I'll keep my Toyota.

;-) I like that.

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 8:36pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
Good for Toyota.

Ford Commercial

Submitted on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 10:26pm by KWPro
I am astounded that the city did not have some sort of plan to let residents through some how or some way while this commercial was being filmed.. Either on Front Street or South Street... its not rocket science. I love how commissioners and city officials act like they are so smart when really they are far from possessing any type of common sense. Pathetic!

How did this slip through?

Submitted on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 12:12pm by Mac

This is becoming an "event," with the city spending a lot of money sending street sweepers up and down Whitehead all day long, suspending bus service and removing cars the length of the street.

How much is all this costing the city?

Were all residents notified that their evening would be disturbed by low-flying helicopters all night?

Is this the message we want to be sending to potential tourists-- "racing" down Whitehead Street? They certainly don't need encouragement to do that.

This stinks of the TDC. Bet you'll find Harold Wheeler and Virginia Panico having drinks at Green Parrot tonight-- while noisy helicopters buzz overhead.

Only hope-- pouring rain.

Even the signs they posted were screwed up. They scratched

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 8:39pm by *.* CLEARLY the original
through and were impossible to read. Those who were out of town and had a car in front of their homes had less than two days notice. It was a mess.

Mac, I am with you on this

Submitted on Wed, 05/16/2012 - 2:09pm by 666
Mac, I am with you on this one. There was no community input or discussion. Enough is enough! This will be going on until midnight on a school night in the heart of a RESIDENTIAL area. There will be a tipping point soon, where residents get so angry they will take back this town and the resulting pendulum swing will be so extreme you will not be able to fart in Old Town without a permit. I am sure we will soon see all the people who live away from Whitehead bashing us and telling us to move, but if you tourism whores are not careful, you are going to be SOL. If there was more time, I would have organized my neighbors and blocked the event. 100 residents from Bahama Village laying on Whitehead Street might have finally woke up our Commission to the fact that we LIVE HERE and have rights.

agree

Submitted on Thu, 05/17/2012 - 12:10pm by WCBWSB
agree with you on this, I went and watched the filming and there cars that were lined up trying to cross to get home and for many minutes there was no activity but the police wouldn't let them get home. It was poorly orchestrated. The citizens were once again put to the back lot, when they should have been the priority. After seeing one take of the drag race, I left thinking the same thing, what message are they portraying? Truly not an accurate one with the streets so clean and void of vehicular hazards. Except for maybe the "beloved" trains and trolleys.
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