San Francisco Officials Furious Over Elon's Superhero-Style Addition to Old Twitter HQ
Like Batman’s bat signal, a giant “X” — the new logo of the now-rebranded Twitter, illuminated the San Francisco night sky on Friday, signaling the dawn of a new era in the world of social media — an era of possibilities with an app where “everything” is possible.
Elon Musk has long made claims of a developing a “super app,” also known as an “everything app,” and the rebranding of Twitter to X may be another step in that direction.
Our HQ in San Francisco tonight pic.twitter.com/VQO2NoX9Tz
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023
“Batman. Is that you?” one user wrote after Musk posted a video of the sure-to-become iconic sign.
Batman. Is that you?
— Katie Daviscourt (@KatieDaviscourt) July 29, 2023
But every superhero needs a villain, and it seemed as if San Francisco city officials were almost written for the part, making every effort to thwart the erection of the sign.
According to The Associated Press, city officials have opened a complaint and launched an investigation, on the grounds that altering letters or symbols on buildings or erecting new signs requires a permit for both design and safety reasons.
Earlier in the week, San Francisco police stopped workers from removing Twitter’s iconic bird and logo from the building’s side, as NBC News reported. Officials said the workers hadn’t taken proper safety measures to protect pedestrians on the sidewalk, according to the AP.
Patrick Hannan, spokesman for the Department of Building Inspection, told the AP in an email that any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure “consistency with the historic nature of the building” and to ensure that additions are safely attached to the sign.
Hannan added that the city is opening a complaint and starting an investigation because “planning review and approval is also necessary for the installation of this sign,” according to the AP.
One would think that the city of San Francisco had more important things to do than worry about the “consistency” of letters on a building.
With crime in the city soaring and homelessness reaching an unprecedented level, San Francisco now bears an eerie resemblance to the dystopian Gotham City setting of “Batman” movies.
San Francisco woke up in Gotham city this morning pic.twitter.com/bTiWApMYKi
— Product Hunt 😸 (@ProductHunt) July 29, 2023
A recent piece in the U.K. Daily Mail describes how once-thriving Union Square and downtown areas now stand as stark shadows of their former selves, with rows of empty stores and boarded-up businesses.
Almost every business in the property has left, the Daily Mail reported, except a branch of Dr. Martens and an Urban Outfitters store.
One resident described the homelessness crisis to the newspaper this way: “They defecate, they urinate on the street. They do drugs on the street. The mayor isn’t doing anything and it’s been like this for a very long time.”
🔴The images of drug addicts and homeless people in the US state of San Francisco did not look like movie scenes.#USA #SanFrancisco pic.twitter.com/QWfcGfc5X6
— WorldNewsRC (@WorldNewsRC) July 28, 2023
The exodus of major companies has led to a surge in office vacancies, which reached a record high of 31 percent in May, according to the Daily Mail. This staggering figure translates to enough space to accommodate a staggering 92,000 workers, according to the newspaper.
According to the Daily Mail article, officials say the current situation is expected to contribute to a staggering budget shortfall of $1.3 billion over the next five years. The decline in property tax revenue alone is projected to amount to nearly $200 million per year, as detailed in a worst-case scenario outlined by the city’s chief accountant, the Daily Mail reported.
But the “jokers” at the San Francisco city office have bigger things to worry about.
While the city falls apart around them, they are busy ensuring the “consistency” of the lettering on one of the only businesses still standing.
After the treatment X has received from the city, no one could blame the company for leaving, too.
But Musk has made it clear that he has no intention of quitting the City by the Bay.
Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco.
Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving.
Therefore, they expect X will move too.
We will not.
You only know who your real friends are when…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 29, 2023
Will X get their own bat signal? 👀 pic.twitter.com/7XCmsfBKr0
— X News Daily (@xDaily) July 28, 2023
The X sign might as well be a bat signal https://t.co/Dn3YPDfU5Z
— Shadab (@shadab) July 29, 2023
“Many have offered rich incentives for X (fka Twitter) to move its HQ out of San Francisco,” Musk tweeted on Saturday.”Moreover, the city is in a doom spiral with one company after another left or leaving. Therefore, they expect X will move too. We will not.”
“You only know who your real friends are when the chips are down. San Francisco, beautiful San Francisco, though others forsake you, we will always be your friend,” Musk ended poetically.
Sounds like the words of a real-life superhero.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
