Current:Home > Contact-usFlashing "X" installed on top of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco – without a permit from the city-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Flashing "X" installed on top of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco – without a permit from the city
View Date:2024-12-23 18:36:14
"X" really does mark the spot – for a city investigation. The company formerly known as Twitter has rebranded to the letter, placing a massive light-up "X" on top of their San Francisco headquarters, apparently without a permit.
The long-standing sign identifying the headquarters as Twitter came down last week as Elon Musk announced the social media site has officially rebranded to "X." The site's parent company had already been renamed to X Corporation as Musk said he wants to create "the everything app."
"The Twitter name made sense when it was just 140 character messages going back and forth – like birds tweeting – but now you can post almost anything, including several hours of video," Musk said. "In the months to come, we will add comprehensive communications and the ability to conduct your entire financial world."
But the new sign at the company's San Fransico headquarters wasn't exactly installed up to code, according to the city.
San Francisco's Department of Building Inspection launched a complaint against the company on Friday, saying the sign had been installed without a permit. The city agency said that an inspector "spoke with Tweeter [sic] representatives and Building maintenance engineer representatives," who declined access to the sign but said that it's "a temporary lighted sign for an event."
The city inspector said they explained to the company representatives that the structure had to be taken down or legalized to be allowed to remain up.
The inspector returned to the site on Saturday in an attempt to regain access to the sign.
"However, upon arrival access was denied again by the tenant," the city complaint says.
It's not just city officials who have an issue with the new sign.
Video from San Francisco resident and digital journalist Christopher Beale shows the lights in the sign pulsing brightly across the street of his home, saying, "this is my life now." At another point, the lights of the giant "X" were seen strobing.
"It's hard to describe how bright it made this intersection," he said in a video shared by CBS News Bay Area reporter Betty Yu. "But it's way up off the street and it's still just like a flash of lightning going off. We came home and tried to watch a movie and it was flashing through this window so bright that even with the shades down, it was so distracting that we had to leave the room and go to the side of the apartment that doesn't face their building."
Patricia Wallinga, who also lives across the street from the sign, said she thought the lights were "lightning" or a "police siren."
"I was very confused," she told CBS News Bay Area. "...This building, it's largely rent controlled. There are a lot of seniors who live there, I'm sure, I'm absolutely sure that this is a danger especially to them. ... It's such a clown show."
Normally buildings are given notice of a permit application for such things and have the ability to approve or reject it, said George Wolf, an attorney who specializes in construction law.
"Somebody could file a lawsuit over it as public nuisance," he said. "I think it's very, very reckless to do things this way. Most people abide by the law, I'm sure there's exceptions for entrepreneurs. It just sounds like it's just his normal means of doing business. Break things and try and fix them later."
- In:
- Elon Musk
- San Francisco
Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.
veryGood! (755)
Related
- Travis Kelce's and Patrick Mahomes' Kansas City Houses Burglarized
- Nearly $200 million bet in North Carolina’s first week of legalized sports wagering
- Talks on luring NHL’s Capitals and NBA’s Wizards to Virginia are over, city of Alexandria says
- Ski town struggles to fill 6-figure job because candidates can't afford housing
- Fighting conspiracy theories with comedy? That’s what the Onion hopes after its purchase of Infowars
- The story behind the luxury handbag Taylor Swift took to lunch with Travis Kelce
- Millions in India are celebrating Holi. Here's what the Hindu festival of colors is all about.
- Venezuelans are increasingly stuck in Mexico, explaining drop in illegal crossings to US
- Rachael Ray Details Getting Bashed Over Decision to Not Have Kids
- A $15 toll to drive into part of Manhattan has been approved. That’s a first for US cities
Ranking
- Powerball winning numbers for November 11 drawing: Jackpot hits $103 million
- Donald Trump assails judge and his daughter after gag order in New York hush-money criminal case
- New York’s state budget expected to be late as housing, education negotiations continue
- Best remaining NFL free agents: Ranking 20 top players available, led by Justin Simmons
- Catholic bishops urged to boldly share church teachings — even unpopular ones
- Lea Michele Is Pregnant, Expecting Baby No. 2 With Husband Zandy Reich
- Sophia Smith, Portland Thorns sign contract making her NWSL's highest-paid player
- Garrison Brown's older brother Hunter breaks silence on death, Meri discusses grief
Recommendation
-
Alexandra Daddario Shares Candid Photo of Her Postpartum Body 6 Days After Giving Birth
-
Ahmaud Arbery's killers ask appeals court to overturn their hate crime convictions
-
Donald Sutherland writes of a long life in film in his upcoming memoir, ‘Made Up, But Still True’
-
MyPillow, owned by election denier Mike Lindell, faces eviction from Minnesota warehouse
-
Suspect arrested after deadly Tuskegee University homecoming shooting
-
Man in custody after fatal shooting of NYPD officer during traffic stop: Reports
-
North Carolina GOP executive director elected as next state chairman
-
Smoking pit oven leads to discovery of bones, skin and burnt human flesh, relatives of missing Mexicans say