Welcome To The Break Room. Sorry, I Mean The Police Headquarters and City Court Building! (Where The Disrespect, Poor Grammar and Ugliness Proliferates)

To make way for the recently constructed new Parking Bureau office inside the Police Headquarters portion of 701 Union Street, two massive vending machines had to be moved.  Out of the way... and then into the way.  While the machines were once inconspicuous for those entering the building (mostly unseen behind the wall on the left in the lead picture), they are now the two most conspicuous (and some might say ugliest) things that greet everyone entering the building, especially those headed to court (to the right) and those hoping to settle a parking ticket (straight ahead).  It's a feng shui nightmare for those already stressed about something (few people paying a parking ticket or headed to court feel like a million bucks!).

 

"Pass through one at a time, please.  We must offer expensive
sugary snacks, so we cannot apologize for the inconvenience.
Get used to it.  Got a problem?  The window for your complaints
is straight ahead."

People headed to court or the court office are there to pay a fine or be in front of a judge, not to buy and eat or drink a snack or beverage.  They are there to get in and out of the building as quickly as possible.  Plus, food and drinks are not allowed in court, thank you very much!  But everyone -- EVERYONE -- entering and leaving court must pass by those machines and be sure not to knock their heads on them or knock over someone else headed their direction.  God forbid someone would be standing at one of the machines trying to get a Pepsi while no one can walk around them!  "Excuse me, can you please get the hell out of my way, I'm late for court and I'm not in a good mood!"  

When the machines weren't next to the men's room, did HPD think they should be?  Was the building designed with the intention of two large vending machines taking up the space they are now located in?

Does that look like about half the width 
of the space to you?  Sure it does!  Look 
at how ugly and unwelcome it is!

The vending machines, which HPD must consider absolutely crucial but mostly sit unused and ignored while they constantly hum and consume kilowatts, now block nearly half of the area into and out of the portion of the building holding the city court and its offices.  To say the hulking, ugly machines are in the way is a severe understatement.  People once walked where those vile sugar machines -- that visitors do not use!! -- are now located.  If the drinks and snacks are there for HPD (which I presume they are since the machines were originally located on their side of the building next to their only door, as seen below), why doesn't HPD just put them inside their offices and out of the way of everyone else who is not using them?  Is it because they don't want to see, hear and walk around the giant machines all the time?  Or is it because they don't have room for them?  Sure, though, there's plenty of room for them in the lobby on the court's side of the building!

The window for the Parking Bureau that may someday
make it to 701 Union is now located where the free water
fountain was located. Water is available in the machine,
shipped in from far away, served in plastic and for a price.

The tacky depictions of the American flag (sideways, on two sides, possibly three!!!), which someone at HPD likely requested, might be the most revolting thing of all.  Nothing says America The Beautiful quite like expensive, sugary snacks and drinks devoid of nutrients to keep the obesity, cavities and diabetes alive and thriving.  At least there's no depiction of an AR-15 rifle or the blue, white and black police flag, thank goodness.

How is the welcoming or even decent?  It's pathetic 
and depressing, but par for the course.  Is it necessary?

How much energy do you suppose those two machines consume?  Does it matter?  How much do the taxpayers of Hudson pay for those two machines to be on (one is essentially a refrigerator, after all) 24/7/365?  How does the city benefit -- and who benefits -- from those two vending machines offering mostly junk food?  How would Police Chief Mishanda Franklin justify their use and location?  Would she say that there is no way HPD officers could work properly without them, and that they must be located where they were recently moved to?

Look at how close the snack machine has been placed to the bathroom door, even obscuring the sign for the bathroom (which is mainly used by court attendees). ("ENS OOM" is all that can be read on the sign!)  Is that the MENS ROOM or the WOMENS ROOM? Does it matter?  Of course it doesn't matter, because what's truly important is that the lobby at 701 Union has a pair of soda and snack vending machines that mostly sit unused all day and night.  Everything else is just in the way.

OVERALL GRADE:  FAIL