When it comes to having nice things in New York City, we have more than enough to be grateful for. We have beautiful buildings, nice stores, amazing restaurants, what more could we ask for. With a city growing more each day we have been even more grateful to get more ‘modern’ things. For instance, we have been getting more modern architecture, in the not too distant future new subways, and also more ways to improve our commute. A few months ago New York City started to remove the famous telephones and add Wifi kiosks, an improvement at looking more towards a modern city. They were to have many features, including internet, phone charging devices, and more. Now, the internet is being removed.
At the beginning of the Wifi kiosks, all was a rave about them. They were considered the ‘phone booth of the future’, with free calls, quick internet usage, phone charging stations, and directions on where to get somewhere. Right away people speculated that they would be used a lot by homeless, but the kiosks were still installed and with free usage.
All was good at first, with people going on YouTube to look up funny videos or even music, with others taking advantage of the free calls and phone charging amenity. Then started problems quickly after, when lines started to form as people would constantly hog the kiosks and sit there browsing the internet or YouTube. Then came the worst, that led to the removal of the internet on the 400 kiosks, as many reports came in of people watching porn on the kiosks and even performing vulgar activity while doing so.
The victims of the porn watching? The homeless, as predicted. With no access to phones, internet, or wifi, it was easy to believe that they would use the kiosk all the time, but it was also hard to believe that they would not do something that usually is done in private, well private. Since open to the public, it was hard to stop this issue, until now.
Following the complaints on what was supposed to be used for only short periods of time, not personal uses, the company in charge of the kiosks, LinkNYC, has decided to go ahead and remove the internet. Wifi will still be available but now only to people with a personal device. Free phone calls, directions, and phone chargers will still be available. Although now more limited the company ensures that the kiosks were not intended for personal use, more for help. Although the internet is no longer there, they hope that they will still be a resourceful method for New Yorkers and tourists.
Featured Image Via Wikimedia
