Current:Home > NewsFlashing "X" installed on top of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco – without a permit from the city-InfoLens
Flashing "X" installed on top of Twitter headquarters in San Francisco – without a permit from the city
View Date:2024-12-23 15:05:03
"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! (87)
Related
- Teachers in 3 Massachusetts communities continue strike over pay, paid parental leave
- 15 new movies you'll want to stream this holiday season, from 'Emilia Perez' to 'Maria'
- Watch as dust storm that caused 20-car pileup whips through central California
- Missing Ole Miss student declared legally dead as trial for man accused in his death looms
- In an AP interview, the next Los Angeles DA says he’ll go after low-level nonviolent crimes
- As CFP rankings punish SEC teams, do we smell bias against this proud and mighty league?
- Tony Hinchcliffe refuses to apologize after calling Puerto Rico 'garbage' at Trump rally
- Deommodore Lenoir contract details: 49ers ink DB to $92 million extension
- Democrat Cleo Fields wins re-drawn Louisiana congressional district, flipping red seat blue
- Caitlin Clark has one goal for her LPGA pro-am debut: Don't hit anyone with a golf ball
Ranking
- Why Josh O'Connor Calls Sex Scenes Least Sexy Thing After Challengers With Zendaya and Mike Faist
- Kansas basketball vs Michigan State live score updates, highlights, how to watch Champions Classic
- Why Outer Banks Fans Think Costars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Used Stunt Doubles Amid Rumored Rift
- Roster limits in college small sports put athletes on chopping block while coaches look for answers
- Quincy Jones laid to rest at private family funeral in Los Angeles
- Sister Wives’ Meri Brown Shares Hysterical Farmers Only Dating Profile Video After Kody Split
- Can I take on 2 separate jobs in the same company? Ask HR
- Denver district attorney is investigating the leak of voting passwords in Colorado
Recommendation
-
ONA Community Introduce
-
Oprah Winfrey Addresses Claim She Was Paid $1 Million by Kamala Harris' Campaign
-
Why Suits' Gabriel Macht Needed Time Away From Harvey Specter After Finale
-
Social media star squirrel euthanized after being taken from home tests negative for rabies
-
Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin to kick off fundraising effort for Ohio women’s suffrage monument
-
Voyager 2 is the only craft to visit Uranus. Its findings may have misled us for 40 years.
-
Olivia Munn began randomly drug testing John Mulaney during her first pregnancy
-
Rare Alo Yoga Flash Sale: Don’t Miss 60% Off Deals With Styles as Low as $5