311 Gets 8,000 Pictures in 15 Months: Report

New Yorkers don't just want the city to hear their complaints. Increasingly, they're giving officials a fuller picture of the problems.
 
The New York Post reported Sunday that the city's 311 hotline got more than 8,000 photos accompanying reports in the last 15 months. They included more than 1,800 pictures of items left in taxis, almost 200 images concerning conditions at eateries and at least 25 pictures of pigeon droppings.
 
The complaint and information line got just 100 images the first year after the photo feature began in 2008.
 
The 311 director, Joe Morrisroe, says pictures allow customers to offer evidence that something is out of line.
 
Restaurant manager Cindy Yue says it's not good for businesses if customers report problems only to the government, not to establishments themselves.