"It's better to ask forgiveness than ask permission" goes for many things, at least if you're rich or powerful, and top of the list is what's on your land… or your landlord's land. Twitter has installed a giant metal "X" on the roof of its San Francisco HQ, pursuant to Elon Musk's impulsive rebranding of the company, but it hasn't bothered getting a permit.
City officials say replacing letters or symbols on buildings, or erecting a sign on top of one, requires a permit for design and safety reasons.
The X appeared after San Francisco police stopped workers on Monday from removing the brand's iconic bird and logo from the side of the building, saying they hadn't taped off the sidewalk to keep pedestrians safe if anything fell.
Any replacement letters or symbols would require a permit to ensure "consistency with the historic nature of the building" and to make sure additions are safely attached to the sign, Patrick Hannan, spokesperson for the Department of Building Inspection said earlier this week.
Be sure to click through to the AP story to see how ugly and crude the installation is. I wouldn't walk on the sidewalk under it.
